Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Washington Township, Indiana

Rules another office applies inside Washington Township

Washington Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Washington township under county building ordinance (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Permit is issued only after a complete application, including any applicable fee, and conformance with applicable building and fire safety laws.
  • A placard fee not to exceed $500 applies per placard issued.

  placard fee maximum: <= 500 USD (per placard)

  “section 7. issuance of building permit. the building commissioner shall issue a building permit to a person after the person has submitted a complete application, including any applicable fee, provided that the proposed construction will conform to all applicable building and fire safety laws and will not violate any other applicable ordinances or laws.”

• InspectionsRequired

  All construction inside Washington township under county building ordinance (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Applies whether or not a building permit was obtained or required.

  “1. all construction shall be subject to periodic inspections by the building commissioner irrespective of whether a building permit has been or is required to be obtained.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of any structure inside Washington township under county building ordinance (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Full, partial, or temporary certificate of occupancy issued by the county building commissioner is required before occupancy.
  • A placard must be affixed before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

  “it shall be unlawful to occupy any structure unless a full, partial, or temporary certificate of occupancy has been issued by the building commissioner.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in the agricultural district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

  • One-story dwelling minimum 720 sq ft; two-story dwelling minimum 1,400 sq ft.

  one-story dwelling minimum size: >= 720 sq ft · two-story dwelling minimum size: >= 1400 sq ft

  “district agricultural front setback county road (cl) front setback state road (cl) adjoining property line setback one story dwelling minimum size two story dwelling minimum size 60.00’ 100.00’ 10.00’ 720.00’ 1400.00’”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Dwellings in the residential 1 district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

    “residential 1 front setback county road (cl) 60.00’ 90.00’ 10.00’ 720.00’ 1400.00’”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  New lots in the residential 1 district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

  • Column order in the residential table is on-site septic system first, then municipal sewer; the first pair is read as the on-site septic minimum (1 acre, 150 ft) and the second as the municipal-sewer minimum (10,000 sq ft, 70 ft). Confirm against the table layout.
  • All lots also require approval of two (2) approved septic sites or one (1) repairable system by the jackson county health department.

  minimum lot area, on-site septic: >= 43560 sq ft (1 acre) · minimum lot width, on-site septic: >= 150 ft · minimum lot area, municipal sewer: >= 10000 sq ft · minimum lot width, municipal sewer: >= 70 ft

  “district residential 1 on-site septic system municipal sewer residential 2 on-site septic system municipal sewer lake residential on-site septic system municipal sewer lot area & width requirements minimum lot area minimum lot width 1 acre (43,560 square feet) 10,000 square feet 150.00’ feet 70.00’ feet”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — New lots in the agricultural district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

    “agricultural 1 acre (43,560 square feet) 150.00’ feet * note: all lots shall also require approval of two (2) approved septic sites or one (1) repairable system by the jackson county health department.”

  • Specified — New lots in the residential 2 district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township, where served by on-site septic

    “1/2 acre (21,780 square feet) 10,000 square feet 75.00’ feet 70.00’ feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in the agricultural district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

  • Front setback 60.00' from county road centerline and 100.00' from state road centerline; road setbacks are measured from the centerline of county and state roads.
  • Adjoining property line setback 10.00'.
  • Corner lots must meet setbacks from both road frontages; alley right-of-way setback 10 ft; county regulated drain setback 75.00' from top of bank.
  • Accessory structures follow chapter 10 setbacks; projections per section 9-4.
  • Agricultural clause must be signed and recorded as a deed restriction as part of the building permit process.

  front setback, county road: >= 60 ft (measured from centerline) · front setback, state road: >= 100 ft (measured from centerline) · adjoining property line setback: >= 10 ft

  “district agricultural front setback county road (cl) front setback state road (cl) adjoining property line setback one story dwelling minimum size two story dwelling minimum size 60.00’ 100.00’ 10.00’ 720.00’ 1400.00’”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in the residential 1 district of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

    “residential 1 front setback county road (cl) 60.00’ 90.00’ 10.00’ 720.00’ 1400.00’”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures in the agricultural, forest & recreational, and residential districts of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

  • Structures over the maximum height require variance approval.
  • Agricultural structures may exceed the limit as necessary for operation, but not above 75 feet.
  • Business districts 45.00 ft; industrial districts 75.00 ft.

  maximum height, agricultural/forest & recreational/residential: <= 35 ft (variance required above limit)

  “any structure over the maximum height requirements referenced below must receive variance approval. maximum height requirements agricultural & forest & recreational districts 35.00’ residential districts 35.00’ business districts 45.00’ industrial districts 75.00’”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on private land inside Washington township (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • RVs may not be used for residential purposes.
  • Outside an RV park, an RV may be located on a lot for a maximum of 30 days.
  • The plan director may grant temporary occupancy of a mobile home or RV for not more than one year when conditions in section 8 are met (same-property residence, same water and sewage facilities, no permanent foundation, setbacks observed).

  maximum RV days outside park: <= 30 days · temporary occupancy maximum: <= 1 years (plan director permit)

  “recreational vehicles may not be used for residential purposes and may only be located on a lot outside of a recreational vehicle park for a maximum of thirty (30) days, and septic must be discharged into approved tank.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary camping with a recreational vehicle on private land inside Washington township (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Only RVs are addressed; tent or other camping not located in the excerpts read.
  • RV may stay outside a park for a maximum of 30 days; temporary occupancy permits up to one year are available from the plan director on a lot with an existing or planned residence.

  maximum RV days outside park: <= 30 days

  “recreational vehicles may not be used for residential purposes and may only be located on a lot outside of a recreational vehicle park for a maximum of thirty (30) days, and septic must be discharged into approved tank.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home placement on private land inside Washington township (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Before a building permit issues, the applicant must obtain a mobile home transfer permit (state form 7878) from the county treasurer and an on-site sewage permit from the county health department.
  • Temporary occupancy of a mobile home or RV up to one year may be granted by the plan director under listed conditions.

  “e) prior to being issued a building permit, the applicant must obtain: 1. a mobile home transfer permit (state form 7878) from the jackson county treasurer’s office. 2. an on-site sewage permit from the jackson county health department.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage systems for lots inside Washington township (unincorporated Jackson County), administered by the Jackson County Health Department

  • Each lot requires approval of two approved septic sites or one repairable system by the Jackson County Health Department.
  • The county health department is treated as the county-level rule-maker; the health department's own service-area page was not opened.

  “all lots shall also require approval of two (2) approved septic sites or one (1) repairable system by the jackson county health department”

• Septic permitRequired

  Mobile homes and other residential placement that requires an on-site sewage permit, inside Washington township (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Obtained before a building permit is issued for mobile home placement, per the mobile home rules in section 8.
  • Lots also require septic site approval (see septic authority claim).

  “2. an on-site sewage permit from the jackson county health department.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Recreational vehicles used on private land inside Washington township (unincorporated Jackson County) with on-site wastewater

  • RVs may not be used for residential purposes.
  • RV location outside a park is limited to 30 days, and septic must be discharged into an approved tank.

  maximum RV days outside park: <= 30 days

  “recreational vehicles may not be used for residential purposes and may only be located on a lot outside of a recreational vehicle park for a maximum of thirty (30) days, and septic must be discharged into approved tank.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside Washington township under county jurisdiction (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • All divisions of land are subject to the Jackson County subdivision control ordinance, which was not opened; its terms are not recorded here.

  “b) subdivision of land: all divisions to land shall be subject to the requirements set forth in the jackson county subdivision control ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Residential building lots in the agricultural, forest & recreational and residential districts of unincorporated Jackson County, including such land inside Washington township

  • Access is by deeded access of at least 50 ft on residential building lots.

  deeded access width: >= 50 ft

  “c) access: 50.00' deeded access is required on all residential building lots.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for construction inside Washington township under county building ordinance (unincorporated Jackson County)

  • Permit issues after a complete application; the county building commissioner notifies the fire department and 911 center within ten business days of issuance.
  • Full application forms and the step-by-step process were not located in the excerpts read.

  “section 7. issuance of building permit. the building commissioner shall issue a building permit to a person after the person has submitted a complete application, including any applicable fee”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Washington Township or Jackson County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or inspection for land inside Washington township
• Local zoning — Whether Washington township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits for land inside Washington township under county zoning
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Washington township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Washington township under county zoning

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.