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

Rules another office applies inside Greene Township

Greene 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

  New home construction in Greene township, Jay County, IN outside any incorporated municipality

  • Construction may begin only after the permit is issued (status conditional).
  • Jay County Building & Planning also lists garage or carport, basement, additions, structural roof changes, porch, deck, fence, accessory buildings of 100 sq ft or larger, pools, ponds, commercial and agricultural buildings and towers as needing permits; windows, vinyl siding, sidewalks and driveways are listed as not needing one.
  • Fee amounts are not published online (see permit-fees claim).

  “new home - yes garage or carport - yes new or enlarged basement - yes additions & structural changes - yes”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings (Class 2 structures) and their accessory structures built in Greene township, Jay County, IN

  • Applies to Class 2 structures and their accessory structures; other building classes are reviewed by the state.
  • All local units of government are required to enforce the code; Jay County Building & Planning administers it in unincorporated areas.
  • Effective December 26, 2019 per the state circular.

  “since that date, the 2020 indiana residential code has been in full force and effect in every location within the state of indiana.”

• Local zoningVaries (with conditions)

  Land in Greene township, Jay County, IN that is outside the incorporated limits; county zoning administered by Jay County Building & Planning. This is county zoning, not a Greene township ordinance.

  • Applies only where the land is unincorporated; land inside a city or town (Portland, Dunkirk, Bryant, Redkey, Pennville, Salamonia) is under that municipality's rules.
  • The county page describes its authority as covering all other unincorporated areas, which includes Greene township outside any municipality.
  • Whether Greene township administers its own zoning was not established (see greene-township-local-zoning-own-ordinance).
  • Dimensional and use limits were not extracted from the zoning text; see the unknown topic claims.

  “jay county: the authority of jay county is pennville, salamonia, and all other unincorporated areas.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in mapped floodways and flood plain areas in unincorporated Greene township

  • Applies only where the site is in or near a floodway, flood plain, ditch, waterway or low area; the county says to contact the department in those cases.
  • Portland and the county both regulate; the Indiana DNR and FEMA also apply.

  “floodways and flood plain areas are regulated by portland, jay county, the indiana department of natural resources (dnr) and fema.”

• Permit feesNot published (with conditions)

  Building and zoning permit fees for projects in Greene township outside any incorporated municipality

  • Fees depend on the project; the county will quote them on request.
  • Fee schedule not found online; the permit application form is downloadable.

  “permit fees vary depending on the project and are not published online.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building and zoning permit process for projects in Greene township outside any incorporated municipality

  • Application form is downloadable; the county department handles permits, plan review and inspections by phone and office at the Community Resource Center, 118 S. Meridian Street, Suite E, Portland, 260-726-6904.
  • Fee schedule and detailed step list are not published online.

  “permit application form is available for download.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner-builder may build a home in Greene township without a licensed contractor
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required for new homes in Greene township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is issued for new homes in Greene township
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts (main single-family residential and agricultural/residential) applying in Greene township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district in Greene township

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.