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

Rules another office applies inside Knox Township

Knox 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 on unincorporated land inside Knox township, which the Jay County Building & Planning department covers

  • The county page lists the permit question for new homes; it does not state fee or review details here.
  • The county department's authority covers Pennville, Salamonia, and all other unincorporated areas; Knox township is unincorporated, so the county is the rule-maker for this permit.

  “new home - yes garage or carport - yes new or enlarged basement - yes”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Temporary family mobile homes placed on unincorporated land inside Knox township before they are used as dwellings

  • Applies to the temporary family mobile home provision in the agricultural/residential district; a certificate of occupancy is not stated for other housing types in the text opened.

  “it shall not be used for dwelling purposes until a certificate of occupancy has been issued.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning districts that apply to unincorporated land inside Knox township

  • The ordinance table of contents lists agricultural/residential (ar), rural/residential (rr), urban/residential (ur), commercial (com), industrial (i), light industrial (li) and other district regulations; only AR and RR development standards were opened.
  • Pennville districts in article 8 apply only inside Pennville, not in Knox township.

  “206 ar - agricultural/residential district regulations “ar” district intent, permitted uses, and special exception uses article 2”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agricultural/residential (AR) district lots in unincorporated Knox township

  • 2 acres where served by wells and septic systems.
  • No lot-size regulation where served by public or other approved community sewer systems.

  minimum lot size (wells and septic): >= 2 acres (served by public or other approved community sewer systems: no regulation)

  “minimum lot size: served by wells & septic systems -- 2 acres served by public or other approved community sewer systems -- no regulations”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Rural/residential (RR) district lots in unincorporated Knox township

    “minimum lot size: served by wells & septic systems -- 2 acres served by public or other approved community sewer systems -- 5,000 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Rural/residential (RR) district lots in unincorporated Knox township

  • Front yard minimum depth of 15 feet measured from the road-adjacent property line.
  • Two side yards, each a minimum width of 5 feet measured from the side property line.

  roadway setback: 30 feet (from road right-of-way) · front yard depth: >= 15 feet · side yard width: >= 5 feet

  “roadway setback regulation: 30 feet from the road right-of-way front yard limits:* each lot shall have a front yard with a minimum depth measured from, and parallel to, the property line adjacent to the road of 15 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Agricultural/residential (AR) district lots in unincorporated Knox township

    “roadway setback regulations: 30 feet from the road right-of-way, unless otherwise stated in this ordinance. yard setback regulations: 5 feet from property lines, unless otherwise stated in this ordinance”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupying a recreational vehicle as a residence on private land in unincorporated Knox township, outside an approved campground

  • Continuous occupancy is capped at twelve weeks outside an approved campground; the county's own site was not opened to confirm the current ordinance text.

  maximum continuous occupancy: <= 12 weeks (except in an approved campground)

  “recreational vehicles shall not be occupied continuously for longer than twelve (12) weeks in any county location other than approved campground.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Permanent mobile home dwelling on a lot in the agricultural/residential (AR) district of unincorporated Knox township

  • Only one mobile home per lot, and it must be the only principal structure on the lot.
  • Must be at least 300 feet from an adjoining rural residential or urban residential district.
  • An improvement location permit is required before the move; the minimum lot and yard requirements apply.
  • Each mobile home must contain a flush toilet, sleeping accommodations, a tub or shower, and kitchen facilities.

  distance from adjoining RR or UR district: >= 300 feet

  “a mobile home may be moved onto a lot, plot or tract of land and be used as a dwelling in an agricultural/residential district.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Temporary mobile home for a family member as an accessory use on unincorporated land inside Knox township

  • Permitted only on property with an existing permanent dwelling; occupied by a property owner's family member; must be in the agricultural/residential district.
  • Requires an improvement location permit and certificate of occupancy, plus county board of health letter.

  “such mobile home shall be permitted only on property having an existing permanent dwelling.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Water supply and sanitary waste disposal for a temporary family mobile home on unincorporated land inside Knox township

  • The county board of health sign-off is stated for the temporary family mobile home only; the septic authority for a conventional new home was not opened.

  “the application for the improvement location permit and the certificate of occupancy shall be accompanied by a letter or permit from the county board of”

• Driveway accessNot required

  Driveways built on land inside Knox township: no county building permit

  • This is the county building-permit answer only; the ordinance's entrance and driveway standards were not opened.

  “vinyl siding - no sidewalks - no driveways - no permit application form is available for download.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in floodways and flood plain areas inside Knox township, which Jay County administers outside Portland

  • Also regulated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and FEMA; the page says to contact the department for work near ditches or low areas.
  • Floodplain standards apply in addition to the zoning permit.

  “floodways and flood plain areas are regulated by portland, jay county, the indiana department of natural resources (dnr) and fema. if you are building near a ditch, waterway or low area, you need to contact our department for the requirements and regulations governing these areas.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building and zoning permit fees for work inside Knox township

  • Fees vary by project; the published fee schedule was not located in the opened text.

  “permit fees vary depending on the project and are not published online. please contact the department to obtain the permit fees applicable to your project.”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit application process for work inside Knox township

  • The page says the application form is downloadable and lists which projects need a permit; the review steps and timelines were not located.

  “permit application form is available for download.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home built by the owner inside Knox township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new homes inside Knox township, Jay County
• Local zoning — Whether Knox township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling inside Knox township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage for residential lots inside Knox 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.