Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Johnson County, Indiana

Unincorporated Johnson County requires a building permit from the county Building Department within Planning and Zoning¹. Johnson County incorporates Indiana's building-safety rules by reference and has no separate local amendments or individual building codes¹. Indiana's codes are model codes amended by the state Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission; the currently effective editions include the 2014 Indiana Building Code and 2020 Indiana Residential Code^8,9. One- and two-family residences follow the Indiana Residential Code and local inspection authority⁹. We could not confirm a Johnson County owner-builder exemption; ask the Building Department before assuming one applies⁵. An agricultural exemption from state Class 1 design release does not itself waive local zoning, building permits or inspections¹⁰.

The Johnson County Building Department is at 86 W Court St, Franklin, IN 46131; call (317) 346-4350 or email building@johnsoncounty.in.gov for building-permit, fee and inspection questions¹. County building-permit review averages 10 business days¹. Inside Edinburgh, the town handles building permits; septic permits remain with the Johnson County Health Department^3,4,11. New single-family homes and commercial developments in White River Township carry a road impact fee collected by Planning and Zoning when the building permit is issued¹. Ask the Building Department for the local building-fee total: Indiana DHS publishes a separate fee schedule for projects subject to state building-plan review, paid through the Design Release Service by credit card or e-check⁸.

Johnson County Planning and Zoning enforces zoning, subdivision and building codes in unincorporated Johnson County¹². On the county GIS map, property inside a town or city limit is shaded light yellow and labeled "city-"; confirm jurisdiction before applying county rules to a parcel¹². Edinburgh sets its own zoning inside town limits, while residential septic permits remain with the Johnson County Health Department^3,4,13. Before dividing land outside a municipality and selling lots, Indiana requires a surveyor-certified plat recorded with the county recorder and approved by the county commissioners or, where a subdivision-control ordinance has been adopted, the plan commission¹⁴.

Septic systems in Johnson County are permitted by the county Health Department, not the Building Department³. The Health Department's Environmental Health division covers "onsite septic rules, fees, specialists, installation and abandonment," reachable at (317) 346-4365, 95 S Drake Rd, Franklin, IN 46131³. For a home that will not connect to sewer, Indiana requires a written construction permit signed by the health officer before building starts, and the county health department must issue or deny it within 30 days after receiving the application and plans⁴. Residential septic permits inside municipalities also come from the Johnson County Health Department⁴. A compliant system needs a septic tank and a soil absorption system that hasn't failed; drywells and cesspools aren't allowed, and a temporary holding tank needs written state approval outside narrow exceptions¹⁵. Soils are a serious constraint here: only about 1% of Johnson County's soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and likely an engineered system before you count on a standard trench field⁶. Private water wells may also need a permit from the same local health department; Indiana notes that "several local health departments now require that a permit be obtained before construction of a residential water supply well or installation of a well pump," so confirm with the Health Department before drilling⁷.

We could not confirm whether residential RV or tiny-home occupancy is allowed on private land in unincorporated Johnson County; ask the Department of Planning and Zoning for a written answer for your parcel before buying or moving a unit onto it^2,12. Ask the office to identify the zoning district and any dwelling-size, setback or temporary-occupancy requirements that would apply¹². Indiana's campground occupancy rule governs licensed campgrounds, so it does not establish permission to live in an RV on an individually deeded lot¹⁶.

1. Confirm jurisdiction on the county GIS map and ask Johnson County Planning and Zoning about the parcel's zoning before designing the home¹².
2. For a home without sewer, submit the septic application to the Johnson County Health Department with an on-site soils evaluation and system plans; obtain the health officer's written construction permit before residence construction starts⁴.
3. Apply to the Johnson County Building Department for the building permit, allowing about 10 business days for review; include the road impact fee in your budget for a new single-family home in White River Township¹.
4. Confirm with the Health Department whether a well-construction or pump-installation permit applies before drilling⁷.
5. Obtain INDOT approval for a driveway connecting to a state highway¹⁷.
6. Ask DNR's Division of Water about prior approval for building, fill or excavation in a floodway along a stream whose drainage area exceeds 1 square mile, subject to exemptions or general licenses¹⁸.
7. Arrange building inspections with the Building Department and septic inspections with the Health Department; if no local septic inspection procedure is published, notify the health officer at least 48 hours or two working days before covering subsurface septic work^4,12.

Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction on the county GIS map and ask Planning and Zoning about the district's allowed uses and dimensional requirements¹². Budget for septic due diligence: with only about 1% of Johnson County's soils rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, a site evaluation from the Health Department should shape your build plan before you close⁶. If the parcel is in White River Township, ask about the road impact fee that applies to new single-family and commercial building permits there¹. Ask the DNR Division of Water about floodway boundaries before closing: building, fill, excavation or an obstruction in a floodway along a stream with a drainage area greater than 1 square mile requires prior state approval unless an exemption or general license applies¹⁸. The floodplain fringe has no state review or state permit, but local rules may still apply¹⁹. The county gets about 44.7 inches of rain a year with severe drought in only about 2.7% of years, and 95.8% of its land has a slope of 15% or less⁶. Property taxes have a typical effective rate near 0.7% and a median bill around $1,875 a year, while the typical homeowner's insurance premium is near $1,617 a year⁶.