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

At a glance

Building permit

Required in unincorporated Johnson County, issued by the county Building Department¹

Zoning

Yes, countywide in unincorporated areas, via the Department of Planning and Zoning²

Septic permit

Issued by the Johnson County Health Department, not the building department⁴

Owner-builder exemption

Not confirmed; ask the Building Department before assuming one applies⁶

Building permit review time

About 10 business days on average⁷

Septic soils

About 1% of soils are free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁵

Well permit

May be required by the local health department; confirm before drilling⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Johnson County, Indiana?

Yes. Unincorporated Johnson County requires a building permit, issued by the county Building Department within the Department of Planning and Zoning.¹ Johnson County incorporates Indiana's building-safety rules by reference and has adopted no separate local amendments or individual building codes.⁷ Indiana's currently effective rules include the 2014 Indiana Building Code and the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, with residential administration handled locally where applicable.³ Plan on roughly a 10-business-day county review.⁷ We could not confirm an owner-builder or owner-occupant permit exemption specific to Johnson County, so ask the Building Department before assuming one applies.⁶ Buildings used only for an agricultural purpose can be exempt from the state's Class 1 design-release requirement, but that exemption does not by itself waive local zoning, building-permit or inspection requirements.⁹

Who is the Johnson County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Johnson County Building Department is at 86 W Court St, Franklin, IN 46131, phone (317) 346-4350, or email [email protected] for permit, fee and inspection questions.⁷ The Department of Planning and Zoning administers county building permits and inspections in unincorporated Johnson County.¹⁰ Indiana assigns agricultural buildings and one- and two-family residential inspections to the local government entity; state Code Enforcement handles Class I construction compliance where no approved local building department exists and inspects work tied to a state Construction Design Release.¹¹ Before applying, use the county GIS map to confirm jurisdiction: property inside a town or city limit is shaded and labeled "City-" rather than falling under county zoning and permitting.¹⁰

Does Johnson County have zoning?

Yes, for the unincorporated area. "The Johnson County Department of Planning and Zoning serves the unincorporated area of the county," guiding land development, enforcing zoning, subdivision and building codes, and administering building permits and inspections.²¹⁰ Land inside a town or city has its own zoning, shown as a distinct "City-" label on the county's GIS map, so confirm your specific parcel's jurisdiction before assuming county rules apply.¹⁰ If you're dividing land outside a municipality, Indiana law requires a correct, surveyor-certified plat recorded with the county recorder and approved by the board of county commissioners (or the plan commission, once a subdivision-control ordinance is adopted) before you sell any lots.¹²

How do septic permits work in Johnson County?

Septic systems in Johnson County are permitted by the county Health Department, not the Building Department.⁴ 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 46131.¹³ Statewide, Indiana's on-site sewage rule is administered by local boards of health, with each local program subject to review by the Indiana Department of Health.¹⁴ 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 exceptions.¹⁵ 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 field.⁵ 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 drilling.⁸

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Johnson County?

Reviewed sources do not confirm a countywide rule allowing or barring RV or tiny-home living on a private, unincorporated Johnson County lot. Since the Department of Planning and Zoning administers zoning for the unincorporated county, ask that office directly which zoning district covers your parcel and what it allows before you buy or move a unit in.¹⁰² Indiana's campground rule limits occupancy to "no more than one (1) recreational vehicle or one (1) vacation mobile home" per designated site, but that rule governs licensed campgrounds with ten or more sites, not an individually deeded lot, so it doesn't answer this question.¹⁶ Don't assume RV or tiny-home living is unrestricted just because the state campground rule doesn't apply to your land; get a written answer from Planning and Zoning for your specific parcel.

Building a home in Johnson County: the steps, in order

1. Use the county's GIS map to confirm your parcel is in unincorporated Johnson County and check its zoning district before you design or buy.¹⁰
2. Apply for your building permit with the Johnson County Building Department; plan on roughly a 10-business-day review.⁷
3. If your project is a new single-family home or commercial development in White River Township, budget for the road impact fee, collected with the building permit and payable to the Johnson County Highway Department for questions.⁷
4. For septic, apply through the Johnson County Health Department for a site review and installation permit before construction begins.¹³¹⁴
5. If you need a well, confirm with the Health Department whether a well construction or pump-installation permit applies to your property.⁸
6. If your driveway will connect to a state highway, apply through INDOT's Electronic Permit System before building it.¹⁷
7. Before placing a building, fill, excavation or obstruction in a floodway, check with the DNR Division of Water; prior state approval applies along a stream or other flowing body of water whose drainage area is greater than 1 square mile, subject to exemptions or general licenses.¹⁸
8. Schedule your building and septic inspections once permits are issued, and don't cover any work before it's inspected.⁷¹³

What to check before you buy land in Johnson County

Confirm the parcel is unincorporated and pull its zoning district on the county's GIS map, since land inside a town or city limit follows that municipality's rules instead of the county's.¹⁰ 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 close.⁵ If the parcel is in White River Township, ask about the road impact fee that applies to new single-family and commercial building permits there.⁷ 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 applies.¹⁸ The floodplain fringe has no state review or state permit, but local rules may still apply.¹⁹ 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 less.²⁰²¹²² 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 year.²³²⁴²⁵

Watch-outs

• New single-family and commercial building permits in White River Township carry a road impact fee collected with the building permit; confirm the amount with the Johnson County Highway Department before you budget.⁷
• Reviewed sources found no confirmed owner-builder or owner-occupant permit exemption specific to Johnson County; confirm directly with the Building Department rather than assuming one applies.⁶
• Only about 1% of Johnson County's soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and a possible engineered system rather than a standard trench field.⁵

Sources

1. Johnson County Building Department (2026 county census)
2. Johnson County Planning & Zoning (2026 county census)
3. DHS: Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
4. Johnson County Health Department - Onsite Septic (2026 county census)
5. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
6. (2026 county census)
7. Johnson County Building Department (johnsoncounty.in.gov)
8. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Plan Review FAQs (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Johnson County Department of Planning and Zoning (johnsoncounty.in.gov)
11. DHS: Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
12. 2023 County Recorders Resource Library (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Johnson County Health Department, Environmental Health (Onsite Septic) (johnsoncounty.in.gov)
14. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Water: Permit Application Type, quoted and re-checked
19. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
21. Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
22. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
24. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
25. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data

Written September 29, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.