Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Merrillville, Indiana

Town of Merrillville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and additions inside Merrillville town limits

  • Also required for pools, sheds, fences, detached garages, decks, signs, excavation and fill.
  • Plat of survey and construction drawings required.
  • Contractors must be licensed with the town.

  “permits must be applied for all new construction and for additions to existing structures.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Homeowner doing own electrical, plumbing or mechanical work inside Merrillville town limits

  • Electrical: schematic drawing approved by electrical inspector and signed affidavit.
  • Plumbing: isometric drawing approved by plumbing inspector and signed affidavit.
  • Mechanical: signed affidavit.
  • Homeowner still obtains a permit; this is not an exemption from permits.

  “however, a homeowner may be issued a permit upon submission of an isometric drawing of the plumbing lines, to be approved by the plumbing inspector”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Merrillville town limits

  • Page lists code editions (e.g. Indiana Residential Code 2005 edition, IBC 2006-based commercial code) with current Indiana amendments; editions listed may be outdated relative to current state rules.

  “state of indiana building codes as adopted by the town of merrillville by reference”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted work inside Merrillville town limits

  • Page states the permit exists so the department can inspect; inspection schedule not stated.

  “building permits are necessary so that the building department can inspect the job for safety, sound construction practices, and compliance to building and zoning codes.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Merrillville town limits

  • Complete Chapter 21 zoning ordinance book is sold at the Clerk-Treasurer's office for $20.00.

  “in order to carry out the purposes and provisions of the town of merrillville zoning ordinance, the town is divided into zoning districts.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts inside Merrillville town limits

  • Page lists district names only; the schedule of permitted uses is available by contacting the department and the full ordinance is sold as a book.

  districts: floodplain; A-1; R-1 to R-5; C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4E, C-5; M-1; M-2 corridor overlay; PUD; greenbelt

  “each district has specific uses and front, rear, and side setbacks, height requirements; as well as specification on the lot size, width, and parking requirements.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications inside Merrillville town limits

  • Application documents described; fee schedule and timelines not found.

  “the applicant should present the completed permit application along with all of the drawing, plat of survey and any additional information deemed necessary to the planning & building department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Merrillville or Lake County directly.

• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Merrillville town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in R-1 and A-1 districts, Merrillville town
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in R-1 and A-1 districts, Merrillville town
• Setbacks — Setbacks in R-1 and A-1 districts, Merrillville town
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in Merrillville town

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Merrillville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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