Building permits, zoning and land rules in Madison County, Indiana

Yes. Unincorporated Madison County requires building permits for new construction, additions, remodeling, pools, towers, demolition, signs, meter bases, driveway or curb cuts, and detached accessory structures larger than 121 square feet¹. A new one- or two-family dwelling costs $650 plus $0.10 for each square foot above 1,200 square feet, and the published fee includes inspections¹. A driveway or curb-cut permit costs $125¹. Indiana's currently effective residential code adopts the 2018 International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings⁹. Agricultural buildings used only for farming where they stand and not used for retail are exempt from state Class 1 design-release classification, but local zoning and inspection may still apply¹⁰. Starting work without a permit can bring a stop-work order and double the permit fee¹. The county's published fee schedule lists no certificate-of-occupancy requirement, so ask the Planning Commission what it requires before you move in.

The Madison County Planning Commission handles building and zoning permits throughout unincorporated Madison County and serves as the building commission for the Town of Orestes². Reach the planning office at 765-641-9540; it is open 8 to 4 on county working days². The office is in the Madison County Government Center at 16 East 9th Street, Anderson, IN 46016². Ask for the application, the parcel's zoning district, required plan documents, the inspection sequence and any engineering review before filing. Madison County publishes permit and inspection fees, but applicants must also reimburse direct engineering-review costs when the Planning Department requires that review¹.

Yes. The Madison County Planning Commission administers zoning throughout unincorporated Madison County, and the Board of Zoning Appeals hears variance and special-use applications². The county page links a proposed zoning map and a draft unified development ordinance, but those materials do not confirm the currently adopted district standards². Ask the Planning Commission to identify the parcel's adopted district and verify its allowed uses, setbacks, minimum lot or dwelling size, height and lot coverage before designing a home. County subdivision review also applies in unincorporated Madison County, with separate published fees for major and minor plats, replats and plat amendments¹. Incorporated cities and towns may use their own rules, so first confirm which jurisdiction contains the parcel².

The Madison County Health Department's Environmental Division performs septic site evaluations and issues onsite sewage permits⁴. Indiana requires a written construction permit signed by the health officer before an onsite system is built, replaced or altered, and the application needs an onsite soil evaluation and the bedroom count³. The health department must issue or deny the septic permit in writing within 30 days of receiving the application and plans³. Indiana requires a compliant septic tank and soil absorption system where a dwelling is not connected to sewer; drywells and cesspools are not allowed³. Before subsurface work is covered, the permittee must request final inspection using the local procedure or, if none is published, give at least 48 hours or two working days' notice¹¹. Only about 2.4% of Madison County soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, making the site evaluation a key pre-purchase step⁷. Madison County uses a mix of onsite systems, municipal wastewater utilities and the Fall Creek Regional Waste District, so ask which service applies to the parcel¹². Reach the Environmental Division at (765) 641-9524 or healthdept@madisoncounty.in.gov⁵.

We could not confirm a Madison County rule allowing long-term RV living or tiny-home occupancy on a private parcel. Because unincorporated Madison County is zoned, ask the Planning Commission whether the parcel's adopted district permits the proposed use and what setbacks, dwelling standards or approvals apply². Indiana's campground rule does not answer the private-lot question because it covers qualifying campgrounds and excludes individually deeded lots¹³. A tiny home used as a dwelling still needs an approved wastewater arrangement: Madison County has both sewer-service areas and parcels served by onsite septic systems¹². Ask the Health Department about septic feasibility before treating an RV or tiny home as a bridge while building⁴.

1. Confirm that the parcel is in unincorporated Madison County and ask the Planning Commission for its adopted zoning district and applicable standards².
2. Determine whether the parcel must connect to a wastewater utility or can use septic, then obtain the Health Department's site evaluation and permit if an onsite system is needed^4,12.
3. Submit the building-permit application and plans to the Planning Commission; budget for the published permit fee and any required engineering review¹.
4. Ask the Environmental Division whether a private-well permit is required, and use an Indiana-licensed well driller¹⁴.
5. Obtain permission from the agency controlling the road; state-highway access applications go through INDOT's Electronic Permit System⁸.
6. Arrange building inspections and request the septic final inspection before subsurface work is covered^1,11.

Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction and adopted zoning district before relying on a listing's description of buildability². Verify whether water and wastewater will come from private well and septic, a municipality, or the Fall Creek Regional Waste District; the available arrangement varies by location¹². Check soils early because only about 2.4% of Madison County soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁷. If the parcel is in a floodway, Indiana's DNR Division of Water regulates most development activity there, while floodplain-fringe work has no state permit but may still need local approval¹⁵. For access, confirm which government controls the road, since state-highway driveways require INDOT permission and the county fee schedule separately lists driveway or curb-cut permits^1,8. If a purchase includes a land split, account for county subdivision review before closing¹.