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

Rules another office applies inside West Township

West Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Marshall County zoning ordinance, as it may apply to land inside West township outside any incorporated town's own zoning jurisdiction. The county, not West township, is the adopter shown in the source.

  • Only the ordinance table of contents was opened. It lists a jurisdiction article (article one, section 050, page 3) whose text was not reached, so whether this ordinance covers West township was not confirmed.
  • The amendment table refers to extra territorial jurisdictions for Argos, Bourbon and Plymouth, which may cover parts of West township; not verified.

  “this ordinance shall apply to all of marshall county except those land within a city or town jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of ic 36-7-4-205.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage (septic) systems on land inside West township, administered by the Marshall County Health Department

  • Guidance cites the county health department (MCHD) as the office where applications are submitted; the Indiana Department of Health role for new construction was seen in search results but not verified.

  “application- onsite sewage system applications are available at https://www.in.gov/localhealth/marshallcounty/ and must be submitted in person at the mchd along with the permit fee of $60.00 for new construction or $30.00 for a replacement.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction or system replacement of an on-site sewage system inside West township

  • Permit issues only after soil evaluation, application, design submission and design approval.
  • The septic permit is good for two years; if construction has not started within 180 days of issuance, the permit must be reviewed again.
  • Any change to the approved design must be approved by the health department.

  “7. septic permit- if all requirements of the permitting process are met, then a septic permit for the on-site sewage disposal system will be issued.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  New septic systems inside West township, before design approval

  • The only inspection-type step found is a pre-approval site visit to check layout; a final inspection was not found in the guidance.

  “before the design is approved, mchd will make a site visit to ensure all components of the system are laid out which can be done by posting flags or using spray paint.”

• Well permitRequired

  New well installation or well replacement/repair inside West township

  • Permit issues after the well schematic is approved and the septic system is located.
  • The well permit is good for two years.
  • Water sampling by the health department is required before human consumption.

  new well application/permit fee: 150 USD (non-refundable; $100.00 for a well replacement/repair)

  “4. well permit- if all requirements of the permitting process are met, then a well permit will be issued.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic (on-site sewage) permits inside West township

  • Fee is non-refundable.
  • Well permit fees are published separately ($150 new, $100 replacement/repair).

  septic permit fee, new construction: 60 USD ($30.00 for a replacement)

  “application- onsite sewage system applications are available at https://www.in.gov/localhealth/marshallcounty/ and must be submitted in person at the mchd along with the permit fee of $60.00 for new construction or $30.00 for a replacement.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic and well permits inside West township; building and zoning permit process not found

  • Covers only the health department's septic and well steps; no building, zoning or planning permit steps were found.

  “new construction or system replacement follow these steps to obtain an on-site sewage septic system permit in marshall county, indiana:”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new dwellings in West township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in West township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for West township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new dwellings in West township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in West 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.