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

Rules another office applies inside Iroquois Township

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

• Building permitRequired

  New residential construction and alterations on land in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Building permit application requires a driveway permit (county Highway Department), septic and well permits (county Health Department), and soil and water tests before the building permit.
  • Work under the permit must be done by a contractor registered in Newton County.
  • Plat or site plan showing setbacks from property lines, septic systems, and structures is required.
  • Permits are issued by the Newton County Building Department; land inside the incorporated Town of Brook is not covered by this county ordinance.

  “section 7. permit required a permit shall be obtained before beginning construction or alteration of any building or structure in excess of 160 square feet”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction, alteration, repair and use of buildings in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township (not the incorporated Town of Brook)

  • Ordinance 94-2 adopts by reference the Indiana Fire and Building Safety Standards (675 IAC 13-1), Indiana Building Code (675 IAC 13-2), Indiana Building Code Standards (675 IAC 13-3), one and two family dwelling codes (675 IAC 14), and the Indiana plumbing code (675 IAC 16-1), including later amendments.
  • Section 4 of the ordinance states its scope as 'in incorporated newton county, indiana', which conflicts with the title and preamble ('unincorporated areas'); the title and preamble are treated as controlling here and the conflict should be confirmed.

  “an ordinance regulating the construction, alteration, repair, location and use of buildings and structures in the unincorporated areas of newton county, indiana”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Required inspections: footing pre-pour (prior to pouring concrete), foundation (prior to backfilling), rough-in (prior to insulation), insulation (prior to drywall/wallboard), and final (prior to occupancy).
  • Work found incomplete or not ready for inspection is subject to a $30.00 reinspection fee.
  • Multi-family and commercial permits require a $30 fee per inspection, payable upon final inspection.

  reinspection fee: 30 USD (applies to inspection of work found incomplete or not ready)

  “the owner of a permit is required to notify the building department during working hours, at least 24 hours in advance, when construction is ready for inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and structures erected, altered, or repaired in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Occupancy is unlawful without a full, partial, or temporary certificate of occupancy issued by the building commissioner.
  • Certificates are issued only if the work complies with Ordinance 94-2.

  “it shall be unlawful to occupy any such building or structure unless a full, partial, or temporary certificate of occupancy has been issued by the building commissioner.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Parcels in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township; zoning is read from the county GIS (Beacon) parcel layer

  • The county summary says its district list is adapted from Newton County Zoning Ordinance 94-1; the ordinance text itself was not opened.
  • Parcels inside the incorporated Town of Brook are not covered by county district assignments.

  “zoning legend: a r-1 r-1a r-2 rmh rmha mxd b-1 b-2 i-1 i-2 agricultural district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling in the county agriculture (A) district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Minimum ground floor area applies to single-family dwellings in the A district.

  minimum ground floor area: >= 960 sq ft

  “minimum ground floor area: 960 square feet minimum lot area to allow dwelling: 43,560 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling in the county R-1 single-family residential district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

    “minimum dwelling ground floor area: 960 square feet minimum lot area to allow dwelling: 43,560 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lot needed to build a single-family dwelling in the county agriculture (A) district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • The summary states this as the minimum lot area to allow a dwelling; it is not a general minimum lot size for all uses.

  minimum lot area to allow dwelling: >= 43560 sq ft

  “minimum ground floor area: 960 square feet minimum lot area to allow dwelling: 43,560 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lot needed to build a single-family dwelling in the county R-1 single-family residential district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

    “minimum dwelling ground floor area: 960 square feet minimum lot area to allow dwelling: 43,560 square feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in the county agriculture (A) district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Accessory buildings have their own setbacks in the same summary; not restated here.
  • The summary lists a 10 ft minimum distance between well/septics and buildings.
  • Rear setback text reads '35 ft. min. on all sides' and is ambiguous as to whether it applies to front and rear; the front 35 ft figure is taken from the explicit front-yard line.
  • Special circumstances such as subdivision covenants or corner lots may alter setbacks.

  front yard minimum: >= 35 ft (100 ft if state or federal highway) · side yard minimum: >= 10 ft

  “front yard 35 ft. min. (100 ft. if state or federal hwy) principal building side yard 10 ft. minimum”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  All buildings on a lot in the county R-1 single-family residential district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Lot coverage limit is stated only for R-1; no lot-coverage limit was found for the A district in the summary.

  maximum building coverage of total lot area: <= 45 percent

  “all buildings may not cover more than 45% of the total lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family dwelling in the county agriculture (A) district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Height excludes chimneys, domes, and similar features.
  • Accessory and other building heights are listed in the summary but not restated here.

  maximum height, single-family dwelling: <= 30 ft (excluding chimneys, domes, etc.)

  “single-family dwelling requirements: maximum height (excluding chimneys, domes, etc): 30 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling in the county R-1 single-family residential district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

    “single-family dwelling: 30 feet • multi-family dwelling: 35 feet”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Manufactured home (type I) as a dwelling in the county agriculture (A) district, unincorporated Newton County including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Listed as a permitted use in the agriculture district.
  • The R-1 single-family district also lists manufactured home, type I as a permitted use (per the same summary).
  • The county summary states it is adapted from Ordinance 94-1; ordinance text not opened.

  “permitted uses/structures • dwelling, single-family (maximum height of 30 ft.) • manufactured home, type i”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems on lots in Iroquois township, including those outside the Town of Brook; the county Health Department issues the septic permit

  • Health department service area beyond Newton County was not verified; the permit packet names the Newton County Health Department.

  “a septic and well permit, as well as soil and water tests via the newton county health department”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New residence on a vacant lot in Newton County, including Iroquois township, served by a driveway from a county-maintained road

  • Driveway permit is issued through the Newton County Highway Department.
  • The permit packet refers to a new structure on a vacant lot; other cases were not verified.

  “if building a new structure on a vacant lot, you will need a driveway permit through the newton county highway department”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for residential construction in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Fee schedule is undated in the source; the date and currency of the schedule were not verified.
  • Single-family dwelling permit minimum $200 and maximum $400, per the fee table.
  • Reinspection fee $30 and $30 per inspection for multi-family and commercial permits; septic, well and driveway permit fees are separate.
  • A Brook town fee form lists 10 cents per square foot for residential permits; that is a different authority and is not applied here.

  residential permit fee: 0.2 USD per sq ft (minimums and maximums apply) · single-family dwelling permit fee minimum: >= 200 USD · single-family dwelling permit fee maximum: <= 400 USD

  “residential permits are figured at 20 cents per square foot.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process for residential construction in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township

  • Steps include a driveway permit, septic and well permits with soil and water tests, contractor registration with bond, plans, and a plat or site plan with setbacks.
  • Permit form lists a plat or site plan showing setbacks from all property lines, septic, well and structures.

  “the following steps need to be completed to obtain a building permit”

Still unanswered

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

• Local zoning — Land inside Iroquois township limits (outside the incorporated Town of Brook)
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes on private land in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units on private land in unincorporated Newton County, including unincorporated land inside Iroquois 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.