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

Town of Kentland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New building construction and permitted work inside Kentland town limits, through the Town of Kentland Building Development office (300 N. Third Street).

  • Permit is issued before construction proceeds; the town's submittal checklist lists driveway, septic/well, application, plat/site plan and plan items.
  • Quoted sentence is from the town's application form; the ordinance section requiring permits was not located.

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

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Kentland town limits.

  • Owner must request inspections at five stages: footing pre-pour, foundation, rough-in, insulation, and final before occupancy.
  • Re-inspection fee of $30.00 applies to work not ready for inspection (2021 form; the 2023 form repeats the schedule).

  re-inspection fee: 30 USD (work found incomplete or not ready for inspection)

  “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

  Structures built or altered under a zoning permit inside Kentland town limits.

  • Index lists a certificate of occupancy section (156.019) and a section on failure to obtain a permit or certificate of occupancy (156.021); section text not opened.
  • Final inspection is required before occupancy per the town inspection schedule.

  “failure to obtain permit or certificate of occupancy, 156.021 records, 156.020”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Kentland town limits (Newton County, IN): the town's own zoning ordinance, Code of Ordinances Chapter 156, administered by the town Building Commissioner and Board of Zoning Appeals.

  • The town index lists Chapter 156 zoning sections (general, administration, districts, nonconformities, special exceptions, planned unit development). The index is dated 2020; section text was not opened, so current amendments are unverified.
  • The 2-mile planning fringe area (sections 156.180-156.185) is outside town limits and is excluded from this claim.

  “zoning regulations administration continuation of board of zoning appeals, 156.069 duties of board of zoning appeals, 156.071”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Kentland town limits: named zoning districts in Chapter 156.

  • Index lists R-1 (156.161), R-2 (156.162), RMH residential mobile home (156.163), B-1 (156.164), B-2 (156.165), I-1 (156.166) and FP flood plain (156.167) districts. District boundaries are on the official zoning map, section 156.145; the map itself was not opened.

  “r-1 residential district standards, 156.161 r-2 residential district, 156.162 rmh residential mobile home district, 156.163”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for work inside Kentland town limits, set by the Town of Kentland Building Development office.

  • Residential permits are figured at 20 cents per square foot, with single-family minimum $200 and maximum $400 on the 2023 form.
  • Commercial permits are 40 cents per square foot, minimum $400 and maximum $1,000; multi-family and commercial also pay $30 per inspection at final.
  • Fees on the 2021 (D2) and 2023 (D4) forms match for the lines checked; the 2023 form is the newer schedule.

  single-family dwelling permit minimum: >= 200 USD · single-family dwelling permit maximum: <= 400 USD · residential permit rate: 0.2 USD per sq ft

  “single family dwelling $200.00 $400.00 $.20/sq ft”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process for work inside Kentland town limits.

  • Steps: driveway permit (county highway), septic and well permits (county health), completed application, plat or site plan, building plans; then inspections.
  • Town office: 300 N. Third Street, Kentland, IN.

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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Kentland

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction and alterations inside Kentland town limits, under the Indiana State Building Code as applied by the Town of Kentland Building Development office.

  • The town permit application requires compliance with the state building code of Indiana.
  • The same sentence also cites the building and zoning ordinances of Newton County, so county rules are also referenced; no separate Kentland-adopted building code was located.

  “applicant represents that all details of the proposed structure will comply in all respects with minimum requirements as provided in the building and zoning ordinances of newton county, indiana, and of the state building code of the state of indiana.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems for land inside Kentland town limits, handled through the Newton County Health Department per the Town of Kentland permit checklist.

  • The town form sends applicants to the county health department for septic and well permits.
  • No Newton County service-area statement naming Kentland was located; the county health office address conflicts between sources and should be confirmed.

  “septic & well permits from newton county health department (219) 285-2052”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction on private septic inside Kentland town limits, permitted by Newton County Health Department.

  • Applicant must obtain the septic permit before the town building permit is issued (town checklist order).
  • Ordinance or state rule text requiring the permit was not opened.

  “the following steps need to be completed to obtain a building permit 1. driveway permit from newton county highway department (219) 285-2595 2. septic & well permits from newton county health department”

• Well permitRequired

  Private well construction inside Kentland town limits, permitted by Newton County Health Department.

  • Town checklist lists combined septic and well permits from the county health department.
  • Well permit rule text was not opened.

  “septic & well permits from newton county health department (219) 285-2052”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway access to a parcel inside Kentland town limits, through the Newton County Highway Department.

  • Listed as a step before the town building permit on the town checklist; county highway rule text not opened.

  “1. driveway permit from newton county highway department (219) 285-2595”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes inside Kentland town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling inside Kentland town limits.
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage inside Kentland town limits.
• Building height — Maximum building height inside Kentland town limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Kentland town limits.

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.