Bolthole Index

Orange County, Indiana

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Paoli, Indiana

The Town of Paoli, Indiana sets its own zoning inside town limits under its Unified Development Ordinance, and its Board of Zoning Appeals covers land within the town's municipal boundary1. Septic permits for any home not on a regulated sewer come from the Orange County Health Department, not the town2. We could not confirm how building permits are issued inside Paoli, so ask the Town Zoning Administrator first.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the town's Unified Development Ordinance applies inside town limits1
Zoning districts
Agriculture, single-family, multi-family, mixed-use residential, commercial, Town Square, industrial, buffer and floodplain overlay3
Building permit
Not confirmed for Paoli; ask the town Zoning Administrator4
Septic permit
Orange County Health Department, for systems not on a regulated sewer2
Town Square lot rules
Single-family: 7,500 sq ft lot, 25 ft front setback, 35 ft height567
Public water and sewer
Required for all development in the Town Square district8
Owner-installed septic
Allowed in Orange County after passing a homeowner installation exam9

Who to call

Zoning

Town of Paoli Zoning Administrator

Zoning questions in Paoli; the first call for what the Unified Development Ordinance allows on a lot

812-791-8610

[email protected]

Building permits

Town of Paoli (Clerk-Treasurer's office)

General town contact; ask here which office issues building permits inside Paoli

(812) 723-2739

[email protected]

110 N. Gospel Street Paoli, IN

Septic permits

Orange County Health Department

Septic permits, inspections and sewage complaints in Orange County

(812) 723-7112

[email protected]

205 E Main St Suite 9, Paoli, IN 47454

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Paoli, Indiana have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Paoli adopted a Unified Development Ordinance that combines zoning and subdivision rules, and its Board of Zoning Appeals has jurisdiction over all land within the town's municipal boundary1. The published districts are agriculture, single-family residential, multi-family residential, mixed-use residential, highway commercial, general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial, a buffer district and a floodplain overlay3.

The rules differ by district, so the first question for any lot is which district it sits in. The Town Zoning Administrator answers that4. We could not confirm what the ordinance says about RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings in Paoli, so get those answers in writing before you buy.

What are the lot size and setback rules in Paoli's Town Square district?

In the Town Square district, a single-family lot needs at least 7,500 sq ft, 60 ft of width and 50 ft of road frontage5. Single-family setbacks there are 25 ft in front, 10 ft on the sides and 20 ft in the rear, with accessory structures allowed 5 ft from the rear line6. Buildings in the district may be up to 35 ft tall7.

The minimum ground floor for a single-family home in the Town Square district is 900 sq ft for one story or 750 sq ft for a multi-story home10. Lots may cover up to 70%11. These figures are for the Town Square district only; we could not confirm the numbers for Paoli's main single-family district, so ask the Zoning Administrator4.

Do you need a building permit in Paoli, and who issues it?

We could not confirm who issues building permits inside Paoli or what they require. The town's code lists a building regulations chapter, but its contents are unverified, and the zoning ordinance refers to an improvement location or occupancy permit that we could not confirm.

What applies statewide: Indiana's building and residential codes are adopted statewide12. The state's design-release filing applies to Class 1 structures, such as buildings used by the public or with three or more tenants, and work exempt from state filing may still need local permits13. Where no approved local building department exists, state Code Enforcement inspects Class 1 structures, and one- and two-family homes generally fall under local jurisdiction14.

Call the Town of Paoli before you draw plans, starting with the Zoning Administrator4, or the town office15.

How do septic permits work in Paoli?

Septic permits are not a town matter. The Orange County Health Department handles onsite septic permitting and inspections for the county16. Any residential or commercial sewage disposal system that is not connected to a regulated sewage facility needs a septic permit2. New construction permits cost $1002.

Inside the town, public sewer may be required instead. All development in the Town Square district must connect to public water and public sewer8. We could not confirm whether a lot in another Paoli district can use a septic system, so ask the Zoning Administrator4 before you rely on one.

For new systems, the installer must call the health department 48 hours before final cover17. A homeowner may install their own system after passing a homeowner installation exam; the exam fee is $209. Contact the Orange County Health Department18.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Paoli?

We could not confirm whether Paoli's Unified Development Ordinance allows long-term RV living, tiny homes or temporary camping on a lot. Indiana's campground rule covers RVs at regulated campground sites and does not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot19. Ask the Zoning Administrator4 and get the answer in writing, naming the district.

Building a home in Paoli: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with the Town Zoning Administrator4.
  2. Ask the town office which permits apply to your project and who issues them15.
  3. Check the floodplain overlay. Land in flood hazard areas inside Paoli has requirements in addition to those of the underlying zone20.
  4. Confirm whether the lot must connect to public water and sewer, or needs a county septic permit18.
  5. Single-family development in the Town Square district may require subdivision approval21.
  6. Keep any driveway onto a state highway in mind: INDOT requires a permit for driveway connections within state highway right-of-way22.

What stays with Orange County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and inspections stay with the Orange County Health Department16. Land outside Paoli's boundary follows the county's rules, not the town's; see the Orange County page for those.

For context, Orange County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%23 and the median property tax bill is $832 a year24. About 19.6% of Orange County soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system25.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the building permit process, fees or inspections inside Paoli; ask the Town Zoning Administrator4 before you buy or build.
  • Rules in this guide for lot size, setbacks and height are for the Town Square district only5.
  • Paoli's zoning authority stops at the town's municipal boundary1.

Sources

  1. Paoli UDO chapter 155, board of zoning appeals jurisdiction (section 155.040) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  2. Orange County: Sanitation, quoted and re-checked
  3. Paoli UDO chapter 155 table of contents listing zoning districts (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Paoli Zoning Administrator (paoli.in.gov)
  5. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  6. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  7. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  8. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  9. Your septic system requirements, based on a soil report recently received by the Orange County Health Department, are attached, quoted and re-checked
  10. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  11. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  12. DHS: Boards and Commissions, quoted and re-checked
  13. in.gov, quoted and re-checked
  14. DHS: Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
  15. Town of Paoli (Clerk-Treasurer's office) (paoli.in.gov)
  16. Orange County: Sanitation, quoted and re-checked
  17. Orange County: Sanitation, quoted and re-checked
  18. Orange County Health Department (in.gov)
  19. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Paoli UDO section 155.078 floodplain overlay district (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  21. Paoli UDO sections 155.073 to 155.076 (general commercial, town square, general industrial, light industrial) (Town of Paoli), quoted and re-checked
  22. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Paoli

Town of Paoli’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Paoli town's established municipal boundary, under the town's Unified Development Ordinance (code chapter 155, zoning districts and board of zoning appeals)

    • Paoli's UDO combines zoning and subdivision rules in chapter 155; the Board of Zoning Appeals jurisdiction stops at the town's municipal boundary.
    • Code supplement current through ord. 2025-14, passed 12-16-25, per the American Legal Publishing overview page.
    “the bza shall have jurisdiction over all land within the established municipal boundary of the town of paoli as defined by description or map in the orange county recorder's office.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts of the Town of Paoli inside its municipal boundary

    • Districts listed in the code table of contents: agriculture (155.068), single-family residential (155.069), multi-family residential (155.070), mixed-use residential (155.071), highway commercial (155.072), general commercial (155.073), town square (155.074), general industrial (155.075), light industrial (155.076), buffer (155.077, one-mile extraterritorial planning jurisdiction, outside town limits), and floodplain overlay (155.078).
    “155.068 agriculture 155.069 single-family residential 155.070 multi-family residential”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074 (single-family column)

    • Minimum ground floor area: one-story 900 sq. ft.; multi-story 750 sq. ft. (single-family column).
    • Main single-family district (155.069) minimum dwelling size not established from the pages opened.

    minimum ground floor area, one-story: >= 900 sq ft · minimum ground floor area, multi-story: >= 750 sq ft

    “minimum ground floor area one-story 900 sq. ft. 500 sq. ft. multi-story 750 sq. ft. 350 sq. ft.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074, town square area of Paoli (single-family column only)

    • Minimum lot area 7,500 sq. ft. with 60 ft. minimum lot width and 50 ft. minimum road frontage.
    • Table text on the amlegal page runs the three district columns together; the single-family column is read as the first value of each row.
    • Amended by ord. 2025-03, passed 3-18-25 (per the district's amendment note).
    • Applies to the Town Square district only; the main single-family district (155.069) was not opened.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 60 ft · minimum road frontage: >= 50 ft

    “lot standards minimum lot width 60 ft. minimum road frontage 50 ft. minimum lot area 7,500 sq. ft. minimum front yard setback 25 ft.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074 (single-family column)

    • Front yard 25 ft.; side yard 10 ft.; rear yard 20 ft. for primary structure; accessory structure rear yard 5 ft. (single-family column).
    • Main single-family district (155.069) setbacks not established from the pages opened.

    minimum front yard setback: >= 25 ft · minimum side yard setback: >= 10 ft · minimum rear yard setback, primary structure: >= 20 ft · minimum rear yard setback, accessory structure: >= 5 ft

    “minimum front yard setback 25 ft. 25 ft. minimum side yard setback 10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. minimum rear yard setback primary structure 20 ft. 20 ft. 10 ft. accessory structure 5 ft. 20 ft. 10 ft.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074 (single-family column)

    • Minimum open space 30% for the single-family column; main single-family district (155.069) coverage not established from the pages opened.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 70 %

    “minimum open space 30% 15% 15% maximum lot coverage 70% 70% 70%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074 (single-family column)

    • Main single-family district (155.069) height not established from the pages opened.

    maximum height of buildings: <= 35 ft

    “structure standards maximum height of buildings 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    All development in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074, including single-family dwellings, inside Paoli town

    • Connection to public water and public sewer is required for all development in this district.
    • Same connection requirement appears for general commercial (155.073), general industrial (155.075) and light industrial (155.076) districts.
    • Requirement for a single-family home in the main single-family district (155.069) and for properties outside those districts is not established.
    “all development in this district requires connection to public water and public sewer.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Single-family development in the Town Square (TWN) district, section 155.074

    • Single-family development in this district may require subdivision approval; all other development requires development plan approval.
    • Subdivision design regulations are in the UDO subdivisions chapter, not opened.
    “single-family development in this district may require subdivision approval while all other development requires development plan approval.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Land inside Paoli town that falls within flood hazard areas, under the floodplain overlay district (section 155.078)

    • Overlay is superimposed on the underlying zoning; the most restrictive provision applies where requirements conflict.
    • Additional requirements are in flood hazard ordinance 2014-14 (codified in chapter 151), not opened.
    “the floodplain overlay district is superimposed on the existing zoning districts and the restrictions and requirements are in addition to those of the underlying zone.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside Paoli town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Paoli town
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Paoli town
  • Inspections — Building inspection for construction inside Paoli town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Paoli town
15 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Paoli publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Orange County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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