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

Town of Spencer’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration or repair of any building or structure inside the Town of Spencer whose value exceeds $500 and that involves or affects electrical, plumbing, ventilating, heating, air condition systems, or structural elements.

  • Cosmetic repairs and/or maintenance (for example floor coverings, painting or roofing) do not require a building permit.
  • Repair or maintenance of a private home performed by the occupant does not require a building permit.
  • Accessory structures, detached garages and carports listed in section 150.23 are treated separately and were not read.
  • Permits expire one year from issuance; the building commissioner may extend the period.
  • One- and two-family residential dwellings are solely under the jurisdiction of the town building commissioner (section 150.20(c)).

  valuation threshold for permit: > 500 USD (Cosmetic repairs/maintenance and occupant repair of a private home are excluded)

  “a permit shall be obtained before beginning any construction, alteration, or repair of any building or structure, the value of which exceeds $500, which involves or affects electrical, plumbing, ventilating, heating, air condition systems, or structural elements.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction, alteration and repair of buildings and structures inside the Town of Spencer.

  • Adopts the state building code, state building code standards, state handicapped accessibility code, state fire and building safety standards (675 IAC 13-1), and state electrical rules by reference, in their most current editions.
  • Chapter 150 does not apply to industrialized building systems or modular structures certified under IC 22-15-4 (section 150.04).

  “the following rules, regulations and codes are hereby adopted by reference as the rules and regulations governing the construction and alternation of buildings and structures in the town”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the Town of Spencer limits: the town's own zoning ordinance (Title XV, chapter 152 Zoning) applies.

  • The PDF on the town site does not print a cover date or effective date; the text was taken as the current code as posted.
  • The PDF does not itself name Owen County on its face; identity as Spencer, Indiana was confirmed by Indiana Code citations and the town board references.

  “see local regulations concerning setbacks and §§ 31.20 et seq. and §§ 152.001 et seq. which cover the zoning in the town of spencer.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of the Town of Spencer

  • Listed districts include Agricultural (152.050), Residential-1 (152.051), Residential-2 (152.052), Commercial Limited (152.053), Commercial Arterial (152.054), Commercial Downtown (152.055), Business Park (152.056), Light Industrial (152.057), Institutional/Public (152.058) and Planned Unit Development (152.059).
  • District dimensional standards for R-1 and agricultural were not retrieved.

  “152.050 agricultural 152.051 residential-1 (r-1) 152.052 residential-2 (r-2) 152.053 commercial limited”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential buildings and structures in the Town of Spencer, measured from the street or sidewalk, under the setback regulations cross-referenced in section 150.04. Applies to all applicable zoning districts per the text.

  • Setbacks are measured from the inside of an established sidewalk where one exists.
  • Where no sidewalk exists, the 15-foot setback is measured from the inside of the street, road or other public right-of-way.
  • District-specific front, side and rear setbacks (R-1, agricultural) were not retrieved.

  residential setback from sidewalk: 5 feet (Measured from inside of sidewalk where established sidewalks exist) · residential setback where no sidewalks: 15 feet (Measured from inside of street, road or public right-of-way)

  “the following setback requirements apply in all applicable zoning districts.”

• Subdividing landRegulated

  Division and development of land inside the Town of Spencer under the town subdivision regulations (Title XV chapter 153)

  • Chapter 153 also covers street, drainage, wastewater and water standards for subdivisions (sections 153.122-153.172, listed in the table of contents).

  “the standards set forth in these regulations control the development of land within the jurisdiction of the town.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application and issuance inside the Town of Spencer

  • Permits are issued by the building commissioner and fees are paid to the clerk-treasurer (section 150.21(b)).
  • Permits expire one year from issuance; the building commissioner may extend the period (section 150.20).
  • Application requirements (150.20), early-start additional fee (150.26) and fee waiver (150.27) were not read.

  “all permits shall be issued by the building commissioner, and all fees provided for it this subchapter shall be paid to the clerk-treasurer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Inspections — Building inspections for work inside the Town of Spencer
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside the Town of Spencer
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for a single-family home inside the Town of Spencer (residential-1 district)
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the residential-1 (r-1) district inside the Town of Spencer
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits for a residential lot inside the Town of Spencer

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.