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

Rules another office applies inside Howard Township

Howard 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

  Structural building improvements inside Howard township, which lies in unincorporated Parke County; issued by the Parke County Planning Commission

  • Construction may proceed only after the building improvement permit is issued.
  • Septic permit from the Parke County Health Department must be obtained before the building permit (see septic_permit claim).

  “attn: all structural building improvements need a building improvement permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  All construction on Class 2 structures and their accessory structures inside Howard township, under the 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4)

  • Statewide rule enforced locally; no Howard township amendment was found.
  • The circular says it applies to Class 2 structures and their accessory structures; commercial or Class 1 construction is not addressed by this source.

  “since that date, the 2020 indiana residential code has been in full force and effect in every location within the state of indiana.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  County zoning ordinance administered by the Parke County Planning Commission; applies to unincorporated Parke County, which the ordinance text indicates includes land inside Howard township. This is the county's ordinance, not a Howard township ordinance.

  • Document is captioned as a 1976 amendment; no adoption or effective date for the current text was verified.
  • Text of the ordinance preamble is OCR-degraded on the official PDF; the applicability sentence was read as shown.
  • Ordinance text states that none of its provisions apply to agricultural uses, including residences in connection therewith (see agricultural_exemption claim).

  “for the unincorporated territory of parke county, indiana and any incorporated areas in parke county”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of the Parke County zoning ordinance, which applies to unincorporated land including Howard township

  • Districts are coded in the ordinance (for example rp residential, permanent/urban; ra residential, rural/seasonal); the OCR text does not reliably give each district's standards.
  • Not a Howard township zoning map.

  “residential, permanent/urban ra residential, rural/seasonal”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home parks in unincorporated Parke County, which include land inside Howard township; the ordinance lists them as a special exception, not as a general manufactured home use

  • Requirements for mobile home parks are in section 20 of the ordinance, not reviewed.
  • Individual manufactured homes on single lots were not addressed by the excerpt.

  “mobile home park ap, afr, cab, clb, cob and ind see section 20”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage systems inside Howard township, administered by the Parke County Health Department; the packet does not name Howard township, so the county-wide reach is inferred from the county health department's role

  • Commercial systems also need design specifications and approval from the Indiana State Department of Health, per the same packet.

  “the parke county health department reviews the system design, performs an on-site evaluation (field must be staked and protected), and if in compliance with 410 iac 6-8.2 may issue septic permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement on-site sewage systems inside Howard township, as administered by the Parke County Health Department

  • Permit must be issued before the system is installed and before the building permit from the planning office.
  • Permits are good for one (1) year.
  • Soil evaluation by a registered soil scientist and design by a system installer are required before the permit is issued.

  residential on-site system permit fee: 75 USD · commercial on-site system permit fee: 100 USD (commercial systems)

  “an on-site sewage disposal permit must be issued by the health department prior to the installation of the system and prior to obtaining a construction permit from the parke county planning and zoning office.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  On-site sewage systems installed inside Howard township, inspected by the Parke County Health Department

  • Contractor must notify the health department 48 hours before excavation or installation.
  • Permit must be kept on the job site during work.

  “a final inspection conducted by the parke county health department will be completed”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural uses, including residences connected with them, in unincorporated Parke County including land inside Howard township

  • Exemption is from the county zoning ordinance only; building, septic and well permits still apply.
  • Ordinance preamble describes the unincorporated area as predominantly agricultural.

  “none ot the provisions and regulations o:t this ordinance shall ap~ to agricultural uses, including residences in connection”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Platting of land in unincorporated Parke County, including land inside Howard township, under the county plan commission

  • Plat must be approved by the plan commission and the board of county commissioners, per the ordinance's approval block.
  • Lot widths and areas must meet the single-family dwelling standards for the area where the subdivision lies.

  “a subdivider desiring approval of a plat or a subdivision of any land lying within the jurisdiction of the commission, shall submit a written application therefor to the commission”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building improvement permits inside Howard township, issued by the Parke County Planning Commission

  • Commercial structure fee applies to commercial buildings only.
  • A separate fee schedule is linked from the planning page; not opened.

  building permit fee: 50 USD · commercial structure permit fee: 100 USD (commercial structures)

  “building permit fee: $50.00 permit fee for a commercial structure: $100.00.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications for land inside Howard township, through the Parke County Planning Commission

  • Online application and credit-card payment are offered; checks and money orders are payable to the Parke County Planning Commission at 116 W. High St., Room 105, Rockville.
  • Septic permit must precede the building permit (see septic_permit claim).

  “the link to fill out an application online and pay with a credit card can be found here”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or inspection inside Howard township
• Inspections — Building inspections for residential construction inside Howard township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Howard township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for single-family homes inside Howard township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the single-family residential district and the agricultural district inside Howard 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.