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

Rules another office applies inside Washington Township

Washington 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

  All structural building improvements inside Washington township, issued by the Parke County Planning Commission planning and zoning office

  • The page does not say whether agricultural structures are exempt from this building improvement permit.
  • Construction is allowed after the permit is issued; the permit is not a ban.

  residential building permit fee: 50 USD · commercial structure permit fee: 100 USD

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage (septic) systems for residential and commercial buildings inside Washington township

  • Commercial systems also need design specifications and approval from the Indiana State Department of Health.
  • Rules cited are 410 IAC 6-8.2.

  “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

  Installation or repair of on-site sewage systems for residential and commercial buildings inside Washington township

  • A soil evaluation by a registered soil scientist is required first; the health department then issues system requirements, which are not the permit.
  • Installer design and component checklist must be submitted; the permit must be issued before installation and before the county building construction permit.
  • Commercial systems also need Indiana State Department of Health design approval.

  residential on-site system permit fee: 75 USD · commercial on-site system permit fee: 100 USD · septic permit validity: 1 year

  “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

  Final inspection of on-site sewage systems installed inside Washington township

  • The septic contractor must notify the health department 48 hours before excavation or installation.
  • A copy of the final inspection goes to the homeowner and installer and is kept on file.

  contractor notice before excavation or installation: >= 48 hours

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

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural uses, including residences in connection therewith, on unincorporated land inside Washington township under the Parke County zoning ordinance

  • Exemption applies only to agricultural uses and residences connected with them; it is stated in the 1976 ordinance preamble.
  • Applies to the county zoning ordinance only; septic, well and building-permit requirements are stated separately and are not shown to be exempt.
  • The 1976 amendment text is OCR-garbled in the PDF; the wording was copied as it appears in the harness output.

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

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits for structures inside Washington township, Parke County

  • Fee figures are from the Planning Commission page; a separate fee schedule PDF is linked on that page and was not opened.
  • Checks or money orders are payable to the Parke County Planning Commission.

  residential building permit fee: 50 USD · commercial structure permit fee: 100 USD · well permit fee: 50 USD

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

• Permit processPartial

  Building and well permit applications for land inside Washington township

  • Building permits are applied for at the Planning and zoning office, 116 W. High St., Room 105, Rockville; an online application and card payment link is provided.
  • Septic permits run through the Health Department, which issues its permit before the county building permit (see septic_permit).

  “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 Washington Township or Parke County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Washington township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Washington township
• Inspections — Structural building inspections for land inside Washington township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Washington township
• Local zoning — Zoning of land inside Washington township, Parke County, Indiana

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.