Building permits, zoning and land rules in Perry County, Indiana

Yes. Perry County's Planning and Zoning Department issues an Improvement Location Permit for any structure erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, converted or enlarged in unincorporated Perry County¹. The Improvement Location Permit application fee is $50 for an improvement valued at $500 or more; a variance or special-exception application is $200, and an application affected by the county's flood-hazard regulations carries a supplemental $350 fee⁴. Construction must start within one year and finish within two years². Before Perry County issues a residential building permit, the Health Department must approve the site's sewage-disposal system². One- and two-family residential construction is also subject to the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which incorporates the 2018 International Residential Code⁹. Ask Planning and Zoning whether inspections or a certificate of occupancy apply to the project because Perry County-specific requirements could not be confirmed.

The Perry County Planning and Zoning Department issues Improvement Location Permits, administers the zoning ordinance, and keeps the file of every improvement permit and application for the county². Reach the office at the Perry County Courthouse, 2219 Payne Street in Tell City, and call (812) 547-7121 to set up an appointment². If your question involves a floodplain rather than a straightforward building permit, the same office directs residents to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, at 877-928-3755². Ask this office early which zoning jurisdiction covers your specific parcel, since land close to a town may fall under that town's rules instead of the county's².

Yes. The Perry County Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals have jurisdiction over all unincorporated land outside two miles from the corporate limits of Cannelton, Tell City and Troy¹. Inside that two-mile fringe, a town may hold zoning authority instead, and part of the area is specifically within Tell City's zoning jurisdiction, so check the county zone map with Planning and Zoning for any parcel near a town¹⁰. Perry County publishes conservation, agricultural, scenic, residential, business and industrial districts¹¹. Lot and yard rules depend on the district: a single-family lot in the A-1 agricultural district needs 1 acre, with a 35-foot front yard, 10-foot side yard and 30-foot rear yard⁵. In R-1 and R-2 districts without central sewer the minimum lot is also 1 acre, while the Scenic district requires 3 acres per family and a 500-foot lot width⁵. Subdivision of land within the county zoning jurisdiction must follow Perry County's subdivision-control regulations¹². Buildings used only for agriculture on the land where that activity occurs, and not for retail trade, are exempt from the state Class 1 design-release classification; that does not waive local zoning or permit requirements¹³.

The Perry County Health Department handles residential onsite-sewage permits³. A permit is required for a home or shed that will not connect to city sewer and when an existing onsite system is replaced or expanded; the county fee is $125³. If sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance, Indiana prohibits installing an onsite system and requires a sewer connection⁸. Only about 1.2% of Perry County soils are rated free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make septic feasibility part of the purchase decision¹⁴. The sanitarian may take up to 45 days to review a submitted packet and, after receiving the necessary paperwork, up to 30 days to issue or deny a permit¹⁵. The installer must notify the sanitarian at least 48 hours before installation is planned¹⁵.

In unincorporated Perry County, the zoning code allows occupancy of motor homes, travel trailers and campers in a campground, which is two or more units and may be permitted only as a special exception in a Conservation or Agricultural District with Indiana Department of Natural Resources and State Board of Health approval¹⁶. We could not confirm a county rule for living in an RV or tiny home on an individually owned parcel. Indiana's campground rule applies to regulated campgrounds and does not establish permission for residential RV use on a private deeded lot¹⁷. Indiana's temporary-campground limits likewise do not answer whether an owner may camp on an individually deeded parcel¹⁷. Because Perry County administers zoning in its unincorporated jurisdiction, ask the Planning and Zoning Department how the parcel's district treats an RV, a tiny home and required setbacks before buying or placing a unit^1,2. A one-family dwelling must have at least 800 square feet of gross floor area, a seasonal and recreational dwelling can be approved at 480 square feet, and a mobile home needs at least 500 square feet⁶. Ask the Health Department what sewage arrangement it will approve; Indiana does not allow drywells or cesspools as onsite sewage treatment, though that rule does not decide every off-grid sanitation method⁸.

1. Call the Planning and Zoning Department at (812) 547-7121 to confirm the zoning jurisdiction, district, lot size and setbacks for the parcel².
2. Determine whether sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance; if it is, the project must connect rather than install an onsite system⁸.
3. If the project qualifies for onsite sewage, apply through the Perry County Health Department and pay the $125 permit fee³.
4. Allow up to 45 days for packet review and, after all necessary paperwork arrives, up to 30 days for a decision¹⁵.
5. After sewage approval, apply to Planning and Zoning for the Improvement Location Permit².
6. Start construction within one year and finish within two years of permit issuance².
7. Have the septic installer notify the sanitarian at least 48 hours before installation¹⁵.

Perry County farmland has recently sold for around $5,209 an acre, and typical homes in the county are valued near $192,072¹⁴. Only about 1.2% of Perry County's soils are rated free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so get the Health Department's site evaluation before closing^14,15. Confirm whether the parcel sits within two miles of Cannelton, Tell City or Troy, since that determines whether county or town zoning applies¹⁰. Indiana generally does not require a state-agency permit for a high-capacity well, but a significant water-withdrawal facility may need registration; this does not answer whether Perry County requires a permit for an ordinary domestic well, so ask the Health Department before drilling¹⁸. Perry County's effective property tax rate runs about 0.7%, with a median annual property tax bill near $1,041¹⁴.