Bolthole Index

Porter County, Indiana

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Beverly Shores, Indiana

Town of Beverly Shores, Indiana requires building permits issued by the town Building Commissioner for construction and other covered work.1 Beverly Shores sets its own zoning; Porter County’s zoning ordinance excludes incorporated towns.23 Residential septic and well applications go to the Porter County Health Department Environmental Division, separately from town building approval.4

At a glance

Building permits
Town Building Commissioner; required for construction and other covered work1
Zoning
Town zoning map; Residential, General Commercial and Governmental districts5
Septic and wells
Residential applications: Porter County Health Department Environmental Division4
Minimum home size
Residential District single-family dwelling: 1,350 square feet of living area6
Minimum lot size
Residential District: 20,000 square feet, with additional soil requirements below 43,560 square feet7
Manufactured housing
Allowed as a principal dwelling in the Residential District subject to foundation, certification and size requirements8
Driveway permits
Town approval for construction, resurfacing or replacement across street right-of-way9

Who to call

Building permits

Beverly Shores Building Commissioner / Building & Building Site Committee

Town building applications, inspections and building-site questions

(219) 728-6531

[email protected]

500 S. Broadway

Planning & zoning

Beverly Shores Plan Commission

Town planning and subdivision questions; contact Town Hall for routing

(219) 728-6531

[email protected]

500 S. Broadway

Septic permits

Porter County Health Department Environmental Division

Residential well and septic applications, soil-test review and repair-site investigations

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Town of Beverly Shores, IN?

Beverly Shores requires a town building permit for improvements, construction, reconstruction, repair, excavation or a change in use; the Building Commissioner issues the building permit.1 Roofing, gutter, siding and window repairs are exempt only when no load-bearing component or facade change is contemplated.1

Beverly Shores building inspections include stages before footers, foundation-wall pours, drywall and certificate-of-occupancy issuance.10 Occupancy of a newly built or structurally altered building must wait for a certificate of occupancy, and changes in building or land use also trigger that requirement.11

Who issues building permits in Town of Beverly Shores?

Start with the Beverly Shores Building Commissioner and Building & Building Site Committee: the town website provides a building permit application, online application option, certificate-of-occupancy application and tree-removal application.12 Contact the Building Commissioner at [email protected] or Town Hall at (219) 728-6531.12

The Beverly Shores website states that all contractors must register.12 We could not confirm a Beverly Shores owner-builder exemption; ask the Building Commissioner about registration before arranging to do the work yourself. The Beverly Shores Plan Commission publishes a petition form for planning matters, and town subdivision plats require its primary and secondary approval before recording with the County Recorder.1314

Does Town of Beverly Shores have zoning, lot-size and home-size rules?

Beverly Shores has its own zoning map, available for public inspection in the Clerk-Treasurer’s office, with Residential, General Commercial and Governmental districts.5 In the Residential District, a single-family dwelling needs at least 1,350 square feet of living area, and building height is limited to 35 feet.615

The Beverly Shores Residential District minimum zoning parcel is 20,000 square feet; parcels under 43,560 square feet also need at least 15,000 square feet of moderately well drained or better drained soil certified by an Indiana-licensed soil scientist.7 The soil evidence must go to the Building Commissioner and Building and Site Committee, so advertised lot area alone does not establish compliance with the town’s soil standard.7 Ask the Building Commissioner for the parcel’s setbacks and lot-coverage limits, which we could not confirm.

How do septic and well permits work inside Town of Beverly Shores?

The Porter County Health Department Environmental Division is the residential well and septic application office; town building approval is issued separately by the Beverly Shores Building Commissioner.41 For residential new construction, the health department requires a soil test from a private certified soil scientist, followed by submission for a septic/well field investigation report and a permit application.1617

The county health department requires a scaled site plan and permanent address for a residential well application; wells must be at least 50 feet from septic tanks, laterals and sewer lines.18 Septic permits expire after two years, while well permits have no expiration date.17 Ask the Environmental Division to confirm requirements for the specific Beverly Shores address and ask the town about any public-water or sewer connection obligation; we could not confirm the town’s connection rule.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Beverly Shores?

We could not confirm whether Beverly Shores allows occupied RVs, temporary camping during construction or accessory dwelling units; ask the town Building Commissioner about the proposed use before buying. A small principal house in Beverly Shores must still meet the Residential District’s 1,350-square-foot minimum living area.6

Beverly Shores allows manufactured housing as a principal dwelling in the Residential District subject to the town’s requirements, including federal certification, a permanent foundation anchored below the frost line, removal of transportation carriages and at least 1,350 square feet of occupied space excluding accessory structures.8 Manufactured housing cannot be added to a principal dwelling under that provision.8 Treat manufactured-home approval and RV occupancy as separate questions for the Building Commissioner.

Building a home in Town of Beverly Shores: what should you check first?

Begin with the Beverly Shores zoning map at the Clerk-Treasurer’s office and the Residential District’s lot-area and certified-soil requirements before committing to a house design.57 Next, coordinate residential septic and well documentation with the Porter County Health Department Environmental Division and submit the town building application to the Building Commissioner.412

Beverly Shores requires a driveway permit for construction, resurfacing or replacement across a street right-of-way; maintenance retaining the same materials and dimensions is exempt.9 Arrange the required town construction inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in.1011 For land outside Beverly Shores, use the Porter County guide; the county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated towns.3

Watch-outs

  • Beverly Shores tree-removal violations can block building-permit issuance, and unpaid tree-removal fines must be paid before a certificate of occupancy can issue.111
  • Beverly Shores certificate-of-occupancy review includes an as-built topographic survey; substantive differences from approved plans can lead to fines, denial or structural removal.11
  • We could not confirm Beverly Shores flood-hazard development requirements or RV occupancy rules; ask the town Building Commissioner before relying on a parcel for either use.12

Sources

  1. § 155.055 Building Permit Required (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 155.004 Zoning Map and Districts (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  3. Porter County Unified Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  4. Porter County: Well & Septic Permits, quoted and re-checked
  5. § 155.004 Zoning Map and Districts (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  6. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  7. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 155.132 Manufactured Housing (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 155.138 Driveways (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 155.055 Building Permit Required (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 155.060 Certificate of Occupancy; Application (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  12. Beverly Shores Building Commissioner / Building & Building Site Committee (in.gov)
  13. Beverly Shores Plan Commission (in.gov)
  14. § 155.150 Citation; Jurisdiction (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  15. § 155.082 Bulk Regulations (Town of Beverly Shores), quoted and re-checked
  16. Porter County: Well & Septic Permits, quoted and re-checked
  17. Porter County Health Department Environmental Division (in.gov)
  18. Porter County: Well & Septic Permits, quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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 Beverly Shores

Town of Beverly Shores’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Improvements, construction, reconstruction, repair, excavation, or change in use inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • A separate permit is required for each building or structure, except a residential unit with an unattached garage requires only one permit.
    • Roofing, gutters, siding, or window repairs do not require a permit if no load-bearing component or facade change is contemplated.
    • The permit fee must be paid before issuance.
    • A permit cannot issue for one year after a tree-removal violation and cannot issue until unpaid tree-removal fines are paid.
    “without a separate building permit for each building or structure issued by the Building Commissioner”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Work performed under a Beverly Shores building permit.

    • Inspections are made after permit issuance as necessary for compliance.
    • The code identifies inspections before footers, before foundation walls are poured, before drywall is installed, and before certificate of occupancy issuance.
    “the Building Commissioner shall make, or shall cause to be made, inspections”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy or use of buildings, structures, or land inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • Required for occupancy or use of a building constructed, reconstructed, enlarged, moved, or structurally altered; a change in building or structure use; and occupancy or change in land use.
    • No occupancy, use, or change of use is permitted before issuance.
    • An application fee is retained even if the certificate is denied.
    • For permitted structures, an as-built topographic survey must be reviewed against approved plans; substantive differences may result in structural removal, fines, or denial.
    • Outstanding tree-removal fines must be paid before issuance.
    “No occupancy, use or change of use shall be permitted until a certificate of occupancy has been issued”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • The town has adopted a zoning map and zoning districts.
    “a map entitled Zoning Map for the Town of Beverly Shores, Indiana”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • The code describes R as the Residential District for single-family dwellings, C as the General Commercial District, and G as the Governmental District.
    • The zoning map is kept on file in the Clerk-Treasurer's office for public inspection.
    “R: Residential District; single-family dwellings;”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwelling in the Residential District inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • The provision also states that an existing two-family dwelling must have a minimum living area of 2,000 square feet.

    minimum living area: >= 1350 square feet (single-family dwelling)

    “minimum living area of 1,350 square feet”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Zoning parcel in the Residential District inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • Parcels smaller than 43,560 square feet must have at least 15,000 square feet of moderately well drained or better drained soil.
    • Soil must be determined and certified by a soil scientist licensed by Indiana.
    • The applicant must provide evidence of soil suitability to the Building Commissioner and Building and Site Committee.

    minimum zoning parcel size: >= 20000 square feet (parcels under 43,560 square feet also require at least 15,000 square feet of moderately well drained or better drained soil)

    “minimum zoning parcel size of 20,000 square feet”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Building in the Residential District inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • The code cross-references the definition of building height in § 155.003.
    • Structures must also comply with other chapter bulk regulations and the Town Building Code.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “Maximum height of a building shall be 35 feet”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured housing used as a principal dwelling in the Residential District inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • The dwelling must meet all chapter requirements.
    • It must be certified as constructed after January 1, 1981.
    • It must bear a seal showing compliance with the federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standard Law.
    • It must be on a permanent foundation anchored below the frost line with a 3-foot crawl space or code-conforming basement.
    • Transportation carriages must be removed.
    • Minimum occupied space is 1,350 square feet, excluding accessory structures.
    • Manufactured housing is not permitted as an addition to a principal dwelling.

    minimum occupied space: >= 1350 square feet (does not include accessory structures)

    “Manufactured housing shall be permitted in the Residential District as a principal dwelling”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    All subdivisions of land located within Beverly Shores town jurisdiction.

    • No land may be subdivided until the proposed plat is submitted to the Plan Commission.
    • The Plan Commission must grant primary and secondary approval.
    • The approved plat must be filed with the County Recorder.
    “The Plan Commission grants primary and secondary approval of the plat”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Construction, resurfacing, or replacement of a driveway upon, over, or under a street right-of-way inside Beverly Shores town limits.

    • A driveway permit must be approved and issued by the Building Commissioner and the required fee paid.
    • No permit is required for maintenance of an existing driveway when the same materials and dimensions are retained.
    • Residential-district driveways are limited to 16 feet in width, subject to additional slope limitations.
    • A drainage system approved by the Building Commissioner and Building Committee is required.

    residential driveway width: <= 16 feet (additional limitations may apply on a slope)

    “No permit shall be required for maintenance of an existing driveway”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from building-permit or contractor requirements inside Beverly Shores town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Beverly Shores town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential lot coverage inside Beverly Shores town limits.
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of an RV inside Beverly Shores town limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Beverly Shores town limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Beverly Shores publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Porter County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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