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

Rules another office applies inside Union Township

Union 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 code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New one- and two-family dwellings (Class 2 structures) and their accessory structures inside Union township, Porter County

  • The 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4) applies in every location in Indiana; all local units of government are statutorily mandated to require compliance with it.
  • The code is the 2018 IRC model as modified by Indiana state amendments.

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of the Porter County Unified Development Ordinance as applied to unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Applies only outside the jurisdiction of incorporated cities and towns (UDO section 1.04).
  • The posted county copy carries '© 2007' notices on its district pages; confirm the current adopted version and amendments with the county.

  “1.04 ordinance jurisdictional area this unified development ordinance applies to all land within the county limits of porter county, indiana, excluding the jurisdiction of the incorporated cities and towns within porter county.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in the general agriculture (A1) district on unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Applies to the A1 district only.

  minimum dwelling size: >= 1000 square feet

  “maximum impervious surface coverage: •35% of the lot area minimum dwelling size: •1,000 square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Dwellings in the rural residential (RR) district on unincorporated land inside Union township

    “maximum impervious surface coverage: •20% of the lot area minimum dwelling size: •1,000 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family lots in the low density single-family residential (R1) district on unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Lot area depends on whether public water and sanitary sewer are available.
  • Minimum lot width is 100 feet with sanitary sewer connection and 160 feet for septic system.

  minimum lot area with water utility: >= 15000 sq. ft. (with water utility) · minimum lot area without water utility: >= 22500 sq. ft. (without water utility) · minimum lot area without sanitary sewer: >= 1 acre (without sanitary sewer)

  “minimum lot area: •with water utility: 15,000 sq. ft. •without water utility: 22,500 sq. ft. •without sanitary sewer: 1 acre”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the rural residential (RR) district on unincorporated land inside Union township

    “minimum lot area: •1 acre minimum lot width: •160 feet maximum width-to-depth ratio: •1:4 sewer: •septic system permitted only where sanitary sewer utility is unavailable and the water table and soil types are suitable”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures in the R1 district on unincorporated land inside Union township

  minimum front setback: >= 30 feet · minimum side setback, primary structure: >= 15 feet · minimum side setback, accessory structure: >= 10 feet · minimum rear setback, primary structure: >= 20 feet · minimum rear setback, accessory structure: >= 15 feet

  “minimum front setback: •30 feet minimum side setback: •primary structure: 15 feet •accessory structure: 10 feet minimum rear setback: •primary structure: 20 feet •accessory structure: 15 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Structures in the RR district on unincorporated land inside Union township

    “minimum front setback: •40 feet minimum side setback: •primary structure: 30 feet •accessory structure: 15 feet minimum rear setback: •primary structure: 30 feet •accessory structure: 15 feet”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Impervious surface coverage in the R1 district on unincorporated land inside Union township

  maximum impervious surface coverage: <= 35 percent of lot area

  “maximum impervious surface coverage: •35% of the lot area”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Impervious surface coverage in the RR district on unincorporated land inside Union township

    “maximum impervious surface coverage: •20% of the lot area”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures in the general agriculture (A1) district on unincorporated land inside Union township; R1 and RR height limits not captured in the text read

  • Height limits for R1 and RR were not in the captured text; see followups.

  maximum structure height, primary structure: <= 40 feet · maximum structure height, accessory structure: <= 20 feet

  “maximum structure height: •primary structure: 40 feet •accessory structure: 20 feet”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems on unincorporated land inside Union township, administered by the Porter County Health Department Environmental Division

  • The health department page describes the Porter County Health Department as the permitting body; it does not name Union township specifically, so its county-wide service is applied to unincorporated township land.

  “to obtain the well and septic permit, the customer is required to visit the porter county health department's environmental division and make a well and septic permit application.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New residential septic systems on unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Soil test required for new construction; may be obtained from a private certified soil scientist.
  • Septic permits expire two years from the date of issuance.
  • A septic / well field investigation report is issued before the permit.

  “septic permits expire two years from the date of issuance.”

• Well permitRequired

  Private residential wells on unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Site plan drawn to scale showing house, proposed well, and septic system or sewer line; permanent address required.
  • Wells must be at least 50 feet from septic tanks, laterals, and sewer lines.
  • Well permits have no expiration date.

  “wells must be located at least 50 feet from septic tanks, laterals, and sewer lines.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New homes on R1 and RR zoned unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Septic is permitted only where sanitary sewer is unavailable (R1 and RR).
  • Private well is permitted only where a water utility is unavailable (R1 and RR).
  • R1 residences with sanitary sewer connection have a 100-foot minimum lot width; 160 feet where a septic system is used.
  • No sewer-connection distance rule for unincorporated Union township was found in the county UDO sections read.

  “sewer: •septic systems permitted only where sanitary sewer utility is unavailable”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Porter County Health Department well and septic permits for residential land on unincorporated land inside Union township; building permit fees not found

  • Fees are for well and septic permits only; no building-permit fee schedule for unincorporated land was located.

  residential well and septic permit fee: 275 USD · residential septic-only permit fee: 225 USD · residential well permit fee: 50 USD

  “permit fee commercial/residential well and septic permit $275 commerical/residential septic only permit $225”

• Permit processPartial

  Well and septic permit process through the Porter County Health Department for unincorporated land inside Union township; building permit process not located

  • Process: onsite inspector visit, soil test by certified soil scientist for new construction, field investigation report in about two to four days, site-plan review in three to five days.

  “a septic / well field investigation report will be issued within approximately two to four days.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes inside Union township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home built by the owner inside Union township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Union township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Union township
• Local zoning — Whether Union township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits

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.