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

Rules another office applies inside Brown Township

Brown 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

  Buildings and structures in Ripley County, including unincorporated Brown township

  • Applies to any building or structure that is 144 square feet or larger.
  • No permit is issued without the required building plans or pertinent structural drawings (e.g., truss sheet).
  • Plans must be clear, understandable, drawn to scale, and show the nature and location of all work.

  minimum structure size requiring permit: >= 144 square feet

  “any building or structure that is 144 square feet or larger, requires a building permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building code adopted by Ripley County; applies to construction inside Brown township, which has no township building department on the pages reviewed

  • The county page states the adoption under Indiana Code; it does not list amendments or the code edition.
  • Incorporated towns may apply their own rules; not verified for Brown township.

  “ripley county has, by requirement of the indiana department of homeland security, adopted their building code under ic 36-7-8-3 and ic 36-7-2-9.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building work in Ripley County, including unincorporated Brown township

  • Listed inspections: footer/hole (before pour), wall (before pour), basement or crawl space (before pour), underfloor plumbing (before pour), perimeter drain (before backfill, no downspouts), framing and rough-in, 2nd rough-in, and final.
  • The final inspection requires gutters and handrails in place, driveway culvert and permanent 911 address in place.

  “the following inspections are required: footer / hole inspection: before pour”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Completed buildings in Ripley County, including unincorporated Brown township

  • Certificate issues only after all inspections are completed and codes are met.
  • Permanent 911 address and driveway culvert must be in place at final inspection.

  “all inspections shall be completed and codes met before the certificate of occupancy will be issued.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of the Ripley County Area Zoning Code (1991 text) for territory within the Ripley County plan commission jurisdiction, including unincorporated Brown township if inside it

  • The 1991 text lists 14 districts: A-1, A-2, FR, R-1, R-2, R-3, LB, RB, GB, IB, I-1, I-2, UD and FP.
  • The zone map is a separate document not read; it is needed to place Brown township parcels.
  • The code preamble names the towns of Versailles, Osgood, Sunman, Milan and Napoleon as participating, so those towns are outside this county code.
  • Current version not verified.

  “for zoning purposes, the territory within the jurisdiction of the ripley county plan commission is hereby classified and divided into fourteen (14) districts”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Manufactured home used as a single-family dwelling in the A-2 agriculture district of the Ripley County plan commission area (unincorporated Brown township, if it lies in that area)

  • Quoted text is the A-2 permitted-use list in the 1991 Chapter 80 code; the A-1, FR, R-1, R-2, and R-3 permitted-use lists also name manufactured home in the same text, but only the A-2 list is quoted here.
  • Manufactured homes in the flood hazard area are subject to elevation rules in the floodplain section.
  • Current code version not verified.

  “(a) permitted uses. (1) agricultural use. (2) single-family dwelling. (3) manufactured home. (4) special exceptions set forth in sec. 80.24. (5) contingent uses set forth in sec. 80.23.”

• Who permits septicCounty

  Residential septic systems in Brown township, handled by the Ripley County Health Department (countywide, so it applies inside Brown township)

  • Soil analysis by a soil scientist, residential septic application with house plans, a registered Ripley County installer design, and in-person signing and payment at pickup.
  • The county page does not state any state or local rule beyond the county health department process.

  “you can send these to the ripley county health department either by mailing to our office at p.o. box 745, versailles in 47042, submitting in person at our office, or by email.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New residential septic systems in Ripley County, including Brown township

  • Requires soil analysis, residential septic application with house plans, registered installer design, and in-person signing at pickup.
  • The permit cannot be completed by phone, mail, or email.

  septic permit fee: 100 USD (paid at pickup; cash or card, no personal checks)

  “when picking up your permit, you will need to pay $100 for the septic permit.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway culvert for new construction in Ripley County, including unincorporated Brown township

  • The culvert must be in place by the final building inspection.
  • Issuing office (county highway department) and culvert permit terms were not opened on an official page.

  “driveway culvert and permanent 911 address in place per ordinance 1991-3.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in special flood hazard areas within the Ripley County plan commission jurisdiction (includes unincorporated Brown township only where mapped in the SFHA)

  • The 1991 code applies to development in the special flood hazard area (SFHA), defined as lands subject to the regulatory flood.
  • Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles on sites in the flood area must meet elevation or 180-day rules.
  • The flood map referenced is dated September 1, 1987; the current FIRM was not checked.
  • Current code version not verified.

  “ensure that all development activities with the sfha’s of the jurisdiction of the area plan commission meet the requirements herein”

• Permit feesPublished

  Residential septic permit fee only, Ripley County health department; building and driveway fees not found

  • Only the septic permit fee was found published; building permit, improvement location permit and driveway fees were not located on the pages reviewed.

  septic permit fee: 100 USD (paid at pickup; cash or card, no personal checks)

  “when picking up your permit, you will need to pay $100 for the septic permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic permit process in Ripley County, including Brown township; building permit process only partially published

  • Septic steps: soil analysis, residential septic application with house plans, registered installer design, in-person pickup.
  • Building permit application steps (plans, fees, scheduling) are not fully described on the pages reviewed.

  “you will need to submit the form as well as a copy of your house plans.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes in Brown township, Ripley County
• Local zoning — Whether Brown township, Ripley County, Indiana adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling (ground floor) area for single-family homes in the A-1, A-2 and R-1 districts, Brown township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for single-family homes in the A-1 prime agriculture and R-1 districts, Brown township
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yard setbacks for homes in the A-1, A-2 and R-1 districts, Brown 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.