Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Napoleon, Indiana

Town of Napoleon’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Napoleon town limits. Napoleon is one of six towns in the joint Area Zoning Code of Ripley County (Chapter 156), administered by the Ripley County Area Plan Commission, which covers unincorporated Ripley County plus the towns of Versailles, Osgood, Milan, Sunman, Holton and Napoleon.

  • Joint county-town code; the Napoleon zone map applies inside the town and the code is administered by the county area plan commission and executive director.
  • Zoning figures (lot area, yards, height, coverage) and use tables are in the code's figure 1 and use sections and were not captured in this research pass.

  “jurisdiction of the commission. the unincorporated territory of the county and the territory within the towns of versailles, osgood, milan, sunman, holton and napoleon, indiana, the boundaries of which are shown on the zone map, dated 1991; as amended, which includes all of the area over which this chapter is effective.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts applying inside Napoleon town under the joint Area Zoning Code of Ripley County

  • District names are listed in the code table of contents; the district boundaries are on the zone map and the district standards are in figure 1.

  “a-1 prime agriculture district a-2 agriculture district fr forest recreation district r-1 single-family residence district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings on land inside Napoleon town under the joint Area Zoning Code (applies in the R-1 and A-2 residential districts where single-family dwellings are permitted)

  • Figure 1 governs multi-family and two-family minimums; this claim covers single-family only.

  minimum living area on ground floor: >= 950 sq ft

  “(2) single-family dwelling. a detached building designed for or occupied by one family, exclusively; minimum 950 square foot living area on ground floor.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Napoleon

Town of Napoleon does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite sewage (septic) systems on land inside Napoleon town. The Ripley County Health Department administers residential septic permits countywide, and the joint zoning code refers septic permits to the health department inside the towns.

  • Installer must be a Ripley County registered installer.
  • Applicants must submit a soil analysis, the residential septic application and house plans before the department sets minimum specifications.

  “the installer will then have to draw up a septic design and submit it to the ripley county health department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Residential onsite septic system on a lot inside Napoleon town where no public sewer is available

  • Construction may proceed only after the septic permit is issued; permit is picked up in person and signed.
  • Public sewer availability was not confirmed for Napoleon, so the septic route applies only where sewer is not available.

  “you must read through, complete, and submit specific information to obtain residential septic permits in ripley county.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential septic permit fee for a lot inside Napoleon town. Building, zoning and improvement location permit fees were not found.

  • Paid in person when the permit is picked up; cards carry a small fee, and personal checks are not accepted.

  septic permit fee: 100 USD (card payments carry a small fee)

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

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Residential septic permit process for a lot inside Napoleon town. Zoning, building and improvement location permit processes were not captured.

  • Steps: soil analysis by a registered soil scientist, residential septic application with house plans, installer selection, then permit pickup in person.

  “after our office receives your soil analysis, residential septic application, and house plans, you will need to pick a ripley county registered installer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for residential construction inside Napoleon town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Napoleon town
• Building code adopted — Building code in force inside Napoleon town
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Napoleon town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a home inside Napoleon town

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.