Bolthole Index

Ripley County, Indiana

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Sunman, Indiana

The Town of Sunman, Indiana adopts Ripley County’s Area Zoning Code and requires Town Council approval before a mobile home can be located and permanently occupied as a residence.12 We could not confirm the general building-permit issuing office inside town limits; start with Town Hall.3 Sunman requires sewer connection for qualifying construction near its sewer system; onsite sewage permits come from the Ripley County Health Department.45

At a glance

Building permits
General town requirement unconfirmed; ask Town Hall to identify the issuing office3
Zoning
County Area Zoning Code adopted by the town1
Mobile homes
Town Council improvement location permit required for permanent residential occupancy2
Sewer connection
Required for construction or remodeling generating wastewater within 100 feet of the town sewer system4
Septic permits
Ripley County Health Department; soil evaluation and construction plan required56
RV and tiny-home living
Town-specific occupancy rules unconfirmed; ask Town Hall before buying or moving in3

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Sunman Town Hall / Clerk-Treasurer

Starting contact for town zoning administration, identification of the building-permit office, mobile-home applications and municipal utility approvals

812-623-2066

Septic permits

Ripley County Health Department

Residential septic permitting and county health review

812-689-5751

Ripley County Annex Building 102 W. First North St., Versailles IN 47042

Septic permits

Ripley County Residential Septic Permits

Residential septic application, soil analysis, street-address requirement and permit fee

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 Sunman means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Sunman, IN?

We could not confirm Sunman’s general building-permit requirement, inspection schedule or owner-builder exemption; ask Town Hall to identify the office administering your proposed construction before work begins.3 Indiana leaves local building-permit and plan-review requirements to the applicable jurisdiction’s administrative ordinance or process.7

Sunman’s mobile-home rule is explicit: locating a mobile home for permanent residential occupancy requires an improvement location permit from the Town Council.2 File that mobile-home application with the Clerk-Treasurer; Town Council consideration includes a public hearing and proof of notice.8 Treat that specific approval as a separate question from the general building permit for a house or addition.87

Does the Town of Sunman have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

The Town of Sunman adopts the county Area Zoning Code by reference, so a Sunman parcel is subject to zoning.1 Ask Town Hall for the parcel’s zoning designation and the applicable use and dimensional standards before choosing a house plan; we could not confirm the general residential minimum lot size, floor area or setback schedule for Sunman.3

Sunman’s mobile-home provisions do supply specific dimensions: at least 500 square feet of floor area on a lot or area of at least 10,000 square feet, with no more than 30% lot coverage.2 The mobile-home yards must be at least 40 feet at the front, 20 feet at the rear and 5 feet on each side.2 Those dimensions govern mobile homes, rather than establishing a general standard for every Sunman dwelling.2

How do sewer connections and septic permits work inside the Town of Sunman?

For construction or remodeling inside Sunman that generates wastewater, a building within 100 feet of the town sanitary sewer system must connect to sewer.4 A town permit is required before tapping or connecting to municipal sewer or water lines, and the connection cannot be buried before the Town Inspector or representative completes inspection.4 Ask Town Hall about utility availability before planning an onsite sewage system.3

Ripley County Health Department administers onsite sewage permits; the county requires a soil evaluation and construction plan before site approval and permit issuance.56 The department’s residential application sequence starts with a soil scientist, requires a full street address including a street number, and lists a $100 septic permit fee payable when picking up the permit.9 Ripley County’s soil rating shows only 0.7% rated not limited for conventional drain fields; that county-wide screening figure calls for a site evaluation and may mean an engineered system, rather than making septic impossible.10

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Sunman?

We could not confirm Sunman’s rules for occupying an RV on private land, temporary camping, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask Town Hall about the proposed dwelling and use before committing to a purchase.3 Indiana’s campground rules do not establish general authorization for residential RV occupancy outside regulated campgrounds.11

For a home classified under Sunman’s mobile-home provisions, permanent residential occupancy requires Town Council approval, municipal water and waste-disposal access, removal of wheels and axles, permanent foundation supports and complete skirting.2 Sunman also requires the mobile-home occupant to apply for a certificate of occupancy before occupation or use, with premises inspection by a competent person authorized by the Town Council.12 Have Town Hall resolve the classification of a small dwelling before relying on the mobile-home standards.3

What steps should you take before building a home in the Town of Sunman?

Start with Town Hall: confirm that the parcel is inside Sunman, request the applicable zoning standards, and identify the general building-permit and inspection office.3 Next, resolve municipal water and sewer service, including Sunman’s mandatory sewer connection for qualifying construction within 100 feet of the sanitary sewer system.4 If an onsite system is appropriate, contact Ripley County Health Department about soil evaluation, the construction plan and septic approval before designing around a drain-field location.613

For a mobile home, file the improvement location application with the Clerk-Treasurer and arrange the required adjoining-owner notice and Town Council hearing.8 Ask Town Hall to identify access and local floodplain approvals; Indiana DNR has jurisdiction over most floodway development activities, subject to exemptions.314 For land outside town limits, consult the Ripley County guide for county zoning jurisdiction and administration.15

Watch-outs

  • Sunman’s mobile-home minimum floor area and yard dimensions are specific to mobile homes; ask Town Hall for the standards governing another dwelling type.23
  • A sewer connection or tap needs town approval, and the connection must stay uncovered until inspection is complete.4
  • We could not confirm a Sunman private-well permit requirement; ask Ripley County Health Department, and use an Indiana DNR-licensed well driller.1316

Sources

  1. § 154.01 Area Zoning Code (Town of Sunman), quoted and re-checked
  2. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Sunman), quoted and re-checked
  3. Town of Sunman Town Hall / Clerk-Treasurer (townofsunman.org)
  4. § 51.003 Sewer and Water Connections; General Provisions (Town of Sunman), quoted and re-checked
  5. Ripley County On-site Sewage Systems Ordinance (2026 county census)
  6. Ripley County On-site Sewage Systems Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  7. in.gov (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 150.22 Application for Permit (Town of Sunman), quoted and re-checked
  9. Ripley County Residential Septic Permits (ripleycounty.in.gov)
  10. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  11. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 150.24 Certificate of Occupancy (Town of Sunman), quoted and re-checked
  13. Ripley County Health Department (ripleycounty.in.gov)
  14. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 80: Area Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
  16. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), 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 Sunman

Town of Sunman’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    A mobile home located in Sunman under an improvement location permit.

    • The certificate must be applied for before occupation or use.
    • The premises must be inspected by a competent person authorized by the Town Council.
    • Inspection must occur within seven days after completion authorized by the permit.
    • Changes must be completed and the application filed within 90 days after permit issuance.
    • The certificate filing fee is $2.

    inspection deadline: 7 days (after completion authorized by the improvement location permit) · application deadline: 90 days (after improvement location permit issuance) · filing fee: 2 USD (payable to the town)

    “No mobile home located in the town under an improvement location permit shall be occupied or used for any purpose until the applicant has applied for a certificate of occupancy.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Sunman town limits; the town adopts the county Area Zoning Code by reference.

    • The adopted text is the county's Chapter 80 Area Zoning Code; the municipal code does not reproduce its district standards in the cited section.
    ““Chapter 80: Area Zoning Code”, the Area Zoning Code Ordinance of the county, is hereby adopted by reference and is if set out in full.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Permanent residential occupancy of a mobile home inside Sunman town limits.

    • Town Council improvement location permit required.
    • Minimum 500 square feet of floor area.
    • Lot or area must be at least 10,000 square feet.
    • Access to municipal water and waste disposal system required.
    • Maximum lot coverage is 30%.
    • Front yard must be at least 40 feet, rear yard at least 20 feet, and each side yard at least 5 feet.
    • Wheels and axles must be removed; permanent concrete, brick, or stone foundation supports and complete skirting are required.

    minimum floor area: >= 500 square feet · minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet · maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent · front yard: >= 40 feet (from edge of street) · rear yard: >= 20 feet · side yard: >= 5 feet (each side)

    “No mobile home may be located in the town and permanently occupied as a residence unless the Town Council, on application, issues an improvement location permit authorizing the location of the mobile home.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Construction or remodeling of any building inside Sunman town located within 100 feet of the town sanitary sewer system, when wastewater will be generated.

    • A town permit is required before connecting or tapping a municipal sewer or water line.
    • Connections are supervised by the Town Inspector or representative.
    • No line or connection may be covered or buried until inspection is completed.
    • The property owner must post a $150 bond before excavating in a town street.

    sewer distance threshold: <= 100 feet (building must connect if wastewater will be generated) · street excavation bond: 150 USD (prior to excavating in any town street)

    “Any person constructing or remodeling any building within the town, which is located within 100 feet of the town’s sanitary sewer system, must connect to the sewer system if wastewater is to be generated in the structure.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision activity inside Sunman town limits through the town's adoption of the county Area Subdivision Control Code.

    • Future amendments to the Area Subdivision Control Code are adopted as town ordinances unless explicitly excluded under the municipal code.
    ““Chapter 81: Area Subdivision Control Code”, the Area Subdivision Plan Ordinance of the county, is hereby adopted by reference as if set out in full.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Mobile-home improvement location permits and related certificates of occupancy inside Sunman town.

    • The improvement-location application fee is $15.
    • The certificate-of-occupancy filing fee is $2.
    • Other general building-permit fees were not located.

    improvement location permit filing fee: 15 USD (payable to town General Fund) · certificate of occupancy filing fee: 2 USD (payable to town General Fund)

    “The filing fee for a certificate of occupancy is $2, payable to the town, for deposit in its General Fund.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Mobile-home improvement location permits inside Sunman town.

    • Application is filed with the Clerk-Treasurer.
    • A $15 fee is required.
    • The applicant must receive notice of the public hearing and give at least ten days' notice to adjoining property owners within 200 feet.
    • Notice may be personal or by publication, with costs paid by the applicant.
    • Proof of notice must be filed before Town Council consideration.
    • Town Council conducts a public hearing.

    notice period: >= 10 days (notice to adjoining property owners) · notice radius: 200 feet (adjoining property owners within proposed location)

    “No application shall be considered by the Town Council until proof of notice is filed.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General building permits for construction inside Sunman town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Sunman town limits.
  • Inspections — General building inspections inside Sunman town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Sunman town limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Sunman town limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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

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