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

Rules another office applies inside Hanover Township

Hanover 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

  New home construction on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Improvement location permit, building, electrical and plumbing permits are issued by the Shelby County building inspector's office.
  • Building, electrical and plumbing permits may be obtained by a homeowner with a homeowner's affidavit or by a contractor registered with the building inspector.
  • Applies only where the land is outside an incorporated municipality; Hanover township boundary against municipal limits was not checked on a map.

  “building, electrical, and plumbing permits are required and allow for inspection of new construction to ensure it complies with building code.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owner-builders constructing a home on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Requires submittal of a homeowner's affidavit.
  • Contractors must be registered with the Shelby County building inspector's office as an alternative route.

  “improvement location permit, building, and electrical permits may be obtained by the homeowner with submittal of a homeowner’s affidavit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New buildings in Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana; enforced locally by the Shelby County building inspector

  • Enforcement is by the Shelby County Building Inspector's office, which states its department ensures new buildings comply with the Indiana state building code.

  “ensuring that all new buildings comply with the indiana state building code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Inspections are performed by the Shelby County building inspector's office; the county's inspection hours are listed on its building inspector page.
  • Septic system inspection is part of the final inspections (see septic_inspection).

  “building, electrical, and plumbing permits are required and allow for inspection of new construction to ensure it complies with building code.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New homes on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued where weather or other mitigating circumstances prevent completion of site work.
  • The home shall not be occupied until issuance of a temporary or final certificate of occupancy.

  “the home shall not be occupied until issuance of a temporary or final certificate of occupancy.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Shelby County GIS includes a zoning map (county zoning layer) for property lookup.
  • Only accessory-structure setback districts (A1, A2, RE, R1, VR, VM, IS) are listed on the FAQ page; full district list is in UDO Article 2 not opened.

  “the table below includes the setback requirements for accessory structures in the most common zoning districts.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Accessory structures in the R1 zoning district on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana; the FAQ table does not give principal-building setbacks

  • Front setback is measured from the road right-of-way line.
  • Table indicates accessory structures in R1 are not allowed in the front yard.
  • The source states Article 2 of the Shelby County UDO includes setback requirements for all zoning districts.

  front yard setback, accessory structure (not in front yard): 35 feet (and not in front yard) · side yard setback, accessory structure: 5 feet · rear yard setback, accessory structure: 5 feet

  “r1 35-feet and not in front yard 5-feet 5-feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Accessory structures in the A1 zoning district (agricultural district code, A1) on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana; the FAQ table does not give principal-building setbacks

    “a1 50-feet 10-feet 10-feet a2 60-feet 10-feet 10-feet”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Occupying an RV as a dwelling on ordinary residential land on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Occupied RVs are permitted only in RV parks.
  • The Board of Zoning Appeals may grant a variance for temporary occupancy in cases of hardship.

  “no. the county only permits occupied rvs, mobile homes, and manufactured homes in rv and mobile home parks.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Occupying a manufactured or mobile home on ordinary residential land on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Occupied manufactured and mobile homes are permitted only in mobile home parks.
  • The Board of Zoning Appeals may grant a variance for temporary occupancy in cases of hardship.

  “no. the county only permits occupied rvs, mobile homes, and manufactured homes in rv and mobile home parks.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Mother-in-law quarters or detached secondary dwellings on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Requires approval of a variance from the Shelby County Board of Zoning Appeals.
  • The Board will typically grant a variance for temporary occupancy in cases of hardship.
  • Plan Commission defines attached dwelling unit / mother-in-law quarters as a unit with a full kitchen, full bathroom, and living area without interior-door access to the main dwelling.

  “the county does not permit these types of structures without approval of a variance from the shelby county board of zoning appeals.”

• Who permits septicCounty

  Residential septic systems on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana, that are not connected to a regulated sewage facility

  • Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Division, issues septic permits and inspects new construction and repairs.
  • Health Department sign-off is needed before building permits per the county's new-home sequence.

  “we issue permits for all residential and commercial sewage disposal systems that are not connected to a regulated sewage facility.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Exception: no septic permit where the home uses sewer/water from the Waldron Conservancy District.
  • Permit issued by the Shelby County Health Department, 20 W Polk St, Suite 202, Shelbyville (per the health department's contact page).

  “a septic permit is required for all new homes, unless utilizing sewer/water from the waldron conservancy district.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New construction and repairs of septic systems on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Septic inspection is also part of the county building final inspections before certificate of occupancy.

  “all repairs and new construction must be inspected and signed off by our inspectors.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creating a new lot (for example, splitting farm ground) on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Lot creation must go through the platting process; contact the planning director.

  “creation of a new lot (example – purchase of a portion of farm ground) must go through the platting process.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway connections to county roads on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • Access permit from the Shelby County Highway Department; state highways also need an INDOT Greenfield District permit.
  • Access permit ensures a properly sized driveway and culverts.

  “an access permit is for access to the county road and ensures that a proper sized driveway and culverts are installed.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Permit fees for new home construction on unincorporated land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

  • The county's New Home Procedure lists these fees; the Environmental Division page separately states septic permits are $300 and the septic installer registration fee is $50, which conflicts with the $25 septic permit in the New Home Procedure. Confirm which applies before relying on either figure.
  • Floodplain permit fee listed separately ($60) applies only where applicable.

  building permit fee: 200 USD · septic permit fee (New Home Procedure): 25 USD (conflicts with $300 stated by the health department)

  “permit fees site plan - $60.00 septic permit – $25.00 access permit - $20.00 improvement location permit - $190 building permit - $200 electrical permit - $150 plumbing permit - $150”

Still unanswered

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

• Local zoning — Land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana: whether the township itself adopts a zoning ordinance
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana
• Building height — Building height on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on land inside Hanover township, Shelby County, Indiana

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.