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

Rules another office applies inside Hendricks Township

Hendricks 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 residential construction and structures on land inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • An improvement location permit is required for a building, addition, deck, pool or other structure over 200 sq. ft. on any property in the county.
  • Building, electrical and plumbing permits are required for new construction; plumbing permits may only be obtained by plumbers listed with the county, with a homeowner exemption if they will reside in the home.
  • Construction proceeds after permits are issued, so the requirement is conditional.

  “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)

  Homeowners building a home inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Improvement location, building and electrical permits may be obtained by the homeowner with a homeowner affidavit.
  • Plumbing permit exemption applies only if the homeowner will reside in the home.
  • Other permits go through county-listed contractors.

  “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 Hendricks township, enforced through the Shelby County building inspector

  • Enforcement is by the county building inspector under the Indiana State Building Code, as stated on the county building inspector page.

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

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • The permit applicant must call for inspections, including the plan commission, inspector's office, and health department, at the appropriate times.
  • Septic system inspection is part of the final inspection sequence.

  “it is the responsibility of the permit applicant to call all applicable departments and agencies to request necessary inspections at the appropriate times, including the plan commission, inspector’s office, and health department.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New homes inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Final certificate of occupancy is issued after all inspections pass, including the septic system.
  • The home will not receive a final certificate of occupancy until the planning director approves the site development inspection.
  • 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.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hendricks township, which is unincorporated Shelby County territory; the county zoning ordinance administered by the plan commission applies because no Hendricks township zoning ordinance was located

  • No Hendricks township zoning ordinance was found on any official page reviewed; this claim is county zoning, not a township ordinance.
  • The county Unified Development Ordinance text was not retrieved: the 2024, 2025 and 2026 UDO PDF links returned HTTP 404 on this run.

  “the shelby county plan commission serves the unincorporated area of shelby county.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts applying to land inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • An agricultural district is referenced on the plan commission page; the full district list and map were not retrieved.
  • Rezoning to a new zoning district goes to the plan commission and county commissioners.

  “rezoning request to rezone a property to a new zoning district.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems for new homes on land inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • The Shelby County Health Department issues the septic permit and is the health contact for soil and septic questions.
  • Indiana state rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 was not opened in this research and is not relied on here.

  “obtain a septic permit from the shelby county health department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes on land inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Exception: no septic permit where the home uses sewer and water from the Waldron Conservancy District; whether Hendricks township land is in that district was not verified.
  • Septic permit fee listed as $25.00 in the county checklist.

  septic permit fee: 25 USD

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

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New homes with septic systems inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • The septic system is inspected before the final certificate of occupancy is issued.

  “the shelby county inspector’s office will issue a final certificate of occupancy after completion and approval of all inspections, including inspection of the septic system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • The plan commission page lists simple subdivisions (no more than three lots, no internal streets, public improvements or common area) with the plan commission as approval body.
  • Traditional subdivision of four or more lots is a plan commission request.
  • Creating a new lot, such as splitting farm ground, must go through the platting process.

  “traditional subdivision request to subdivide a property into four or more lots.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access onto county roads from land inside Hendricks township

  • Access permit is obtained from the Shelby County Highway Department and ensures a properly sized driveway and culverts.
  • On state highways, the access permit must also come from the INDOT Greenfield district office.

  access permit fee: 20 USD

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

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or grading inside a designated flood hazard area on land inside Hendricks township

  • Floodplain permit is required only where land is in a flood hazard area per Indiana DNR best available data.
  • The planning director verifies whether a lot lies within a flood hazard area during the buildable-lot check.

  “floodplain permit required to construct a building, building addition, deck, pool, or other structure or to grade land in an area designated as a flood hazard area by the indiana department of natural resources division of water best available data.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Permit fees for a new home inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Fees are listed on an undated county new-home checklist; confirm the current schedule before relying on it.
  • Basement fee and floodplain permit fee apply only if applicable.

  site plan fee: 60 USD · septic permit fee: 25 USD · access permit fee: 20 USD · improvement location permit fee: 190 USD · building permit fee: 200 USD · electrical permit fee: 150 USD · plumbing permit fee: 150 USD · additional basement fee: 100 USD (if applicable) · floodplain permit fee: 60 USD (if applicable)

  “plumbing permit - $150 additional basement fee (if applicable) - $100 floodplain permit fee (if applicable) - $60”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  New home permit process for land inside Hendricks township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Steps run from buildable-lot verification and soil samples through site plan approval, septic permit, access permit, improvement location, building, electrical and plumbing permits, inspections, site development inspection, and final certificate of occupancy.
  • Site plans go to the plan commission site plan committee, which meets weekly; permits are not issued until every committee member approves.

  “permits will not be issued until each member of the site plan committee has approved the site plan.”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for homes inside Hendricks township, main single-family residential district
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for land inside Hendricks township, main single-family residential and agricultural districts
• Setbacks — Setbacks for homes inside Hendricks township, by district
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage for homes inside Hendricks township, by district
• Building height — Building height for homes inside Hendricks township, by district

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.