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

Rules another office applies inside Union Township

Union 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 inside Union township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Building, electrical and plumbing permits may be obtained by the homeowner with a homeowner affidavit, or by a contractor listed with the county building inspector.
  • Plumbing permits may only be obtained by plumbers listed with the county inspector, except a homeowner who will reside in the home.
  • Improvement location permit, building, electrical and plumbing permits are issued by the Shelby County building inspector's office.

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Homeowner acting as own contractor building a home inside Union township

  • Homeowner may obtain the improvement location, building and electrical permits with a homeowner affidavit.
  • Where the property owner acts as general contractor, a homeowner affidavit must be submitted with the permit application.
  • Plumbing permit: a homeowner may obtain it only if they will reside in the home.

  “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 unincorporated Shelby County, including Union township, reviewed by the Shelby County building inspector

  • Enforced through the Shelby County building inspector; the state building code is the standard applied.
  • Cities and towns other than Fairland handle their own permits.

  “the shelby county building inspector serves the unincorporated area of shelby county and the town of fairland.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction inside Union township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • The permit applicant must call for the required inspections at the appropriate times, including plan commission, inspector's office and health department.
  • Inspections are scheduled by the applicant through the building inspector's office and health department.

  “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 Union township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • The home shall not be occupied until issuance of a temporary or final certificate of occupancy.
  • A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued where weather or other mitigating circumstances prevent completion of site work.
  • The home will not receive a final certificate of occupancy until the planning director approves the site development inspection.

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

• Zoning districtsPublished

  County zoning map covering unincorporated Shelby County, including Union township

  • District list (A1, A2, RE, R1, VR, VM, IS) appears in the planning FAQ; the full UDO district schedule was not opened.

  “the shelby county gis system includes a zoning map.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  ACCESSORY structures only, in A1 and A2 zoning districts of Shelby County, including Union township parcels in those districts. Primary dwelling setbacks are not established here.

  • Front setback measured from the road right-of-way line (typically 25 feet from the road centerline).
  • The FAQ says Article 2 of the Shelby County UDO includes setbacks for all zoning districts; the primary-structure figures were not retrieved.

  A1 accessory structure front setback: 50 feet (from road right-of-way line) · A1 accessory structure side setback: 10 feet · A1 accessory structure rear setback: 10 feet · A2 accessory structure front setback: 60 feet (from road right-of-way line) · A2 accessory structure side setback: 10 feet · A2 accessory structure rear setback: 10 feet

  “zoning district front setback side setback rear setback a1 50-feet 10-feet 10-feet a2 60-feet 10-feet 10-feet”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Occupying an RV on private land inside Union township outside an RV park

  • Permitted only in RV and mobile home parks.
  • 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 mobile or manufactured home on private land inside Union township outside a mobile home or RV park

  • Permitted only in RV and mobile home parks.
  • 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

  Attached mother-in-law quarters or detached secondary dwellings on private land inside Union township

  • Not permitted without 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 full kitchen, full bathroom, and living area without interior 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 (with conditions)

  Septic systems for new homes and repairs inside Union township, administered by the Shelby County Health Department

  • Health department handles new and repair septic work for the county.
  • Septic permit may be replaced by a Waldron Conservancy District sewer or water connection (see utility_connection).

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

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes inside Union township; not required where the home uses sewer or water from the Waldron Conservancy District

  • Exception: utilizing sewer/water from the Waldron Conservancy District.
  • Septic permit fee published as $25.00 in the county new-home procedure.

  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 inside Union township with a septic system

  • The final certificate of occupancy depends on approval of the septic system inspection.

  “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)

  Creating a new lot inside Union township (unincorporated Shelby County)

  • Lots that existed in their current configuration before 2008 are grandfathered for building permits, per the planning director process.
  • Simple subdivision and lot-standard details are in the UDO, not verified here.

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

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway connections to a county road from land inside Union township

  • On state highways an access permit must also be obtained from INDOT Greenfield district office.
  • Access permit ensures a properly sized driveway and culverts are installed.

  “obtain an access permit from the shelby county highway department.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land grading or construction in designated flood hazard areas inside Union township

  • Floodway development also requires an Indiana DNR Division of Water permit.
  • Required only where the parcel lies in a designated flood hazard area.

  “a floodplain permit and additional development regulations (such as elevating a structure and floodproofing) apply to land grading or construction in designated flood hazard areas.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Shelby County permits for new homes inside Union township

  • Fees are as stated in the county new-home procedure; effective date of the schedule not stated on the page.
  • Card payments carry a 4% transaction fee per the building inspector page.

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

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

• Permit processPublished

  Permit process for new homes inside Union township

  • Site plan must be certified by a professional surveyor or engineer and reviewed by the plan commission site plan committee.
  • Permits are issued after each site plan committee member approves the site plan.

  “submit a site plan application and site plan, certified by a professional surveyor/engineer, to the shelby county plan commission office”

Still unanswered

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

• Local zoning — Whether Union township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance inside its boundaries
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for homes in Union township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Union township
• Building height — Maximum building height in Union township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in Union 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.