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

Rules another office applies inside Luce Township

Luce 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 construction, alteration and related work in Spencer County as administered by the county Plan Commission and building inspector; the county page does not name Luce township, so coverage inside Luce township is inferred and must be confirmed

  • Permit is required before beginning new construction of a building or structure costing more than $2,000.
  • Permit is also required before beginning alteration, remodeling or repair costing more than $5,000.00, an inground swimming pool, electrical, plumbing or mechanical work costing more than $750.00, and any heating, ventilating or air conditioning system installation.
  • Building permit may not be available the same day the application is submitted.
  • Permit is not required for items the page marks 'no improvement location permit needed'.

  new construction permit threshold: > 2000 USD (cost of the building or structure) · alteration, remodeling or repair permit threshold: > 5000 USD · electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit threshold: > 750 USD

  “you should obtain a building permit before beginning any new construction of a building or structure the cost of which exceeds $2,000”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in Spencer County administered by the county building inspector; inside Luce township only if the county inspector administers permits there (to be confirmed)

  • Inspection stages listed on the page: footings, underground plumbing, framing, rough-in electrical, rough-in plumbing, rough-in heating and air conditioning, gas meter, electrical final inspection.
  • The page says 'if applicable', so not every stage applies to every project.
  • Notice of 24 hours is requested if possible; contact named on the page is the building inspector.

  inspection notice: >= 24 hours (requested if possible)

  “notify the building inspector at each step if applicable. please give 24hr notice if possible.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Use-by-district schedule published by Spencer County for its zoning districts (F2, A, R1, R2, B1-B3, B-P1-B-P3, I1, I2); whether it governs land inside Luce township is not confirmed on the page

  • Table is titled 'Official Schedule of Uses' for Spencer County, Indiana.
  • Uses are marked permitted or special exception by district; the extracted text is partly garbled, so individual cells were not relied on.
  • Dimensional standards are not in this table.

  “table 1 official schedule of uses spencer county, indiana property use f2 accessory buildings”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Setbacks from road rights-of-way and for accessory buildings on land in Spencer County, including Luce township if the county applies these standards there (coverage not confirmed); not split by zoning district

  • Required setbacks from right-of-way lines: secondary road (county road) 60 feet; primary road (blacktop, highway) 70 feet; arterial highway 75 feet; local (residential) 30 feet.
  • Accessory buildings must be at least 5 feet from the back property line and 10 feet from the side property line.
  • Page does not state district-specific setbacks; the zoning ordinance was not opened.

  local (residential) road right-of-way setback: >= 30 feet · county road right-of-way setback: >= 60 feet · primary road right-of-way setback: >= 70 feet · arterial highway right-of-way setback: >= 75 feet · accessory building rear setback: >= 5 feet (back property line) · accessory building side setback: >= 10 feet (side property line)

  “accessory buildings must be at least 5' from the back property line, and 10' from the side property line.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite sewage disposal systems on land inside Luce township, handled by the Spencer County Health Department (state rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 applies)

  • The health department runs the onsite sewage program; the page does not name Luce township, so coverage inside Luce township is inferred from the county service area and must be confirmed.
  • The health department's 'Residential on-site sewage systems - rule 410 IAC 6-8.3' section is referenced on the page; the rule text itself was not opened.

  “permits, consultations and inspections are provided for new construction and replacement of onsite sewage disposal systems.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway connections to county roads and state highways on land inside Luce township (county coverage not confirmed)

  • New driveway off a state highway: contact the state highway department in Tell City, (812) 836-2111.
  • New driveway off a county road: contact the county garage, (812) 362-8331.
  • Site plan must show driveway location and the highway, county road number or street name with directions.

  “if constructing a new driveway off a county road, you must contact the county garage (812) 362-8331.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction on parcels inside the mapped floodplain in Spencer County, including Luce township parcels that fall in the floodplain

  • Elevation certificate showing the new structure is at least 2 feet above base flood elevation.
  • Floodplain map is published on the county plan commission site; map not opened.

  elevation above base flood elevation: >= 2 feet

  “if the property is in the floodplain, you will need an elevation certificate showing the new structure will be at least 2' above the base flood elevation.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner-builder can build without a licensed contractor inside Luce township
• Building code adopted — Which residential building code governs construction inside Luce township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is issued for new homes inside Luce township
• Local zoning — Whether Luce township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside Luce township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for homes inside Luce 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.