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

Rules another office applies inside Penn Township

Penn Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems installed, replaced or repaired on land inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana). The St. Joseph County Department of Health is the permitting authority for this township area; the county health page does not carve out Penn township, so the rule applies inside it.

  • A licensed septic installer/inspector with the department of health must install the system.
  • Minimum design specifications are issued by the department of health after the soil report and application are reviewed.
  • Deficient designs are returned for revision; the department of health prepares site-specific approval requirements before issuing the permit.
  • Septic practice also follows the county code (Chapter 51), which the county page links but which was not opened.

  “a permit from the department of health is required to install, replace, or repair a septic system in st. joseph county.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New, replacement or repair septic systems on land inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana), issued by the St. Joseph County Department of Health

  • Application must be accompanied by three complete soil borings from the area of the new system, obtained from a certified soil scientist.
  • Permit application, non-refundable fee and soil reports are submitted to the department of health.
  • Installation may not deviate from the permit unless approved in advance.

  “a permit from the department of health must be obtained to install, replace, or repair a septic system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Septic systems installed on land inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana); final inspection by the St. Joseph County Department of Health

  • Contractor must call the department of health 24 hours in advance of the time the installation is ready for inspection.
  • The system may be used only after the department of health passes the final inspection.
  • For certain system types the department of health performs several inspections at various stages.

  “the septic contractor calls the department of health to arrange a final inspection. contractors must call the department of health 24 hours in advance from the desired final inspection time. the system may be used after the department of health passes the final inspection.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic permit fees for residential work on land inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana). This covers septic permits only; building permit fees for Penn township were not found.

  • The residential septic permit application fee is non-refundable.
  • Fees are for residential new construction, replacement and repair septic installations as listed in the county health handout.

  residential new construction septic installation permit application fee: 275 USD · residential replacement septic installation permit application fee: 275 USD · residential septic repair permit application fee: 100 USD

  “permit application fees for residential construction are as follows: residential new construction installation residential replacement installation residential repair $275 $275 $100”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit process for septic systems on land inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana). Only the septic process is published on the county health pages; building permit process for Penn township was not found.

  • Soil report from a certified soil scientist, then permit application and fee to the department of health.
  • Department of health issues minimum design specifications, then the design is reviewed and an on-site inspection is conducted before the permit issues.
  • Typical time frames: up to 10 days for soil borings, up to 5 days for specifications, up to 10 days for installer design, up to 5 days for permit after a complete design.

  “the following must be performed to obtain a permit for a residential property.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new home construction inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana)
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from licensing or permit rules for a homeowner building in Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana)
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana)
• Inspections — Building inspections for new home construction inside Penn township (St. Joseph County, Indiana)
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Penn township (St. Joseph 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.