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

  Work on or in the unincorporated part of Union township (land outside the Town of Lakeville and other incorporated limits), handled by the St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department

  • The building department's jurisdiction includes the unincorporated areas of St. Joseph County, which the fee schedule lists as including Wyatt, Granger, Terre Coupe, and Crumstown; the fee schedule does not name Union township specifically.
  • Permit must be obtained in advance of work; if work proceeds without a required permit, the permit fees are tripled as a penalty.
  • Lakeville is a separate town; the permit sentence names the Town of Lakeville, so land inside Lakeville limits is outside this claim's unincorporated scope.
  • Permit is conditional: construction may proceed after the permit is obtained.

  “no person, company, or corporation shall perform or cause to be performed any work on or in the unincorporated areas of st. joseph county, city of south bend, towns of lakeville, north liberty, osceola, and roseland, and indian village without obtaining in advance a permit from the building department.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite septic systems for homes inside Union township, administered by the St. Joseph County Department of Health (countywide service area, which includes Union township)

  • Chapter 51 of the St. Joseph County Code incorporates Indiana Department of Health rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 for residential onsite systems.
  • The health department applies to septic work across St. Joseph County; the page does not name Union township specifically, so the countywide scope is the basis for applying it there.

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

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, replacing or repairing a septic system on a home site inside Union township

  • Permit is issued by the St. Joseph County Department of Health after review of the application, permit fee and certified soil report, and a licensed installer submits a design for approval.
  • Permit is conditional: installation may proceed only after the permit is issued.

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

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Final inspection of a newly installed septic system serving a home inside Union township

  • The contractor must call the health department 24 hours in advance of the desired final inspection time.
  • The system may be used only after the health department passes the final inspection.

  “after the system is installed according to the issued permit and all state and county requirements, the septic contractor calls the department of health to arrange a final inspection.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Wastewater disposal for structures on land inside Union township in St. Joseph County

  • Every structure that generates wastewater must be served by a sanitary sewer or by a septic system that is on the same property, on a property with an applicable septic easement, or connected to an approved cluster system.
  • Septic systems require a health department permit and must meet Indiana rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 as incorporated by the county code.
  • Sanitary privies and other non-septic arrangements are regulated separately under the code and were not examined.

  “all structures in which wastewater is generated shall be served by one of the following: (1) a sanitary sewerage system; or (2) a septic system that is:”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New construction on a parcel inside Union township that is in the unincorporated county, when public sanitary sewer is available

  • Connection is required only if new construction is proposed or a septic system fails, and a sanitary sewer is available adjacent to the property or adjacent to an adjoining easement or right-of-way.
  • A written waiver from the sewer provider can excuse the connection.
  • The health department may grant a variance if connection costs are prohibitive and there is no compelling public health reason.
  • Decisions by the St. Joseph County Regional Water and Sewer District on whether a property uses its sewer control the health department's decision.
  • The health department may require connection for a compelling public health reason.

  “if new construction is proposed or a septic system fails and a sanitary sewerage system is available adjacent to the property or adjacent to an easement or right-of-way which is adjacent to the property, the property owner shall connect to the sanitary sewerage system unless a written waiver is provided by the sanitary sewerage system to the health department.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for new construction and alterations on unincorporated land inside Union township

  • Fees are set in the 2026 fee schedule of the St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department; the schedule's new-construction fee formula (cost per square foot times total square footage) was only partly read, so the full fee amounts were not captured.
  • Work done without a required permit incurs tripled permit fees as a penalty.
  • Fee schedule is for the combined county/South Bend building department; fees for septic and well permits are set by the health department and were not captured.

  “general permit fees apply to all new construction and all alterations, repairs, and remodeling.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption on unincorporated land in Union township
• Building code adopted — Which building code edition applies to new homes inside Union township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes on unincorporated land in Union township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes on unincorporated land in Union township
• Local zoning — Whether Union township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits

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.