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

Rules another office applies inside Center Township

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Owner-applicant building permits under the Starke County Planning Commission

  • Owner-signed applications are allowed, but owner or contractor affidavits must state the type of work and who will do it; contractors must be licensed.
  • This is not a statement of a general owner-builder exemption; the procedure does not describe one.

  “all applications for building permits must be signed by the owner of the property or a contractor holding a current starke county contractor’s license”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction administered by the Starke County Planning Commission building division

  • Owner must notify the office 24 hours in advance of listed inspections; a request before 8:00 am can be inspected the same day.
  • No inspection is made without the proper permit visibly posted and survey stakes visible.
  • Listed inspections include footing pre-pour, foundation pre-pour, foundation backfill, and final building, plumbing, electrical and HVAC inspections; others may be required for special cases.

  inspection notice: >= 24 hours (a request received before 08:00 am may be inspected the same day)

  “the owner of a permit is required by law to notify this office 24 hours in advance when construction is ready for the following inspections”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings permitted by the Starke County Planning Commission building division; applicability inside Center township not separately confirmed on the cited page

  • Residential final approvals required before the final inspection: sewer tap-in or county health department approval, culvert approval if applicable, certification of final energy report if applicable, and county highway driveway approval.
  • Commercial final approvals include county surveyor approval for parking lots over four spaces, an as-built survey, and an engineer or architect letter of final compliance.

  “no building shall be occupied in whole or in part until a certificate of occupancy has been issued in writing by this department”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential uses in the Starke County Z-1 zoning chart #1 (single-family dwellings and residential accessory buildings); applies inside Center township only where county zoning governs, which is not confirmed

  • Dwelling height may go up to 45 feet if each side yard is at least 25 feet.
  • Residential accessory buildings are limited to 18 feet, or up to 25 feet if each side yard is at least 15 feet.
  • The chart names no single district, so it is not confirmed which zoning district these limits belong to.

  maximum height, dwellings: <= 35 feet (up to 45 feet if side yards are each 25 feet, minimum)

  “maximum height: dwellings 35 feet: or up to 45 feet if side yards are each 25 feet, minumum.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sanitary (septic) facilities for residential construction in Starke County, including land in Center township where county rules apply; the Starke County Health Department is the approving body

  • Septic approval is required when sewage disposal is by septic tank.
  • The cited pages do not state the health department's service area boundary; Center township coverage is not confirmed.

  “starke county health department if proposed sewage disposal is to be by septic tank”

• Septic permitRequired

  New residential construction using a septic tank for sewage disposal, as administered by the Starke County Health Department; applicability inside Center township not separately confirmed

  • Health department approval must be submitted with the building permit application for septic disposal.
  • Final approval from the health department is needed before the final inspection where septic is used.

  “starke county health department if proposed sewage disposal is to be by septic tank”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New residential construction in Starke County where sewage disposal is by connection to a sewer utility

  • Sewer utility approval is required when sewage will connect to a utility; the cited pages do not state a mandatory connection rule or a distance threshold.
  • Whether public water or sewer is available in Center township is not established by the cited pages.

  “sewer utility company if proposed sewage disposal is to be by connecting to a private utility company.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access for residential construction on county roads, as approved by the county highway department

  • Driveway permit is needed where a new entrance is proposed on a county road, an existing entrance is remodeled, or a culvert permit is needed; a state highway entrance goes to the state highway department.
  • Final driveway approval is needed before the final residential inspection.

  “final approval for a driveway permit from the county highway department”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process for projects administered by the Starke County Planning Commission building division

  • Applications are checked by the building divisions; the applicant is notified when approved or if held up.
  • Permits must be used within one year or renewed; the procedure does not say whether a township zoning permit is also needed.

  “upon receipt of the required information, the application will be checked by the building divisions of the starke county planning commission”

Still unanswered

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

• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Center township, Starke County, Indiana
• Local zoning — Whether Center township, Starke County, Indiana adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and list for Center township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum ground floor or dwelling size in Center township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the main single-family residential district and agricultural district in Center 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.