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

Rules another office applies inside Washington Township

Washington 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

  Any construction, alteration or repair in unincorporated Starke County land inside Washington township

  • Permit issued by the county Plan Commission; work without a permit triples the fee as penalty.
  • Does not apply inside incorporated towns in the township.
  • Some minor work does not require a permit per the 2016 schedule, such as roof sheeting, new driveways, fences and flatwork.

  “no person, company or corporation shall perform or cause to be performed any work on or in the unincorporated areas of starke county without obtaining in advance a permit from the planning commission.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Washington township under the county Plan Commission

  • Owner must give 24 hours' notice before listed inspections; footing, foundation, framing and final inspections apply.

  “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

  Occupancy of any building inside Washington township under the county Plan Commission

  • No occupancy in whole or part until a written certificate of occupancy is issued.

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

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum lot coverage for residential lots in unincorporated Starke County land inside Washington township, under the county Z-1 Chart #1

  • Chart gives 40% for r-3 with public sewer and 30%, 35% and 40% for other categories; the extracted text does not show which category takes which figure, so verify in the Z-1 table.
  • Does not apply inside incorporated towns in the township.

  maximum lot coverage (r-3 with public sewer): 40 percent (other districts 30% to 40%, see conditions)

  “maxium lot coverage: 40% r-3 w/ public sewer - all others 30% 35% 40%”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Placement of a manufactured home on private land in unincorporated Starke County land inside Washington township, after a county planning permit

  • Requires a plan commission permit; placement must use a licensed set crew, with a $2,000 penalty for non-compliance.
  • Temporary placement during construction or repair is limited to one year per the county schedule.
  • Based on the 2016 fee schedule; a draft 2026 schedule is not confirmed adopted.

  manufactured home placement permit fee: 0.2 USD per square foot (plus $75.00 flat fee)

  “manufactured home placement $0.20 per square foot $75.00”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite sewage disposal for a new residence on land inside Washington township, administered by the Starke County Health Department

  • Applies where sewage disposal is by septic tank; sewer utility approval applies where connecting to a utility.

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

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Residential final approval before occupancy for a home served by septic, inside Washington township

  • Final approval from the Starke County Health Department must be on file before the final inspection; the utility tap-in approval is the alternative for sewered homes.
  • No inspection protocol for the septic system itself was found.

  “final sewer tap-in approval from the utility company, or the approval from the starke county health department.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Homes without a sewer connection inside Washington township

  • Zoning clearance is invalid until sanitary facilities are approved by the county health board.
  • Other off-grid options were not found in the official material.

  “zoning clearance for construction or use, when sanitary facilities are required, is hereby declared invalid until such facilities have been investigated and approved by the starke county health board.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New residence inside Washington township when the owner proposes sewer rather than septic

  • Connection is required only when the owner chooses a utility sewer; no mandatory connection distance or availability rule was found.
  • Water connection rule not found.

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land splits and subdivisions inside Washington township under the county Plan Commission

  • Major and minor subdivision requests are filed with the Plan Commission.

  subdivision request fee: 200 USD (major or minor, plus $15.00 per lot)

  “subdivision request: major/minor $200.00 plus $15.00 per lot”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New entrance onto a county road from a residence inside Washington township

  • A county highway department approval is required for a new entrance on a county road; state highway approval applies on state roads.
  • Driveway permit final approval required before final inspection.

  “starke county highway department if on a county road requiring a new entrance to the property”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building and location permit fees for work inside Washington township under the county Plan Commission

  • Schedule effective September 22, 2016 per the source.
  • A draft schedule stating effective as of March 1, 2026 exists but is marked DRAFT and its adoption is not confirmed.
  • Fees are set per square foot and per item; see parameters.

  new single family dwelling permit fee: 0.2 USD per square foot (includes one open deck) · subdivision request base fee: 200 USD (plus $15.00 per lot)

  “new single family dwelling (fees include one open deck when constructed with the new dwelling.) dwelling: $0.20 per square foot”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process for land inside Washington township under the county Plan Commission

  • Requires a site plan, construction plans and agency approvals; the Building Division reviews and the applicant has 30 days to pick up the permit.
  • Permit expires in one year unless renewed.

  “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 Washington Township or Starke County directly.

• Building code adopted — Which building code applies inside Washington township
• Local zoning — Whether Washington township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy inside Washington township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Washington township
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Washington 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.