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

Rules another office applies inside Wayne Township

Wayne 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 permitNot required

  Accessory structures of 100 square feet or less on land in Starke County that the county chart covers, including Wayne township

  • Applies only to accessory structures of 100 square feet or less; larger accessory buildings need a permit.
  • Exemption from the building permit does not state exemption from other county rules.

  maximum floor area exempt from permit: <= 100 square feet

  “accessory stuctures 100 square feet or less: no permit needed”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owner-applicants for county building permits on property they own in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township

  • The owner must sign the application and submit an affidavit stating the type of work and that the owner will do it.
  • Contractors must be licensed by Starke County.
  • No separate owner-builder statute or exemption section was located.

  “owners and contractors shall submit affidavits for all work to be done. the affidavits shall state the type of work and who will be doing the work (owner or contractor).”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township under the Starke County Planning Commission permit

  • Footing pre-pour inspection is required for new residences, additions, unattached garages and commercial projects; pole barns and decks get a post-hole inspection.
  • Foundation pre-pour, foundation/backfill, and slab pre-pour inspections are also required.
  • Requests received by phone or email before 08:00 am are inspected the same day.
  • Inspections require the permit to be visibly posted and survey stakes visible.

  notice before inspection: >= 24 hours (requests received before 08:00 am are 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”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land in Starke County administered under the county Z-1 Zoning Ordinance; this is a county rule, not a Wayne township ordinance, and its application inside Wayne township is not separately confirmed

  • Full Z-1 text was not opened; the existence of the ordinance is shown only by a reference inside the county chart.
  • Incorporated towns, including any town inside Wayne township, are not covered by this claim.

  “it meets all other requirements in the starke county z-1 zoning ordinance”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Starke County zoning districts applying in unincorporated Wayne township

  • The chart names R-1, R-2, R-3 and agricultural parcel districts; no district map was located.
  • The Z-1 text and zoning map were not opened.

  “all others except r-1 r-3 & r-2 & new subd.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family dwellings and residential accessory buildings in unincorporated Wayne township under Article 6 Chart #1

  • Dwelling height is 35 feet, or up to 45 feet if each side yard is at least 25 feet.
  • Residential accessory buildings are 18 feet, or up to 25 feet if each side yard is at least 15 feet.
  • The OCR does not tie the height row to a named district; agricultural district application is not verified.

  maximum height, dwellings: <= 35 feet (up to 45 feet if each side yard is at least 25 feet) · maximum height, residential accessory buildings: <= 18 feet (up to 25 feet if each side yard is at least 15 feet)

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite septic systems for residential construction in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township, through the Starke County Health Department

  • Applies when sewage is to go to a septic tank.
  • Indiana state onsite sewage law and rules also apply; not verified in this research.

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

• Septic permitRequired

  Residential construction in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township that uses a septic tank

  • The health department's approval must accompany the building permit application.
  • The health department's own septic permit steps, fees and forms were not located.

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

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Construction or use that needs sanitary facilities on unincorporated land in Starke County, including unincorporated Wayne township

  • Zoning clearance is invalid until the sanitary facilities are investigated and approved by the county health board.
  • Composting toilets, privies and other non-septic options are not addressed by the cited text.

  “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 residential construction in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township that would send sewage to a sewer utility

  • A sewer-utility approval is required only when sewage goes to a sewer utility company.
  • No official rule requiring connection to public sewer or water where available was located.
  • Water connection is not addressed by the cited page.

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

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway entrances on county roads serving residential property in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township

  • Applies to a new entrance, remodeled entrance, or culvert permit on a county road; a state highway entrance is handled by the state highway department.
  • Approval from the Starke County Highway Department must accompany the building permit application.

  “starke county highway department if on a county road requiring a new entrance to the property, remodeling an existing entrance, or to obtain a culvert permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process for residential and commercial construction in the unincorporated portion of Wayne township, through the Starke County Planning Commission

  • Application requires plans, checklists by permit type, and approval letters from the health department, sewer utility, and highway departments where applicable.
  • The checklist is for residential and commercial building permits; the procedure does not say the approvals are limited to unincorporated land.
  • Applicant has 30 days to pick up the permit and pay the fee after approval.
  • Permits are valid for one year unless renewed, and construction must be completed within that time.

  permit validity: 1 year (renewal may be applied for) · pickup window after approval: 30 days

  “the applicant has thirty (30) days in which to pick up the permit and pay the fee.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building code adopted — Building codes for construction inside Wayne township, Starke County
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new dwelling in Wayne township
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling in unincorporated Wayne township, main residential district
• Minimum lot size — Single-family residential and agricultural lots in unincorporated Wayne township
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yards for single-family and agricultural lots in unincorporated Wayne 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.