Building permits, zoning and land rules in Union County, Indiana

Yes. A building permit is required for a structure costing or valued at $1,000 or more within the Union County Area Plan Commission's jurisdiction¹. The county also identifies permit-triggering work that includes swimming pools, decks or porches, accessory buildings, room additions, mobile-home upgrades, and electrical or plumbing upgrades⁹. Indiana has adopted statewide building and residential codes, while local jurisdictions may require permits, plan review and inspections^10,11. Starting construction without a permit incurs a $50 fine on top of the permit cost, and a permit is valid for 18 months¹. The ordinary building-permit fee amount could not be confirmed, so ask the Area Plan Office¹. Union County does not state an owner-builder exemption or a complete inspection schedule, so an owner doing the work should ask the Area Plan Office which inspections and contractor information apply^4,5.

The Union County Area Plan Office is the starting point for building permits, building inspection and zoning approval, while septic permits are a separate Health Department process^4,7. The office is at 6 West South Street, Suite 1, in Liberty; call 765-458-5044 or email areaplan@unioncountyin.us⁴. County application instructions call for the property deed with its legal description, septic permit, site plan, building plans and a receipt showing current taxes⁴. The site plan should locate utilities, the home, accessory structures, property-line distances, driveway, septic field and tank, while the building plans should show square footage and bedroom count⁴. Before installing a county-road driveway, consult the Union County Highway Department at (765) 458-5692 because the Highway Supervisor must approve its location and installation^1,12. A connection to an Indiana state highway instead requires permission from INDOT through its electronic permit system¹³.

Yes. The unified zoning ordinance covers unincorporated Union County, the Town of Liberty and the Town of West College Corner². District details can materially change a rural project: an Agricultural District house needs at least 1.5 acres excluding easements and rights-of-way and 200 feet of width at the building line, and every Agricultural District building has a 25-foot setback from a right-of-way or boundary². R-1 lot minimums vary with sewer and water availability, while an R-1 dwelling must be at least 20 feet wide, with at least 900 square feet on the ground floor for a one-story home or 720 square feet for a two-story home². Buildings may cover no more than 35% of an R-1 lot or 40% of an R-2 lot, and buildings in either residential district may not exceed 35 feet². Union County also requires a Certificate of Occupancy before regulated land or buildings are occupied, used or changed in use². Ask the Area Plan Office to verify the parcel's district and the exact yard measurements before designing⁴.

The Union County Health Department permits residential onsite sewage systems and administers Indiana's state rule locally^3,14. Call (765) 458-5393 or visit 6 W South St in Liberty⁷. Permit review requires an application, a property site plan and a soil evaluation by a certified soil scientist³. Property inside the Brookville Lake Regional Waste District boundaries also needs a sanitary-sewer availability letter³. The Health Department inspects every septic installation before it is covered, so coordinate the inspection before backfilling³. Soil feasibility deserves early attention because only 24.4% of Union County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field⁸. Where a dwelling is not connected to sewer, Indiana generally requires a compliant septic tank and soil-absorption system; drywells and cesspools are not allowed as onsite sewage treatment¹⁴.

Union County does not offer blanket permission to live in an RV on a private parcel. Trailers or mobile homes generally may not be occupied for dwelling or lodging outside an approved mobile home park, subject to the ordinance's agricultural-district and temporary-use provisions². In a Recreational District, a campground for short-term camper or RV parking is a special use and needs at least 5 acres; it must sit at least 50 feet from a highway right-of-way, with spaces at least 50 feet wide and 2,500 square feet in area². Permanent scattered-site manufactured homes other than single-wides are allowed in zones that permit dwelling units, while temporary manufactured-home or mobile-home placement outside parks is allowed only in specified circumstances². Union County does not state a tiny-home occupancy rule, and in the R-1 district a dwelling must be at least 20 feet wide with 900 square feet on a one-story ground floor, which rules out most tiny homes there². Give the Area Plan Office the unit type, foundation, utilities and occupancy plan before buying⁴.

1. Ask the Area Plan Office to identify the zoning district and confirm residential use, lot size, setbacks, lot coverage, height and the Certificate of Occupancy path².

1. Have a certified soil scientist evaluate the site, then submit the septic application and property plan to the Health Department³.

1. If the parcel lies inside the Brookville Lake Regional Waste District boundaries, obtain the required sewer-availability letter³.

1. Ask the Highway Department to approve a county-road driveway location before installation, or use INDOT's system for a state-highway connection^1,13.

1. Assemble the deed, septic permit, site plan, building plans and current-tax receipt for the Area Plan Office⁴.

1. Obtain the building and Improvement Location permits before work starts; beginning early adds a $50 fine¹.

1. Schedule the septic inspection before covering the system, confirm building inspections with Area Plan, and obtain the Certificate of Occupancy before moving in^2,3,4.

Start with septic feasibility: only 24.4% of Union County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional drain field, and the county requires a certified soil-scientist evaluation during permit review^3,8. Confirm zoning, setbacks, the proposed dwelling type and Certificate of Occupancy path with the Area Plan Office^2,4. Check access before assuming an existing field entrance can serve a home because the Highway Supervisor must approve a county-road driveway's location and installation¹. Review flood maps as well: Indiana DNR has jurisdiction over most development in a floodway, while local permits may still apply in the floodplain fringe¹⁵. Ask the Health Department whether a private-well permit applies because statewide guidance says some local health departments require one but does not identify Union County^6,7. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.7%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,144⁸.