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

Rules another office applies inside Helt Township

Helt 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

  New home construction on land inside Helt township, issued by the Vermillion County zoning office (Area Plan Commission)

  • Permit is issued after the health department septic permit and with a set of floor plans.
  • The current county zoning page gives the fee as $150.00 + $.15/sq ft. The county's 2024 permit sheet gives $135 for the same permit. The page is newer, so $150 + $0.15/sq ft is reported as current; the $135 figure is conflicting and should be re-checked with the office.
  • The zoning office accepts only cash or checks, per the county page.

  building permit fee, new home: 150 USD (plus $0.15 per square foot (current county page); 2024 county sheet states $135)

  “the building permit for a new home is $150.00 + $.15/sq ft.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Helt township (Vermillion County, Indiana) that is unincorporated. Helt township has no zoning ordinance of its own in the materials found, so the county Unified Development Ordinance applies there.

  • Record is the county UDO, not a Helt township ordinance.
  • The UDO applies to all unincorporated land within Vermillion County and to all lands within the incorporated City of Clinton.
  • Helt township's own zoning status was not confirmed on an official township page; see the local_zoning unknown claim for the township.

  “the vermillion county area plan commission unified development ordinance applies to all unincorporated land within vermillion county”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts and county zoning map for land inside Helt township's unincorporated area

  • The UDO article 2 lists the district standards, including the A1 General Agriculture and R1 Single-Family Residential districts.
  • The county map is published as a link on the zoning page; the map itself was not opened.

  “article 2 general agriculture (a1) district 2.04 a1 district development standards”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings on A1 (General Agriculture) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

  • Dwelling size is measured as the overall square footage excluding attached garage, carport, deck, unfinished storage, patio and non-enclosed porch (UDO definition).

  minimum dwelling size: >= 1000 sq ft

  “maximum lot coverage • 20% of lot area minimum dwelling size • 1,000 square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings on R1 (single-family residential) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

    “maximum lot coverage • 30% of lot area minimum dwelling size • 1,000 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A1 (General Agriculture) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

  • Minimum lot width is 200 feet.
  • Public sewer and water not required in A1.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum lot width: >= 200 feet

  “minimum lot area • 2 acres minimum lot width • 200 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A1 (General Agriculture) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

  • Confined feeding operations and other uses have separate setbacks in the UDO and are not covered here.

  front yard setback: >= 50 feet · side yard setback, primary structure: >= 30 feet · side yard setback, accessory structure: >= 30 feet · rear yard setback, primary structure: >= 35 feet · rear yard setback, accessory structure: >= 10 feet

  “minimum front yard setback • 50 feet minimum side yard setback • 30 feet for primary structure • 30 feet for accessory structure minimum rear yard setback • 35 feet for primary structure • 10 feet for accessory structure”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R1 (single-family residential) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

    “minimum front yard setback • 30 feet minimum side yard setback • 20 feet for primary structures • 10 feet for accessory structures minimum rear yard setback • 25 feet for primary and accessory structures”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A1 (General Agriculture) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent of lot area

  “maximum lot coverage • 20% of lot area minimum dwelling size • 1,000 square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R1 (single-family residential) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

    “maximum lot coverage • 30% of lot area minimum dwelling size • 1,000 square feet”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling use on A1 district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area; only the temporary RV form was found

  • Accessory dwelling (RV) is a temporary special exception use in A1, subject to the TU-04 limits.
  • Off-street parking of two spaces per dwelling unit applies, including accessory dwelling units when permitted.

  “temporary special exception uses • accessory dwelling (rv) [tu-04]”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems for homes inside Helt township, administered by the Vermillion County Health Department

  • Soil sample test is done first by a private soil scientist, then the health department issues the septic permit.
  • The county page lists the health department at 700 S Main Street, Clinton, IN 47842 and the phone 765-832-3622.
  • UDO accepts a septic system approved by the health department as the on-site sanitary disposal.

  “once you receive your soil results call the vermillion county health department at 765-832-3622.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-site septic system for a home inside Helt township

  • Permit amount is based on the number of bedrooms.
  • The health department issues the permit before the building permit at the zoning office.

  septic permit fee: 75 USD (based on number of bedrooms)

  “they will issue you your septic permit ($75.00) based on the number of bedrooms.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwelling units inside Helt township's unincorporated area

  • A dwelling must have either a public sanitary sewer or a permitted, functioning septic system (or other on-site system approved by the health department).
  • An RV, boat, tent, camper, shipping container, detached garage or shed is not a dwelling unit under the UDO definition and so is not covered by this sanitation rule.

  “a recreational vehicle (rv), boat, tent, camper, shipping container, detached garage, or shed shall not be considered a dwelling unit.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Single-family residential (R1) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area, where the county zoning map places the parcel in R1

  • Sewer: an on-site sewer system is permitted only when a public sanitary sewer is not available, so a home must use public sewer where it is available.
  • Water: a private well is permitted only when a public water utility is not available.
  • Minimum lot size changes with sewer: 1/3 acre with sanitary sewer, 1/2 acre without.

  “on-site sewer system permitted only when a public sanitary sewer is not available • private well permitted only when a public water utility is not available”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • None — General Agriculture (A1) district lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area, where the county zoning map places the parcel in A1

    “sewer and water • public sanitary sewer and water utility not required”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Helt township's unincorporated area under the county UDO Article 6

  • Article 6 sets two subdivision types: simple subdivision (6.01 to 6.03) and standard subdivision (6.04 to 6.05).
  • Simple subdivision is for very small divisions of land; sidewalks are required on perimeter streets only in incorporated areas.
  • The standard subdivision prerequisites were not read.

  “6.01 simple subdivision intent applicability • very small divisions of land”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and septic permit fees for a new home inside Helt township

  • Current county page: building permit for a new home is $150.00 + $.15/sq ft.
  • The 2024 county sheet gives $135 for the same building permit; the figures conflict and the current page is treated as newer.
  • Septic permit fee is $75.00, based on number of bedrooms.
  • County accepts cash or check only.

  building permit fee, new home: 150 USD (plus $0.15 per square foot) · building permit fee per square foot: per 0.15 USD per sq ft · septic permit fee: 75 USD (based on number of bedrooms)

  “the building permit for a new home is $150.00 + $.15/sq ft.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  New home permit sequence for land inside Helt township, administered by Vermillion County

  • Step 1: soil sample test by a private soil scientist (approx. $400).
  • Step 2: health department issues septic permit.
  • Step 3: building permit at the zoning office in Newport, room 205, with floor plans; call before visiting.

  “once you receive your soil results call the vermillion county health department at 765-832-3622.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether owner-builders may build a home inside Helt township without a licensed contractor
• Building code adopted — Which residential building code applies to new homes inside Helt township
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required for new homes inside Helt township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is required for new homes inside Helt township
• Building height — Building height limits for A1 and R1 lots inside Helt township's unincorporated area

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.