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

Rules another office applies inside Harrison Township

Harrison 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

  Erecting or altering a building or structure on unincorporated land inside Harrison township. The improvement location permit is a county zoning permit; a separate construction building permit was not verified.

  • Minor repairs or alterations are exempt if the cost does not exceed $500.00, no additional living area or usable space is created, and front, side and rear setbacks are met.
  • Farm structures for individual farms are exempt (see agricultural_exemption claim).
  • An improvement location permit is valid for the longer of six months after issuance or the length of a required building permit obtained within six months.

  minor repair cost exemption threshold: <= 500 USD (no additional living area or usable space created; front, side and rear setbacks complied with)

  “no building, structure, improvement or use of land may be altered, changed, placed, erected, repaired or located on platted ox unplatted lands, unless the building, structure, improvement ox use and its location conform to the provisions of this ordinance and an improvement location permit”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Harrison township, Vigo County, Indiana. The county ordinance is the zoning rule found for that land; it is not a Harrison township ordinance.

  • No Harrison township zoning ordinance was found in this research, so the Vigo County Unified Zoning Ordinance is recorded as the rule that applies in unincorporated areas.
  • Land inside the corporate boundaries of Terre Haute, Riley, Seelyville or West Terre Haute is not covered by this ordinance.
  • Harrison township boundaries were not verified against this ordinance's municipal boundaries.
  • The ordinance is recorded as dated October 21, 1996; later amendments were not checked.

  “5. in the unincorporated areas of vigo county on november 22, 1996.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts in unincorporated Vigo County, which apply to unincorporated Harrison township land

  • The residential districts are listed in section 11. The agricultural district A-1 is listed in section 8.
  • Official zoning maps are established under section 3, which was not read.
  • District-by-district dimensional items for A-1 were not captured.

  “the residential districts established by this ordinance for vigo county, indiana are as follows: 1.single-family residential suburban, district (r-s) 2.single-family residential district (r-1) 3.two-family residential district (r-2) 4.medium density residential district (r-2m) 5.multifamily residential district (r-3) 6.high density residential district (r-3h) 7.mobile home park residential district (r-t)”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling in the single-family residential district (r-1) of unincorporated Vigo County, including unincorporated Harrison township land zoned r-1

  • Floor area is measured exclusive of garage, carports and open porches.
  • A greater-than-one-story dwelling needs at least 400 sq. ft. in the story figure, and its total floor area must be at least 900 sq. ft.
  • The figures are in the r-1 dimensional list that follows the r-1 purpose text and precedes section 11.03.

  minimum floor area, one-story dwelling: >= 900 sq. ft. (exclusive of garage, carports and open porches; greater than one story: 400 sq. ft. minimum, total floor area at least 900 sq. ft.)

  “floor area - exclusive of garage, carports and open porches: 1. one story building - 900 sq. ft. 2. greater than once-story - 400 sq. ft., provided that the total floor area shall be at least 900 sq. ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling in the single-family residential suburban district (r-s) of unincorporated Vigo County, including unincorporated Harrison township land zoned r-s

    “1.one story building - 900 sq. ft. 2. greater than one story - 400 sq. ft., provided that the total floor area shall be at least 900 sq. ft.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal buildings in the single-family residential district (r-1) of unincorporated Vigo County, including unincorporated Harrison township land zoned r-1

  • The same r-1 dimensional list gives a minimum vegetative cover of 30%.
  • Accessory buildings are not covered by this item.

  maximum lot coverage by principal building: <= 35 percent

  “i. lot coverage 1.maximum coverage by principal building – 35%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal buildings in the single-family residential suburban district (r-s) of unincorporated Vigo County, including unincorporated Harrison township land zoned r-s

    “i. lot coverage. 1.maximum coverage by principal building – 30%”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Development in the single-family residential district (r-1) of unincorporated Vigo County. Applies inside Harrison township only on land zoned r-1 under this ordinance.

  • The text says development 'requires the provision of' sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities. It does not state a connect-when-available distance for r-1.
  • In the r-s suburban district, public water and sewer are not mandatory if the facilities are more than 300 feet from the property line (from the r-s purpose text, not separately quoted).
  • No Harrison township or Terre Haute connection rule was verified.

  “development within this district requires the provision of sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Farm structures built in the normal course of agricultural business on unincorporated land in Vigo County, including unincorporated Harrison township

  • The exemption is from the improvement location permit only.
  • It covers farm structures that support individual farms.
  • It does not exempt other land uses, and the building-code and septic rules were not checked.

  “farm structures constructed in the normal course of agricultural business for the support of individual farms are not subject to requirements for an. improvement location permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Improvement location permit application on unincorporated land in Harrison township

  • The application goes to the director, who may take up to five (5) business days to study it.
  • The application needs a site plan drawn to scale of not more than 1 inch equals 100 feet.
  • A permit application is needed only when the ordinance requires an improvement location permit.

  “application and site plan requirements when an improvement location permit is required by this ordinance, an application for an improvement location permit shall be filed with the director.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building a house in Harrison township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new construction inside Harrison township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in unincorporated Harrison township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in unincorporated Harrison township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the r-1 and A-1 districts in unincorporated Harrison 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.