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

Rules another office applies inside Linton Township

Linton 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

  Construction, alteration, placement or erection of buildings on platted or unplatted land in unincorporated Linton township, issued by the Vigo County zoning director (improvement location permit)

  • Minor repairs or alterations are exempt where the cost does not exceed $500.00, no additional living area is created, and front, side and rear setbacks are met.
  • Farm structures for individual farms are exempt from the improvement location permit.
  • This is a zoning permit; any separate building permit or state-code permit was not verified.

  minor repair exemption cost ceiling: <= 500 USD (no additional living area created and setbacks met)

  “no improvement location permit shall be required for minor repairs or alterations to buildings, structures or improvements where: 10. a. the cost of such repairs or alterations does not exceed $500.00; b. no additional living area or useable space is created; and c. all required front, side and rear yard setback requirements of the applicable zoning district are complied with.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Linton township (Vigo County, IN) that is unincorporated. The zoning that applies there is the Vigo County zoning ordinance, administered through the Area Plan Commission of Vigo County. This is a county rule, not a Linton township ordinance.

  • No Linton township-adopted zoning ordinance was found; the county ordinance is recorded here because it covers the unincorporated areas of Vigo County.
  • The ordinance is dated 1996 and amendments were not reviewed; confirm it is still operative.
  • The ordinance states it is effective in the unincorporated areas of Vigo County on November 22, 1996.

  “this ordinance shall be effective within the corporate boundaries of the city of terre haute, the town of riley, the town of seelyville, the town of west terre haute, and the unincorporated areas of vigo county upon its adoption”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts in the unincorporated part of Linton township, under the Vigo County zoning ordinance

  • The ordinance lists the districts; the official zoning map for Linton township was not opened, so the district placement of any given parcel is unverified.
  • The listed districts include a-1 agriculture and rural residential, r-s, r-1, r-2, r-2m, r-3, r-3h, r-t and others.

  “the territory within the jurisdiction of the commission is hereby classified and divided into the following districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in the single-family residential suburban district (r-s) in unincorporated Linton township, only if mapped there

  • Greater than one story: 400 sq. ft. minimum, provided the total floor area is at least 900 sq. ft. (per the same subsection).
  • Floor area is measured exclusive of garage, carports and open porches.

  minimum main floor area, one-story building: >= 900 sq ft (exclusive of garage, carports and open porches)

  “h. minimum main floor area - exclusive of garage, carports and open porches: 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.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Parcels in the single-family residential district (r-1) in unincorporated Linton township, only if mapped in that district

  • The district requires the provision of sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities.
  • For single-family subdivisions with a plat recorded after the effective date, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply is mandatory.

  minimum lot area: 5500 sq ft (single-family subdivisions with a plat recorded after the ordinance effective date must attach to public sanitary sewer and water)

  “c. minimum lot area - 5,500 sq. ft., provided, however, for the development of any single-family subdivision for which a plat is recorded after the effective date of this ordinance, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply shall be mandatory.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Parcels in the single-family residential suburban district (r-s) in unincorporated Linton township, only if mapped in that district

    “2.without sewers - 20,000 sq. ft., provided, however, minimum lot area may be increased depending on soil conditions and requirements of the vigo county health department.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Parcels in the single-family residential district (r-1) in unincorporated Linton township, only if mapped there

  • Front setback by street type in the same subsection: sub-collector 30 ft, collector 40 ft, arterial 60 ft.
  • Rear and side setbacks for r-1 were not located in the text read.

  minimum front yard setback, minor or local street: >= 25 ft (r-1 district; other street classes listed in the same subsection)

  “e. minimum front yard and setback - shall be provided along all street rights-ofway as follows: 1.along a minor or local street - 25’ 2.along a sub collector street - 30’ 3.along a collector40’ 4.along a arterial - 60’”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Parcels in the single-family residential suburban district (r-s) in unincorporated Linton township, only if mapped there

  • Minimum vegetative cover is 40% in the same subsection.

  maximum coverage by principal building: <= 30 % (r-s district only)

  “i. lot coverage. 1.maximum coverage by principal building – 30% 2.minimum vegetative cover – 40%”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Single-family subdivisions in the r-1 district in unincorporated Linton township (plats recorded after the ordinance effective date)

  • Does not state a general rule for a single new home on an existing lot; that was not located.
  • The r-1 district purpose states development requires sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities.

  “c. minimum lot area - 5,500 sq. ft., provided, however, for the development of any single-family subdivision for which a plat is recorded after the effective date of this ordinance, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply shall be mandatory.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Farm structures for individual farms in unincorporated Linton township, exempt from the improvement location permit

  • Limited to farm structures built in the normal course of agricultural business; other structures remain subject to the permit.

  “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 for unincorporated Linton township, filed with the county zoning director

  • Application is on a department form with a site plan drawn to scale of not more than 1 inch = 100 feet.
  • The director may take up to five business days to review; permit validity and fees were not quoted here.

  “the director may take up to five (5) business days to study an application for an improvement location permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for building a home in Linton township
• Building code adopted — Building code applicable to new homes in Linton township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in Linton township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Linton township
• Building height — Maximum building height for residential districts in unincorporated Linton 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.