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

Rules another office applies inside Nevins Township

Nevins 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 or use of land in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land outside incorporated towns (improvement location permit from the county Area Planning director)

  • Exemptions: minor repairs or alterations costing not more than $500.00 with no added living area and setbacks met; farm structures for individual farms (agricultural exemption).
  • The permit is valid for six months after issuance unless a building permit is obtained within that period.

  “the cost of such repairs or alterations does not exceed $500.00”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits for work in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land outside incorporated towns (county building inspection)

    “permits for electrical, hvac and plumbing only are though building inspection, please contact their office at 812-462-3365”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated Vigo County land, which includes any part of Nevins township outside an incorporated town, under the county Unified Zoning Ordinance. No Nevins township-adopted ordinance was found; this is county zoning, not a township ordinance.

  • The posted copy is titled Unified Zoning Ordinance for Vigo County, Indiana and is dated October 21, 1996; its currency and any later amendments or a 2008 draft unified development ordinance were not verified.
  • The ordinance text says it applies in the unincorporated areas of Vigo County as of November 22, 1996; it does not cover land inside the corporate limits of Terre Haute, Riley, Seelyville or West Terre Haute, and whether any part of Nevins township lies inside those limits was not verified.

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts that apply to unincorporated Vigo County land, including Nevins township land outside incorporated towns

  • The residential district list includes R-S, R-1, R-2, R-2M, R-3, R-3H and R-T; the agricultural district is A-1.
  • The posted ordinance is dated October 21, 1996; a current district map was not opened.

  “the residential districts established by this ordinance for vigo county, indiana are as follows”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings inside Nevins township in the R-1 single family residential district (11.02)

  • Area is measured exclusive of garage, carports and open porches.
  • A greater-than-one-story building needs 400 sq ft on the main floor, with a total floor area of at least 900 sq ft.

  minimum main floor area, one-story building: >= 900 sq ft (exclusive of garage, carports and open porches) · minimum main floor area, greater than one story: >= 400 sq ft (total floor area must be at least 900 sq ft)

  “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.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots for single-family dwellings inside Nevins township in the R-1 single family residential district (11.02)

  • Subdivision plats recorded after the ordinance effective date must attach to public sanitary sewer and water supply.
  • The R-S suburban district uses 20,000 sq ft and may be increased for soil conditions and county health department requirements; that district is not the main single-family district.

  minimum lot area: >= 5500 sq ft (single-family subdivision plats recorded after the effective date must attach to public sewer and water) · minimum lot width at front setback: >= 50 ft · minimum street frontage: >= 25 ft

  “1.minimum lot width at minimum front setback - 50’ 2.minimum street frontage - 25’”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings on R-1 single family residential lots (11.02) inside Nevins township

  • Front setback depends on the street class; the captured text lists 25 ft for minor or local streets and 30 ft for sub collector streets; the collector and arterial values (40 ft and 60 ft) were captured but are not quoted here.
  • Side and rear setbacks are measured from the property line.

  front setback, minor or local street: >= 25 ft · front setback, sub collector street: >= 30 ft · rear setback, principal building: >= 25 ft · rear setback, accessory building: >= 10 ft · side setback, principal building: >= 5 ft · side setback, accessory building: >= 5 ft

  “1.along a minor or local street - 25’ 2.along a sub collector street - 30’”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal building coverage on R-1 single family residential lots (11.02) inside Nevins township

  • Minimum vegetative cover of 30 percent is also required in R-1.

  maximum coverage by principal building: <= 35 percent · minimum vegetative cover: >= 30 percent

  “i. lot coverage 1.maximum coverage by principal building – 35% 2.minimum vegetative cover - 30%”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small single-family homes inside Nevins township in the R-1 district; small homes are limited by the 900 sq ft minimum floor area

  • No tiny-home or small-dwelling definition was found; the R-1 minimum floor area applies to single-family dwellings in that district.
  • Other districts (A-1 agricultural) were not checked for floor area.

  minimum main floor area, one-story building: >= 900 sq ft (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.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and manufactured homes on lots inside Nevins township in the R-1 district (special exception) and the A-1 agricultural district (special exception)

  • Mobile home use in R-1 and A-1 is a special exception subject to section 18 of the ordinance.
  • Mobile home parks are restricted to the R-T district, which requires attachment to public sewer and water (not verified for Nevins township).

  “special exception uses (subject to the provisions of section 18). mobile home”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage (septic) systems for land inside Nevins township, handled by the Vigo County environmental health division

  • The county page does not state the Nevins-specific service area; the county-wide licensing statement is applied to Nevins township land that is not served by public sewer.

  “licensing of on-site sewage disposal systems septic permits are $150.00”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-site sewage (septic) systems for homes in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land

  • The county page names septic permits as a licensed service of the Environmental Health division; the application steps, site evaluation and timing were not found on the pages opened.

  “licensing of on-site sewage disposal systems septic permits are $150.00”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural land and farm structures in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land

  • For land zoned A-1 and used for agriculture, the zoning ordinance does not apply beyond health, safety and subdivision requirements.
  • Farm structures built for individual farms are exempt from the improvement location permit; other buildings and dwellings are not.

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivision plats in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land, under the county subdivision control ordinance

  • The zoning ordinance refers to a separate subdivision control ordinance; that ordinance was not opened and its text is not verified.
  • Subdivision plats recorded after the effective date must attach to public sanitary sewer and water supply in R-1.

  “subject to compliance with applicable health and safety rules and regulations and the requirements of the subdivision control ordinance, all land zoned a-1 and used for agriculture or agricultural operations is exempt from any further regulation set forth in this ordinance”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in the special flood hazard area in unincorporated Vigo County, including any Nevins township land inside the SFHA

  • Section 15 applies to the unincorporated areas of Vigo County and the four incorporated places; whether any part of Nevins township is inside the special flood hazard area was not checked.
  • Development includes construction, placing a manufactured home, and installing a recreational vehicle on a site for more than 180 days.
  • The permit application must include a site plan, elevations and legal description (section 15.05(a)(2)).

  “no person, firm, corporation, or government body not exempted by state law shall commence any "development" in the sfha without first obtaining an improvement location permit from the director”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Bed-and-breakfast use inside Nevins township in the R-1 district, allowed only as a special exception

  • No separate short-term rental rule was found; the only lodging-type use captured is a bed and breakfast special exception.
  • Special exceptions are subject to section 18 of the ordinance.

  “bed & breakfast child care home that is not used as the primary residence of the person who operates the child care home firestation mobile home police station public pool utility substation”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic (on-site sewage) permit fee for land in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land; improvement location and building permit fees were not found

  • Only the septic permit fee is published on the pages opened; other department fees are stated as payable but not listed.

  septic permit fee: 150 USD

  “licensing of on-site sewage disposal systems septic permits are $150.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Improvement location permit applications for land in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land, filed with the Vigo County Area Planning Department

  • Area Planning has five business days to grant a permit; the health department or building inspection may need more time.
  • Staff may request more information, and some permits may not be issued by email depending on complexity.

  permit review period: 5 business days (additional time may be required by the health department or building inspection)

  “the area planning department is permitted five (5) business days by the vigo county unified zoning ordinance section 5(a)(3) to grant a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for work in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Nevins township
• Inspections — Building inspections for work in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in unincorporated Vigo County, including Nevins township land
• Building height — Building height in the R-1 single family residential district (11.02) inside Nevins 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.