Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Terre Haute city corporate boundaries, governed by the Vigo County Unified Zoning Ordinance, which the Terre Haute common council adopted jointly with the Vigo County commissioners and the town boards of Riley, Seelyville and West Terre Haute.

  • The ordinance was adopted jointly by the Board of Commissioners of the County of Vigo and the Common Council of the City of Terre Haute; it is not a county-only rule.
  • The Area Plan Commission of Vigo County is the duly authorized plan commission for the incorporated areas of the City of Terre Haute under the Indiana area planning law.
  • Currency not verified: the copy opened is an undated posted version with a blank repealer date; a 2008 unified development ordinance adoption draft was not confirmed as adopted.

  effective date inside city limits: January 21, 1997

  “the area plan commission of vigo county shall be the duly authorized plan commission for the incorporated areas of the city of terre haute”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts in the Vigo County Unified Zoning Ordinance as applied inside Terre Haute city (agricultural, commercial, industrial, residential, open space, airport and PUD districts).

  • Official zoning maps are established by section 3.02; the city zoning map is one of the listed maps.
  • Only the residential district list was captured in full; other district dimensions are in separate claims or followups.

  “3.01 establishment of zoning districts. the territory within the jurisdiction of the commission is hereby classified and divided into the following districts: symbol district name a-1 agriculture and rural residential district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family residential district (r-1), section 11.02, inside Terre Haute city; minimum main floor area excluding garage, carports and open porches.

  • Source text reads 'greater than once-story' (sic) for the multi-story rule.

  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)

  “h. minimum main 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.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family residential district (r-1), section 11.02, inside Terre Haute city.

  • For a single-family subdivision with a plat recorded after the ordinance effective date, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply is mandatory.
  • Minimum lot width at minimum front setback is 50 ft and minimum street frontage is 25 ft (section 11.02 d).

  minimum lot area: >= 5500 sq ft (subdivision plats recorded after effective date must attach to public 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.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family residential district (r-1), section 11.02, inside Terre Haute city.

  • Front setback depends on street class: local or minor 25 ft, sub-collector 30 ft, collector 40 ft, arterial 60 ft (source text reads 'along a collector40').

  front yard setback, minor or local street: >= 25 ft · front yard setback, sub-collector street: >= 30 ft · front yard setback, collector street: >= 40 ft · front yard setback, arterial street: >= 60 ft · rear yard setback, principal building: >= 25 ft · rear yard setback, accessory building: >= 10 ft · side yard setback, principal building: >= 5 ft · side yard setback, accessory building: >= 5 ft

  “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' 11-3 f. minimum rear yard and setback - shall be provided from the property line as follows: 1.principal use building - 25' 2.accessory use building - 10' g. minimum side yard and setback - shall be provided from the property line as follows: 1.principal use building - 5' 2.accessory use building - 5'”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family residential district (r-1), section 11.02, inside Terre Haute city.

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

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

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Single-family residential district (r-1) inside Terre Haute city: a mobile home is listed only as a special exception use.

  • Special exception uses are subject to the provisions of section 18.
  • The ordinance uses the term mobile home; no separate manufactured-home definition was captured.

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

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  A second dwelling unit ('dwelling, caregiver') on a lot in a district that permits only one single-family dwelling as a matter of right, inside Terre Haute city.

  • The occupant family must provide weekly assistance to the family residing in the permitted single-family dwelling.
  • Approval is by the board through the grant of a special exception; the extract cut off the rest of that clause, so the approving body and standards were not re-verified.

  “dwelling, caregiver: a second dwelling unit located on a lot in a zoning district which permits only one (1) single family dwelling as a matter of right and which is: 1. occupied by a family who provides weekly assistance to the family residing in the permitted single family dwelling; and, 2. approved by the board through the grant of a special exception.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New single-family development in the single-family residential district (r-1) inside Terre Haute city.

  • Development in this district requires the provision of sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities.
  • For single-family subdivisions platted after the effective date, attachment to public sanitary sewer and water supply is mandatory.
  • The zoning text does not state a distance threshold for an individual lot outside a subdivision; the city sewer connection rule was not located.

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

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new home construction inside Terre Haute city.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from licensing or permit rules inside Terre Haute city.
• Building code adopted — Building code used for new homes inside Terre Haute city.
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Terre Haute city.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Terre Haute city.

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.