Building permits, zoning and land rules in Warrick County, Indiana

Unincorporated Warrick County requires building permits for residential construction; the Building Department reviews plans and conducts inspections for compliance with state and local laws¹. Residential applications must include blueprints or computer-generated house plans, with drawings no larger than 11 by 17 inches for scanning¹. The published single-family building-permit fee is $0.08 per square foot with a $200 minimum; additional inspections outside the normal sequence cost $25 each⁹. Applicable one- and two-family construction follows the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, based on the 2018 International Residential Code^10,11. Buildings used only for agriculture on the land where that activity occurs, without retail trade, avoid Indiana's state Class 1 design-release classification; confirm local building-permit and zoning requirements separately with the Building Department and Area Plan Commission^1,2,12.

The Warrick County Building Department, at 107 West Locust St, Suite 208 in Boonville, reviews plans, issues building permits and conducts construction inspections¹. Call 812-897-6188 or email buildingcomm@warrickcounty.gov¹. Start with the Area Plan Commission at 812-897-6190 to identify the zoning and Improvement Location Permit paperwork for the parcel, then confirm the required building applications with the Building Department^1,2. Warrick County publishes an Area Plan fee schedule as well as residential building-permit fees, including a $100 mobile-home permit fee^2,9.

The Warrick County Area Plan Commission administers zoning in unincorporated Warrick County and identifies Elberfeld, Lynnville and Tennyson within its planning jurisdiction². Boonville has its own Unified Development Ordinance, and Newburgh and Chandler have their own zoning ordinances^13,14,15. Septic permits remain with the Warrick County Health Department⁴. Ask the Area Plan Commission for the current district table for a county-zoned parcel: the ordinance history records a 0.5-acre minimum in CON and A, setback standards in R-2B, and a 45-foot maximum height in R-2^2,3. Covered plats and replats need commission approval before recording or selling a proposed subdivision parcel⁷.

The Warrick County Health Department's Sanitarian/EHS office issues septic permits, reviews septic plans, performs site evaluations and oversees system improvements and repairs⁴. Where sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance, an on-site sewage system is prohibited and sewer connection is required⁴. In covered subdivisions without public sewer, private septic systems require Health Department approval and zoning permission⁷. Only 4.1% of Warrick County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so obtain a site evaluation before assuming a standard system will work^4,6. Indiana requires a compliant septic tank and soil-absorption system where a dwelling cannot connect to sewer; drywells and cesspools are not allowed¹⁶. Inside Lynnville, private sewage installations also require final inspection by the town Superintendent before underground portions are covered¹⁷.

We could not confirm a Warrick County rule allowing long-term RV living or tiny-home occupancy on an individually deeded parcel; ask the Area Plan Commission before planning residential occupancy². Ask the Area Plan Commission about the parcel's zoning district, the proposed dwelling, district-specific setbacks and any temporary-use approval before buying^2,3. Indiana's campground rule does not answer the private-lot question because it governs regulated campgrounds rather than individually deeded lots¹⁸. In covered subdivisions without public sewer, an approved private septic system is allowed, but that sanitation rule does not by itself authorize an RV or tiny home as a residence⁷.

1. Confirm which jurisdiction controls the parcel: the county ordinance excludes Boonville, Newburgh and Chandler³.
2. Ask the Warrick County Area Plan Commission for the zoning district, use rules, setbacks and Improvement Location Permit paperwork; if land will be divided, ask about plat approval before recording or selling a parcel^2,7.
3. If public water or sewer is unavailable in a subdivision, take the proposed private well and septic plan to the Health Department for approval⁷.
4. Contact the Sanitarian/EHS office at 812-217-5528 to establish whether sewer connection is required or a septic site evaluation and permit are appropriate⁴.
5. Ask the Building Department at 812-897-6188 which applications and inspections apply, then submit the required house plans¹.
6. Budget the published residential permit fee, including the $200 minimum for a single-family dwelling⁹.
7. For access to a state highway, apply through INDOT's Electronic Permit System⁸.

Soils: only 4.1% of Warrick County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so get a Health Department site evaluation before relying on a standard septic layout^4,6. Utilities: covered subdivision land without public sewer or water must use an approved private septic system and potable-water source, but a separate county well-permit requirement could not be confirmed⁷. Zoning: confirm whether the parcel falls under the county ordinance or the separate rules of Boonville, Newburgh or Chandler². Land division: covered plats and replats need Area Plan Commission approval before recording, and proposed subdivision parcels cannot be sold before approval and filing⁷. Flood: Indiana DNR oversees most floodway development, while floodplain-fringe work has no state permit but may still need local approval¹⁹. Access: state-highway driveways need INDOT permission⁸. Taxes: the median property-tax bill is about $1,497 a year at an effective rate near 0.7%⁶.