Bolthole Index

Warrick County, Indiana

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Chandler, Indiana

The Town of Chandler, Indiana requires a building permit for a new building or changes to a property or building within town limits; applications go to Chandler Planning & Zoning.1 Chandler has its own zoning ordinance, separate from the Warrick County zoning ordinance.23 Septic permits and septic-system oversight stay with Warrick County Sanitarian/EHS.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required for new buildings and property or building changes within town limits; apply to town Planning & Zoning.1
Zoning
Chandler has its own Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and zoning district maps.25
Septic permits
Warrick County Sanitarian/EHS issues septic permits and oversees repairs.4
Construction inspections
Contact the town Planning Commission Executive Director during construction; a final inspection follows completion.1
Off-grid sanitation
A dwelling without a sanitary sewer connection needs a compliant residential on-site sewage system; drywells and cesspools are prohibited.6
Private wells
Use an Indiana DNR-licensed well driller; ask County Sanitarian/EHS about local well-permit requirements.78

Who to call

Zoning

Chandler Planning & Zoning Department

Town zoning, building-permit guidance and construction inspections

(812) 925-6882

[email protected]

401 E. Lincoln Avenue Chandler, IN 47610

Building permits

Chandler Planning & Zoning Department — building application guidance

Building-permit requirements, applications and inspection sequence

Septic permits

Warrick County Health Department Sanitarian/EHS

Septic permits, site evaluations, septic repairs and water-supply testing

812-217-5528

[email protected]

Old Courthouse 107 West Locust St, First Floor Boonville, IN 47601

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Chandler means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Town of Chandler, IN?

Chandler requires a building permit when you construct a new building or make a change to your property or building within town limits.1 Chandler Planning & Zoning handles applicable building permits and required inspections for construction, demolition, remodeling and property improvements.9 Start with the town department to identify the application and supporting documents for your project.1

We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption in Chandler; ask Chandler Planning & Zoning before assuming that doing the work yourself removes the building-permit requirement.9

Who issues building permits in Town of Chandler?

Chandler Planning & Zoning is the town office for building-permit guidance, zoning changes and required construction inspections.9 Reach the department at (812) 925-6882 or [email protected], or visit 401 E. Lincoln Avenue Chandler, IN 47610.9 Building-permit applications are available through the town’s Planning & Zoning Forms page or at Town Hall.1

Submit the completed application, supporting documentation and applicable fees to Chandler Planning & Zoning.1 Septic permits are a separate approval through Warrick County Sanitarian/EHS, which also oversees improvements and repairs to septic systems.4

Does Town of Chandler have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Chandler has its own Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for land inside town limits.2 Chandler’s zoning title incorporates official zoning district maps.5 The Warrick County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance expressly excludes Chandler, so the county’s district standards should not be used as Chandler’s lot-size or setback answer.3

Ask Chandler Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and the applicable lot area, yards, height and dwelling floor-area standards before choosing a house plan.9 We could not confirm the district-specific dimensions here; the town department is the contact for zoning guidance.9 Chandler also regulates subdivisions within its corporate limits.10

How do septic permits work inside Town of Chandler?

Warrick County Sanitarian/EHS issues septic permits, performs site evaluations and oversees septic-system improvements and repairs.4 Contact the county office before committing to a septic layout or repair plan.8 Indiana requires a dwelling that is not connected, or cannot be connected, to a sanitary sewerage system to have a compliant residential on-site sewage system with a septic tank and soil absorption system.6

Warrick County’s countywide soil estimate rates only 4.1% of soils not limited for a conventional septic drain field; that calls for parcel-level evaluation, rather than a conclusion that septic is impossible.11 We could not confirm Chandler’s sewer-connection availability threshold; ask town Planning & Zoning about the parcel’s utility requirements and County Sanitarian/EHS about septic approval.98

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Chandler?

We could not confirm permission to live in an RV or tiny home on a private Chandler parcel, including during construction; ask Chandler Planning & Zoning for the permitted residential use in the parcel’s zoning district.95 Indiana’s campground occupancy rule applies to regulated campgrounds and excludes individually deeded lots, so that rule does not authorize residential RV living on your own lot.12

A sanitation plan is also necessary: Indiana prohibits drywells and cesspools as on-site sewage treatment, and temporary sewage holding tanks are subject to written state approval with specified exceptions.6 Ask County Sanitarian/EHS to evaluate the proposed sewage arrangement alongside the town’s land-use review.89

Building a home in Town of Chandler: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Chandler Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel’s district and review your intended construction or property improvements.59
  2. If proposing septic, contact Warrick County Sanitarian/EHS for site evaluation and septic-permit guidance.8
  3. Obtain the town building-permit application and submit the completed form, supporting documents and applicable fees to Chandler Planning & Zoning.1
  4. Wait for building-permit approval before construction; an application requiring Planning Commission consideration could take up to a month.1
  5. Contact the Planning Commission Executive Director for inspections during construction and the final inspection; final approval or a Certificate of Occupancy follows as appropriate.1

For land outside town limits, use the Warrick County guide to distinguish county zoning from Chandler’s separate ordinance.3

Watch-outs

  • Chandler is excluded from the Warrick County zoning ordinance; county lot-size and setback standards do not establish the town’s standards.3
  • We could not confirm Chandler’s RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling occupancy conditions; ask Chandler Planning & Zoning about the intended use before buying.9
  • Indiana DNR has jurisdiction over most floodway development, while local approvals may also apply; ask Chandler Planning & Zoning who reviews the parcel’s floodplain development.139

Sources

  1. Chandler Planning & Zoning Department — building application guidance (townofchandler.org)
  2. Title XVII: Zoning (Town of Chandler), quoted and re-checked
  3. Warrick County Area Plan, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sanitarian/EHS | Warrick County, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 171: Zoning Districts (Town of Chandler), quoted and re-checked
  6. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Warrick County Health Department Sanitarian/EHS (warrickcounty.gov)
  9. Chandler Planning & Zoning Department (townofchandler.org)
  10. Title XV: Land Usage (Town of Chandler), quoted and re-checked
  11. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  12. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Chandler

Town of Chandler’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Chandler town limits.

    • The code contains Title XVII: Zoning and zoning-district provisions.
    “This chapter shall be known and cited as the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for the Town of Chandler, Indiana, and hereinafter referred to as “this title.””
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and official zoning maps inside Chandler town limits.

    • The opened code identifies district names and an official zoning-district-map section; individual map contents were not reviewed.
    “The zoning district maps attached to Ordinance No. 2017-02 are hereby made a part of this title.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision activity inside Chandler town limits.

    • Specific platting, approval, and exemption provisions were not opened.
    “This Ordinance shall apply to all subdivisions of land within the corporate limits of the Town of Chandler”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Chandler or Warrick County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Chandler town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Chandler town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Chandler town limits.
  • Inspections — Construction inspections inside Chandler town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Chandler town limits.
22 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Chandler publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Warrick County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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