Bolthole Index

Wayne County, Indiana

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

Town of Centerville, Indiana requires a building permit before construction, alteration or repair costing more than $1,000.1 Centerville has its own zoning code and Building Commissioner, while Wayne County Health Department regulates, permits and inspects onsite sewage systems throughout Wayne County.234

At a glance

Building permit
Required before construction, alteration or repair costing more than $1,0001
Zoning
Town zoning code applies within the town’s planning jurisdiction2
Septic permits
Wayne County Health Department regulates, permits and inspects onsite sewage systems4
Minimum dwelling size
Single-family ground-floor minimum: 720 sq ft in S, A and B; 672 sq ft in C, LB, GB and RI56
Location approval
Written improvement-location-permit application with a scaled site plan7
Farm exception
Necessary farm buildings and farm residences are exempt from the zoning subchapter’s permit and certificate requirements, not automatically from building-code permits8

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Centerville Building Commissioner

Town building permits and coordination with the Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission

765-855-5515

220 E Main St. P.O. Box 125 Centerville, IN 47330

Septic permits

Wayne County Health Department

Countywide onsite sewage system permitting and inspection

(765) 973-9245

[email protected]

100 S. 5th Street Richmond, IN 47374

Online permits →

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 Centerville 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 Centerville, IN?

Centerville requires a building permit before construction, alteration or repair of a building or structure when the cost exceeds $1,000; the Building Commissioner supplies the application forms.1 Centerville adopts Indiana construction codes, including building, residential, electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes.9

Centerville’s farm exception covers farm residences and farm buildings necessary to farm operation, but only the zoning subchapter’s permit and certificate requirements.8 Ask the town Building Commissioner which building-code approvals your farm project still needs before relying on that exception.83

Who issues building permits in Town of Centerville?

The Town of Centerville Building Commissioner is the starting office for town building approvals and works with the Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission.3 Call 765-855-5515 to discuss your proposed work with the town office.3

Centerville’s zoning approval uses a written improvement-location-permit application and a scaled site plan showing the proposed structure or use, lot dimensions, yards, open spaces, streets, alleys and improvements.7 Ask the Building Commissioner to review the proposed site layout before finalizing construction plans, because the proposal and location must conform to the town master plan and ordinance.7

Does Town of Centerville have zoning and minimum home sizes?

Centerville has its own zoning code, with districts designated GB, I, LB, RI, SC, A, B, S and C.210 A single-family dwelling in Centerville’s S, A or B district needs at least 720 square feet of ground-floor area; the minimum in C, LB, GB or RI is 672 square feet.56

A small house proposal must therefore be evaluated against the applicable district’s ground-floor minimum as well as Centerville’s adopted construction codes.569 Ask the Building Commissioner to confirm your district and review the site plan for the proposed home’s location.73

How do septic permits work inside Town of Centerville?

Wayne County Health Department regulates, permits and inspects onsite sewage systems within Wayne County, including a Centerville property that uses onsite sewage disposal.4 Call the health department at (765) 973-9245 for septic questions rather than treating a town building permit as septic approval.114

Wayne County sizes residential systems using bedrooms and bedroom equivalents, with soil loading determined by a Registered Soil Scientist’s site inspection.4 Indiana requires sewer connection and prohibits a new onsite sewage system where sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance; ask the town about service availability for the specific parcel before commissioning a septic design.12

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

We could not confirm a Centerville rule allowing residential RV occupancy or camping on a private lot; ask the town Building Commissioner about your proposed use before buying land for that purpose.3 We also could not confirm a separate Centerville tiny-home occupancy rule, so ask the Building Commissioner to review the proposed dwelling and its zoning classification.3

Centerville’s verified single-family ground-floor minimums are 720 square feet in S, A and B and 672 square feet in C, LB, GB and RI.56 Those size requirements do not by themselves establish permission for a wheeled dwelling or residential RV use; request a proposal-specific determination from the town.563

What are the steps to build a home in Town of Centerville?

Start with the Centerville Building Commissioner: submit the proposed location and use for zoning review, with the scaled site plan required for an improvement location permit.7 Resolve sewer availability before pursuing onsite sewage approval; where septic is appropriate, work with Wayne County Health Department on the soil evaluation and system approval.124

Obtain the required Centerville building permit before beginning work over $1,000.1 Apply for the certificate of occupancy with the improvement-location-permit application, and obtain the certificate before occupying a newly erected, reconstructed or structurally altered building, subject to the farm exception.13 For a parcel outside the town, use the Wayne County guide to review county zoning requirements for unincorporated land.14

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm a general Centerville owner-builder exemption; ask the town Building Commissioner before assuming building a home yourself waives town approvals.3
  • Centerville’s improvement location permit is effective for 18 months, with an extension only for good cause.7
  • We could not confirm town-specific private-well, driveway-access or floodplain-development requirements; ask the Centerville Building Commissioner which offices must review your parcel.3

Sources

  1. § 150.021 Permit Required (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  2. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Town of Centerville Building Commissioner (town.centerville.in.us)
  4. Wayne County: On-site Sewage, quoted and re-checked
  5. § 154.065 Single-Family Dwellings (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 154.065 Single-Family Dwellings (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 154.031 Improvement Location Permit (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 154.030 Requirements Not Applicable to Farms (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 150.005 Adoption of Regulations by Reference (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 154.006 Zoning Districts (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Wayne County Health Department (in.gov)
  12. Environmental Public Health: Onsite Sewage Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
  13. § 154.032 Certificate of Occupancy (Town of Centerville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Wayne County Code § 156.557 Improvement Location Permit, 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 Centerville

Town of Centerville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, or repair of a building or structure inside Centerville town when the cost exceeds $1,000.

    • Permit must be obtained before work begins.
    • Permits are issued by the Building Commissioner.
    • The farm-residence and farm-building exception in § 154.030 applies to permits and certificates required by the zoning subchapter.

    construction cost threshold: > 1000 USD

    “A permit shall be obtained before beginning construction, alteration or repair of any building or structure, the cost of which exceeds $1,000, using forms furnished by the Building Commissioner.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction and alteration of buildings and structures inside Centerville town.

    • The town adopts the Indiana Building Code and other listed Indiana construction, fire, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, one- and two-family dwelling, energy, and swimming-pool codes by reference.
    • The adopted codes are the most current editions identified in § 150.005.
    “The following rules, regulations and codes are hereby adopted by reference as the rules and regulations governing the construction and alteration of buildings and structures in the town:”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupation or use of land and buildings inside Centerville town after erection, reconstruction, structural alteration, or change of use.

    • The rule applies to buildings erected, reconstructed, or structurally altered after 5-27-1957.
    • The certificate must be applied for with the improvement-location-permit application.
    • It must be issued within ten days after lawful completion.
    • The original certificate fee is $1 and each copy costs $0.50.
    • Farm residences and farm buildings necessary to farm operation are exempt from the zoning subchapter's permit and certificate requirements.

    issuance deadline: 10 days (after lawful completion) · original certificate fee: 1 USD · copy fee: 0.5 USD

    “No land shall be occupied or used and no building erected, reconstructed or structurally altered after 5-27-1957 shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any purpose whatsoever, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Building Commissioner stating that the building and use comply with all of the provisions of this chapter applicable to the building or premises or the use in the district in which it is to be located.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Centerville town and the town Plan Commission jurisdictional area.

    • The code is identified as current through Ordinance 2019-12, passed 12-3-2019.
    “This chapter, and all ordinances supplemental or amendatory thereto, shall be known and may be cited hereafter, as the “Zoning Code of the town”.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Centerville town zoning jurisdiction.

    • Districts listed are GB, I, LB, RI, SC, A, B, S, and C.
    “The town and the jurisdictional area are hereby divided into nine districts in order to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The districts shall be known and designated throughout this chapter as follows:”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Farm residences and farm buildings necessary to operation of the farm inside Centerville town's zoning jurisdiction.

    • The exemption is limited to the zoning subchapter's permit and certificate requirements.
    • The text does not state that building-code permits or all other regulations are exempt.
    “The requirements of this subchapter with respect to permits and certificates shall not apply in the case of farm residences and farm buildings necessary to the operation of the farm.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Improvement-location permits for structures, improvements, or land uses inside the town Plan Commission jurisdictional area.

    • Application must be written.
    • The proposal must conform to the town master plan and ordinance.
    • A scaled site plan is required showing the structure or use, lot dimensions, yards and open spaces, adjoining or internal streets and alleys, and proposed improvements.
    • Permit effectiveness is 18 months, extendable only for good cause.
    • Building Commissioner decisions may be appealed to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

    permit effectiveness: 18 months (extension only for good cause)

    “The Building Commissioner of the town shall issue an improvement location permit, upon written application, when the proposed structure, improvement or use and its location conform in all respects to the master plan of the town. The improvement location permit shall be effective for a period of 18 months; this period shall only be extended for good cause.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Centerville

Town of Centerville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the S, A, and B districts inside Centerville town.

    • The quoted minimum applies to ground-floor area.
    • S, A, and B districts share the same minimum.

    minimum ground-floor area: >= 720 sq ft

    “The ground floor area for a single-family dwelling shall be not less than the following:”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in C, LB, GB, and RI districts inside Centerville town.
      “The ground floor area for a single-family dwelling shall be not less than the following: Districts | Ground Floor Area S, A and B | 720 sq. ft. C, LB, GB and RI | 672 sq. ft.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Centerville town.
  • Living in an RV — Residential or long-term RV occupancy inside Centerville town.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Centerville town.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Centerville town.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Centerville town.
10 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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 Centerville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wayne County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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