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

Rules another office applies inside Jackson Township

Jackson 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

  New construction on land in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana (Wells County Improvement Location Permit)

  • The permit does not apply within the corporate limits of Markle, Indiana; Jackson township is not Markle.
  • Issued by the Wells County Area Plan Commission; phone 260.824.6407 or [email protected] per the county page.
  • Construction generally requires the improvement location permit before work proceeds; the page does not state a separate fee or timeline.

  “a wells county improvement location permit is required for any construction project within wells county except for within the corporate limits of markle, indiana.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Residential (Class 2) construction in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana

  • The code is the 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4): ICC 2018 International Residential Code as modified by Indiana state amendments.
  • Local units of government must require compliance with the code under the statute cited by the state Building Commissioner.

  “the 2020 indiana residential code (675 iac 14-4.4) went into effect on december 26, 2019.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Petitions and permits granted through the Wells County Area Plan Commission for land in Jackson township

  • This is a site inspection tied to Area Plan Commission approvals; the page does not describe a separate building-code inspection schedule for residential construction.
  • Building-code inspections for residential construction under the state code were not separately verified.

  “any petition or permit granted through the wells county area plan commission office is subject to at least one site inspection before it will be approved.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana, where no township zoning ordinance was found; the county zoning ordinance (administered by the Wells County Area Plan Commission) is the county rule that applies. This is a county claim, not a Jackson township ordinance.

  • Zoning text was not opened; district standards and permitted uses must be confirmed in the current county ordinance.
  • Township zoning adoption was not found; if Jackson township adopts its own ordinance this claim must be revisited.

  “issue improvement location permits for new construction as directed by the wells county zoning ordinance and wells county subdivision control ordinance.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction, remodels and repairs with onsite septic on unincorporated land in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana

  • A septic permit must be issued before any construction of any kind begins.
  • The septic permit is needed to obtain the Area Plan Commission building permit.
  • A soil evaluation and site evaluation form are required before permit issuance (step I on the county page).

  “construction of any kind may not begin until the septic permit is issued.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Onsite septic systems on unincorporated land in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana

  • The health department must be notified before any component is installed and again when the system is ready for inspection.
  • The page says the area must be protected during construction; re-evaluation by a soil scientist is required if construction traffic compacts the site.

  “the health department must be notified before any component of the system is installed and when it is ready for inspection.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Major subdivisions of land in unincorporated Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana

  • Minor subdivisions, additions and combines go to the Plat Committee rather than the Area Plan Commission (county plat committee page).
  • Subdivision control ordinance text was not opened.

  “the area plan commission has public hearings on text amendments to the subdivision control and the zoning ordinance, map amendments (rezones), development plan reviews and major subdivision approvals.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New drives installed off a Wells County road (county road access) in Jackson township; township-road access is not addressed

  • Applies to drives off county roads only.
  • Driveway cut application must be filed with the county.

  “driveway cut application (required for any type of drive installed off a county road)”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development on parcels in mapped flood hazard areas in unincorporated Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana

  • Applies only to land in the 100- or 500-year flood areas on the official flood maps kept at the Area Plan Commission office.
  • Floodplain ordinance text was not opened; required approvals not verified.

  “the wells county area plan commission is also responsible for administering the floodplain ordinance adopted from the state of indiana.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts applying in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for single-family homes in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the main single-family residential district in Jackson township, Wells County, Indiana

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.