Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Township 5, Nebraska

Rules another office applies inside Township 5

Township 5 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 homes and other buildings on land in Township 5 outside the one-mile jurisdictions of Herman and other cities/villages

  • New homes require a completed building application plus two hard-copy plans before the application proceeds.
  • Other buildings (including accessory buildings, pole barns, lean-tos) require a building permit.
  • Villages of Arlington and Washington approve zoning permits for their one-mile areas, but all building permits are obtained through WCPZ.
  • Work commenced before an approved permit is subject to a fine equal to the applicable permit fee.
  • Permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days or does not show progress every 180 days.

  “other buildings (including accessory building, pole barn, lean-to, etc.) require a building permit:”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction on land in Township 5 outside the Herman, Arlington, Washington, Blair, Fort Calhoun and Kennard jurisdictions, administered by Washington County planning/building (WCPZ)

  • Adopted codes are the 2018 IRC, IBC, IMC and IPC and 2017 NEC per county forms; the planning page states the county is currently using the 2018 building codes.
  • Herman has its own office and policies within its one-mile jurisdiction.

  “Washington County has adopted the following codes with changes as per state of Nebraska (minus Section R313 of the 2018 IRC Automatic Fire Sprinkler System) and the following Appendices to be effective and enforced August 1, 2020:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in Township 5 administered by Washington County (WCPZ)

  • Inspections require a minimum 24-hour notice (septic form); the general contractor must assure all required inspections are obtained.
  • Permit expires if inspections are not completed before the expiration date; deposits are forfeited for occupancy before a passed final inspection.

  “The following is a list of general inspections that are performed in Washington County. Please refer to your approved permit for project specific requirements.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems on land in Township 5 administered by Washington County

  • Percolation test must be done by a state-registered septic company or a Nebraska-registered engineer.
  • A map of the septic system location and perc test locations is required; a map of the installed system is required on completion.
  • Septic permit fee and issuance fee are not published in sources reviewed.

  “separate permits are required for all electrical, mechanical, plumbing and septic systems.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Septic systems installed on land in Township 5 administered by Washington County

  • Inspections require a minimum 24-hour notice to get on the calendar.
  • A map of the new septic system location is required upon installation.

  “Septic: Partial, Final (application process will require plot plan showing locations of tank, laterals, well, geothermal wells and location of perc tests.)”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and lot splits in Township 5 (county subdivision regulations)

  • Planning page lists county subdivision regulations as current.
  • Lot splits are approved by the planning commission and board of supervisors and rezoned from A-1 to A-LSR.
  • Full subdivision regulation text was not reviewed.

  “These Regulations shall apply to the unincorporated area of Washington County, Nebraska, excluding those areas that are within the zoning jurisdiction limits established, enacted, and exercised by any city or having separate subdivision regulations.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveways in Township 5 that access a county road or state highway

  • Driveway permit is required only where the driveway accesses a county road or state highway, per the permit guide.

  “an approved driveway permit is required if driveway is accessing a county road or state highway.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Township 5 or Washington County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption in Township 5 (county-administered area)
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings in Township 5 (county-administered area)
• Local zoning — Whether Township 5 (Washington County, NE) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — County zoning districts applicable in Township 5
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the A-1 and A-LSR districts in Township 5

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Township 5 means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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