Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-09
20 of Indiana's 92 counties — 22% — let an owner build their own home without a licensed contractor. That is the 40th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Orange County (80/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 2952 counties nationwide → Indiana: no building codes → Indiana: no zoning → Indiana: no codes, no zoning → Indiana: rv living → Indiana: tiny homes → Indiana: no minimum home size → Full Indiana profile →
20 of 92 Indiana counties · sorted by Index score
A property owner who wishes to install their own onsite septic system in Orange County The owner may install the system personally only after passing the homeowner installation …
Your septic system requirements, based on a soil report recently received by the Orange County Health Department, are attached ↗An owner applying directly for a Jennings County building permit for construction of a building, structure, dwelling, or extension. A building permit must be obtained before con…
Jennings County, Indiana Permit Fee Schedule ↗A property owner acting as the responsible person for obtaining a building permit for construction in Ripley County. The owner must obtain all proper permits and a building perm…
Chapter 80: Area Zoning Code ↗A property owner who seeks to perform or arrange construction work in Brown County and wants to apply for the building permit. An owner may apply for a permit, but the official …
Building Permits in Brown County ↗Property owners acting as project managers or builders for residential construction in county jurisdiction outside incorporated city limits and annex areas. The property owner m…
Washington County Building Commissioner ↗An individual constructing a dwelling or structure for personal use or occupancy in areas served by the Putnam County Building Department. The individual must execute a Contract…
Building and Planning ↗A homeowner installing an onsite wastewater disposal system for the homeowner's residential use in LaGrange County. The homeowner must obtain a septic permit from LCHD before be…
Septic Information | LaGrange County Health Department ↗Persons pulling Building Commission permits for work on residential or commercial property. Persons owning more than two residential properties must hire a licensed contractor u…
City of Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Commission Requirements ↗Private homes built, repaired, or altered by an individual owner-builder for the individual's own occupancy. The exemption applies only when the individual owner and builder fil…
Wayne County Code § 151.04 Scope ↗Self-performed permitted work by the legal owner at the owner's primary residence. The owner must provide identification matching the address or proof of ownership; multiple-pro…
Allen County Building Department Policy To Obtain A Permit for Self-Performed Work ↗An owner and occupant performing building/framing, mechanical/heat and air, electrical, or plumbing work on a project administered by the Columbus/Bartholomew County Department …
Owner Occupant Sign-Off ↗A homeowner performing work on the homeowner's own home. The homeowner may perform work on the homeowner's own home without contractor registration. This statement does not exem…
Randolph County: Area Planning Zoning ↗A homeowner applying for a Marshall County building permit. The homeowner remains subject to the building-permit requirement. If the homeowner is not completing all contemplated…
§ 111.06 Applicant for Building Permits by Homeowner ↗An individual constructing a new dwelling or accessory structures for personal use or occupancy within the County Planning and Building Department's jurisdiction. The individual…
§ 150.01 Listing of Building Contractors ↗A homeowner installing an on-site sewage system on the homeowner’s own property in Howard County. The exemption applies to license fees and insurance requirements for the OSS in…
Howard County - Complete Code of Ordinances, 2017 S-13 ↗An owner-occupant performing work on the owner's residential dwelling in St. Joseph County jurisdictions served by the St. Joseph County/South Bend Building Department. The exce…
St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department Permit Fee Schedule 2026 ↗Porter County contractor-registration requirements for an owner of a one- or two-family dwelling. The owner must be contracting, altering, installing, remodeling, or repairing t…
Title 15 Buildings and Construction ↗Owners performing permitted construction themselves in unincorporated Lake County. The owner must upload a single notarized Owner Affidavit after submitting the online applicati…
Online Building Permit App FAQs ↗Property owners performing permitted residential work on their own property. A permit applicant must be either a licensed contractor in Marion County or the property owner. For …
Home Owner’s Building Permit Guide ↗A rightful owner and occupant obtaining a building permit for a single-family dwelling in Shelby County. The homeowner affidavit is under penalty of perjury. The owner must be t…
Shelby County: Building Inspector ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Indiana state page for all 92 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Indiana counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
