Bolthole Index

Adams County, Indiana

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Berne, Indiana

Berne, Indiana, in Adams County, zones its own land under Chapter 152 of the city code1 and requires building permits from its Building Commissioner2. Call Berne City Hall at 260-589-8526 to start a permit3. Septic permits inside Berne come from Adams County's health department, which we could not confirm for city addresses4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the Berne Building Commissioner2
Zoning
Berne's own zoning ordinance (Chapter 152) applies inside city limits1
Inspections
Periodic inspections of all construction, permit or not5
Certificate of occupancy
Required before occupying a new or altered building6
Minimum home size (R-1)
900 sq ft of floor area, excluding porches and garages7
Manufactured homes
Permitted use in the R-1 single-family zone8
Septic
Adams County Health Department runs the county program; city-limits rules unconfirmed4
Owner-builder exemption
Not confirmed for Berne; ask the Building Commissioner9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Berne (City Hall) — Building Commissioner permits

Building permit information and applications inside Berne city limits

260-589-8526

158 W. Franklin, Berne, IN

Septic permits

Adams County Health Department, Environmental Division

On-site sewage system soil evaluations, plan review, permits and inspections in Adams County

260-724-5326

313 W. Jefferson Street, Room 314, Decatur, IN 46733

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Do you need a building permit in Berne, Indiana?

Yes, for construction that requires one: Berne's code says any person required to have a building permit must submit a complete application to the Building Commissioner2. The application needs a form from the Building Commissioner, detailed plans, a plot plan drawn to scale and the fee10. Construction may begin only after the permit is issued2. Most building permits also need a separate location permit, except remodel and electrical permits2. The city's code text on which work is exempt from a permit is one we could not confirm, so ask City Hall before starting any small project or an owner-built home3.

All construction in Berne is subject to periodic inspection, whether or not a permit was required5. A new or altered building cannot be occupied until the Building Commissioner issues a full, partial or temporary certificate of occupancy6.

Who issues building permits in Berne, and how do you reach them?

The City of Berne issues building permits inside city limits, not Adams County. Berne adopted the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission building rules by reference11. The city's website directs residents to call 260-589-8526 for building permit information3. City Hall is at 158 W. Franklin, Berne, IN3. The site also links an online building permit portal.

The Adams County Building & Planning office covers rural Adams County and the towns of Geneva and Monroe, not Berne12. If your lot is outside Berne city limits, use the Adams County page instead.

Published inspection fees in Berne's code include $30 for a mobile home, sectional or modular home with foundation inspection, and $45 for an in-ground pool13. The full schedule is set by the common council, so confirm the fee for your project with City Hall13.

Does Berne have zoning, and what does it mean for homes, lot size and setbacks?

Berne has its own zoning. Chapter 152 of the city code is the Berne, Indiana replacement zoning ordinance of 19981. Its districts are R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential, C-1, C-2 and C-3 commercial, I-1 industrial, an agricultural zone and a planned unit development district14. Which district your parcel sits in depends on zone maps kept with the plan commission, which we did not review, so confirm the zone before you buy14.

In the R-1 single-family zone, single-family detached dwellings, manufactured homes and accessory buildings are permitted uses8. A building in R-1 or R-2 must have at least 900 square feet of floor area, not counting unenclosed porches, terraces and garages715.

Front yard setbacks are measured from the right-of-way line by thoroughfare type, but we could not confirm the distances, and minimum lot size, lot coverage and height limits are also unconfirmed16. The board can modify yard rules for unusual lots16.

How do septic permits work in Berne?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for addresses inside Berne city limits, or whether a new city-limits home must connect to public sewer. Adams County's Environmental Health Division administers the county's on-site sewage systems program under Indiana State Department of Health rules4. Statewide, local boards of health administer the residential on-site sewage rule17. Call the Adams County Health Department's Environmental division at 260-724-5326 to ask whether a city lot needs a septic permit or a sewer connection18.

If your parcel is not served by city sewer, the county's process applies to septic systems in Adams County: the permit comes before the building permit and costs $10019. The Sanitarian must be notified at least 2 working days before installation20. Soil is a concern here: only about 0.5% of Adams County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field21, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. That rating is countywide.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Berne?

We could not confirm whether Berne allows living in an RV, a tiny home or an accessory dwelling inside city limits. Berne's code has sections on temporary buildings and mobile homes that we did not review8. Ask City Hall at 260-589-8526 before parking a camper on a lot3.

Manufactured homes are a permitted use in the R-1 zone8. Indiana's campground rules cover leased or rented campsites, not living on your own lot, and they do not authorize long-term RV living elsewhere22.

Building a home in Berne: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district for your parcel with the city plan commission, and check the R-1 floor-area minimum of 900 square feet if the lot is in R-17.
  2. Ask the Adams County Health Department whether a septic permit or a sewer connection applies to the lot18. Where septic applies, the county permit must come before the building permit19.
  3. Call Berne City Hall at 260-589-8526 and submit a complete building permit application to the Building Commissioner with plans, a plot plan and the fee310.
  4. Expect an additional location permit with most building permits2.
  5. Build, with periodic inspections5.
  6. Get a certificate of occupancy before moving in6.

What to check before you buy land in Berne

Confirm the parcel is inside Berne city limits, because Adams County's own rules apply only outside them12. Check flood status: Berne's code lists flood hazard provisions we could not confirm14. Statewide, DNR regulates most floodway development23. A driveway onto a state highway needs INDOT permission24. Division of land inside the city is regulated under the city's Chapter 151 subdivision control rules, whose thresholds we could not confirm25.

Adams County's effective property tax rate is about 0.7%26, and the median property tax bill is $1,295 a year27. The typical home value is $256,56128. Those figures are countywide.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which work Berne exempts from a building permit, including owner-built homes, so ask the Building Commissioner at City Hall before you start2.
  • Septic authority and any public sewer connection requirement for addresses inside Berne city limits are unconfirmed; call the Adams County Health Department's Environmental division18.
  • Adams County's building and zoning rules cover rural land, Geneva and Monroe, not Berne, so the county's setbacks and minimum home sizes do not apply inside city limits12.
  • Berne's front yard setbacks, minimum lot size, height limits and RV rules are unconfirmed; ask City Hall before you design or place anything16.

Sources

  1. Berne Code Chapter 152 Zoning: general provisions (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  2. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: building permits, certificate of occupancy, inspections (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Berne (City Hall) — Building Commissioner permits (cityofberne.in.gov)
  4. Environmental, quoted and re-checked
  5. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: building permits, certificate of occupancy, inspections (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  6. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: building permits, certificate of occupancy, inspections (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  7. Berne Code Chapter 152 Zoning: residential zone regulations (R-1, R-2, R-3) (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  8. Berne Code Chapter 152 Zoning: residential zone regulations (R-1, R-2, R-3) (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  9. (2026 county census)
  10. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: building permits, certificate of occupancy, inspections (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  11. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: general requirements (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  12. Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
  13. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: building permits, certificate of occupancy, inspections (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  14. Berne Code Chapter 152 Zoning: residential zone regulations (R-1, R-2, R-3) (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  15. Berne Code Chapter 152 Zoning: residential zone regulations (R-1, R-2, R-3) (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  16. Berne Code Chapter 152 Zoning: height and area regulations, yard regulations (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  17. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Adams County Health Department, Environmental Division (co.adams.in.us)
  19. Environmental, quoted and re-checked
  20. Environmental, quoted and re-checked
  21. 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
  22. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Berne Code Chapter 150 Building Regulations: building permits, certificate of occupancy, inspections (Berne), quoted and re-checked
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Berne

Berne’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction that requires a building permit inside Berne city limits, issued by the Building Commissioner

    • Text of § 150.10 'building permit required' was not captured; which work is exempt from the permit was not verified.
    • Per the fee table, the building permits also require an additional location permit except the remodel and electrical update/temporary electrical service permits.
    • Construction may begin only after the complete application and fee are submitted and the permit is issued (§ 150.12).
    “any person required to have a building permit shall submit a complete application to the building commissioner.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction, alteration and occupancy of buildings and structures inside Berne city limits

    • Adopts by reference the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission rules in 675 IAC articles 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24 and 25, including later amendments (§ 150.20(a)).
    • The commissioner may grant variances, which take effect only after approval by the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (§ 150.20(c)).
    • Adopted by ord. 565, passed 8-14-06.
    “the rules of the indiana fire prevention and building safety commission as set out in the following articles of title 675 of the indiana administrative code are hereby incorporated by reference in this chapter and shall include any later amendments to those rules.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    All construction inside Berne city limits, with or without a building permit

    • Inspections are periodic and are made by the building commissioner; the code does not list inspection stages in the captured text.
    • Fire department may also inspect (§ 150.16).
    “all construction shall be subject to periodic inspections by the building commissioner irrespective of whether a building permit has been or is required to be obtained.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy of new or altered buildings and structures inside Berne city limits

    • Certificate may be full, partial or temporary, issued by the Building Commissioner.
    • Certificate may not issue unless the structure was built in compliance with the building code.
    “it shall be unlawful to occupy any such building or structure unless a full, partial, or temporary certificate of occupancy has been issued by the building commissioner.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Berne city limits, zoned under the city's Chapter 152 Zoning ordinance. The ordinance's jurisdictional area also reaches unincorporated Adams County land covered by the city plan commission survey; that unincorporated land is not covered by this claim.

    • Zone maps on file with the plan commission are incorporated by reference (§ 152.003(b)); parcel-level zone assignment was not checked.
    • Chapter 152 original replacement ordinance passed 5-11-98 (ord. 466); the American Legal Publishing supplement is current through ord. 792, passed 10-14-25.
    “this chapter shall be known, cited and referred to as the berne, indiana replacement zoning ordinance of 1998.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts of Berne city, Chapter 152

    • Zone maps are kept on file with the plan commission and incorporated by reference (§ 152.003(b)); the maps themselves were not opened.
    • Districts listed in the table of contents: R-1, R-2, R-3 residential; C-1, C-2, C-3 commercial; I-1 industrial; agricultural zone (§ 152.034) and planned unit development (§ 152.035).
    “§ 152.045 application. § 152.046 r-i single-family. § 152.047 r-2 multiple-family.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    New buildings in the R-1 single-family zone inside Berne city limits

    • Floor area is measured exclusive of unenclosed porches, terraces and garages.
    • Applies only to land zoned R-1 on the zone maps.

    minimum floor area: >= 900 sq ft (exclusive of unenclosed porches, terraces and garages)

    “no building shall be erected in an r-1 zone having a floor area of less than 900 square feet, exclusive of unenclosed porches, terraces and garages.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Front yard setbacks for lots in all zones inside Berne city limits (table in § 152.109(a))

    • The front yard setback is measured from the right-of-way line shown on the thoroughfare plan and plat, by thoroughfare type.
    • Numeric setbacks were not captured: the table is cut off in the captured text, so the only figure seen (an arterial row reading 75 feet) is unverified and is not recorded as a parameter.
    • Side and rear yard limits are in Appendix B and were not opened.
    • Board may modify yard regulations for unusual lot shape, location or topography (§ 152.109).
    “each lot shall have a front yard with a minimum depth measured from and parallel to the proposed right-of-way line as shown on the thoroughfare plan and plat as follows”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed

    Manufactured homes as a permitted use in the R-1 single-family zone inside Berne city limits

    • Applies only to land zoned R-1 on the zone maps; zone-map assignment was not checked.
    • R-1 purpose: lots must be large enough for on-site water and sewer where the area is not readily serviceable by water and sewer facilities (§ 152.046(a)).
    • Dimensional limits for the R-1 lot were not captured (Appendix A not opened). Manufactured homes in the R-2 and R-3 zones were not checked.
    “(b) permitted uses. (1) single-family detached dwellings. (2) manufactured homes. (3) accessory buildings.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land inside Berne city limits

    • Based on the Chapter 151 heading in the code table of contents; the text of Chapter 151 was not opened, so the platting thresholds and approval steps are unverified.
    “chapter 151: subdivision control regulations appendix a: certification forms”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Building permit inspection fees for work inside Berne city limits

    • Fee schedule is set by the common council, as stated in § 150.11(b)(6); the schedule in the captured supplement may be amended, and the zoning fees in § 152.214 were not opened.
    • Some items are listed as examples only; the full schedule (commercial, sprinkler, remodel and other items) is in § 150.11(b)(6).

    mobile home, sectional or modular with foundation inspection fee: 30 USD · swimming pool, above-ground inspection fee: 35 USD · swimming pool, in-ground inspection fee: 45 USD · temporary electric and one trip inspection fee: 15 USD

    “the fee established by the common council as set forth below.”
  • Permit processPublished

    Building permit process inside Berne city limits, administered by the Building Commissioner

    • Application needs a form from the Building Commissioner, detailed plans and specifications, a plot plan drawn to scale, and the fee (§ 150.11(b)).
    • Permit issues only after a complete application and fee, and only if the work conforms to building laws and other ordinances (§ 150.12).
    • Zoning permit and location permit procedures (§ 152.213, and the location permit noted in the fee schedule) were not opened.
    “the building commissioner shall issue a building permit to a person after the person has submitted a complete application, including any applicable fee, provided that the proposed construction will conform to all applicable building laws and will not violate any other applicable ordinances or laws.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Berne or Adams County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Berne city limits
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for residential lots inside Berne city limits
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits inside Berne city limits
  • Building height — Building height limits inside Berne city limits
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of a recreational vehicle on private land inside Berne city limits
13 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny 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

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

← All of Adams County: county rules, score and offices