Building permits, zoning and land rules in Decatur County, Indiana

At a glance

Building permit

Required; start with the Decatur County Area Plan Office⁶¹³

Zoning

Yes; the county ordinance incorporates township zoning maps²⁷

Septic permit

Handled by Decatur County Environmental Health⁴⁸

Minimum home size

720 square feet in A-1 districts, on parcels that existed before Nov. 1, 1996⁹

RV living

Countywide residential occupancy rule not confirmed; ask Area Plan³

Tiny home

General occupancy rule not confirmed; zoning approval depends on the parcel²³

Owner-builder exemption

Not confirmed; ask Area Plan before acting as your own contractor¹⁰³

County-road driveway

The Highway Department publishes a driveway permit form¹¹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Decatur County, Indiana?

Yes. Decatur County's building regulations prohibit construction unless it conforms to a valid building permit obtained from the Building Commissioner before construction begins⁶. The Area Plan Office serves the county outside Greensburg¹. A complete application includes the required plans, a plot plan, any required state design release and the fee set by the Board of County Commissioners, and occupancy is unlawful without a full, partial or temporary certificate of occupancy⁶. The Area Plan page provides online permitting, an Improvement Location Permit, construction standards, a building-inspection requirement and minimum-inspection information³. Indiana also has adopted residential and building codes, including the state-amended residential code and building code applicable according to the type of structure¹². Start with Area Plan before ordering a structure or beginning site work, because the county's permit process and the state code layer are separate from septic, driveway and floodway approvals. Projects inside Greensburg should be checked with the city because the Area Plan Office's county building-inspector coverage excludes Greensburg¹.

Who handles Decatur County building permits, and how do you reach them?

The Decatur County Area Plan Office is the first stop for building and land-use approval. Its office is at 150 Courthouse Square, Suite 117, and its phone number is 812-663-8451³. The official page directs applicants to online permitting, names the Improvement Location Permit, and links building-inspection and construction-standard materials³. Ask the office which permit package fits the proposed use, what plot or construction documents are required, and which inspections must be scheduled. The Board of County Commissioners sets the building-permit fee, and an applicant also pays a $100 deposit that is refunded after the final inspection and certificate of occupancy, less any re-inspection fees¹³. Zoning fees could not be confirmed, so obtain the current fee and submission checklist directly from Area Plan. For a driveway on a county road, the Decatur County Highway Department separately publishes a driveway-permit form and can be reached at 812-663-2682¹¹.

Does Decatur County, Indiana have zoning?

Decatur County has zoning, and the county ordinance incorporates a zoning map for each township²⁷. The practical answer for a buyer therefore depends on the parcel's mapped district, not simply on the land having a rural mailing address. Residential districts have district-specific development standards; for example, structures in the residential districts covered by the reviewed rule have a 35-foot height limit measured from the highest ground elevation around the structure's perimeter¹⁴. Agricultural zoning does not create a blanket permit exemption: land zoned A-1 or A-2 receives a specific exemption from a 30-foot county-road right-of-way dedication, but that does not waive building, zoning or septic requirements¹⁵. On land zoned Agriculture A-1, a single-family dwelling is permitted by right with at least 720 square feet of living space, but only if the parcel's boundaries existed in the public record before November 1, 1996; a parcel created later must be rezoned to A-2 before a residential building permit can be issued⁹. That date matters for anyone buying a newly split rural lot. Ask Area Plan to identify the parcel's district and applicable setbacks before designing the site³.

How do septic permits work in Decatur County?

Decatur County Environmental Health permits and inspects residential on-site sewage systems, while commercial on-site systems require an approval letter from the Indiana Department of Health⁸. Residential sites are inspected before construction and again during installation⁵. The county health department's page lists a septic permit at $600 and a repair, replacement or expansion at $300, and says the fees can be modified by the department¹⁶. Indiana's statewide rule is administered by local boards of health, with local permit programs reviewed by the state health department¹⁷. Contact Environmental Health at (812) 663-8301 or environmental@decaturcounty.in.gov¹⁸. Site feasibility deserves early attention: only about 0.6% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so do not assume a standard system will fit a parcel before evaluation¹⁹. A dwelling off sewer still needs a compliant septic tank and soil-absorption system; drywells and cesspools are not allowed²⁰.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Decatur County?

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or general tiny-home occupancy in Decatur County. Because Decatur County has zoning, ask the Area Plan Office how the parcel's district treats the proposed structure and use before buying or moving an RV onto the land²³. Indiana's campground rule does not answer whether someone may live in an RV on an individually deeded parcel; that rule applies to regulated campgrounds and expressly addresses a different setting²¹. A tiny home still has to fit the county permit process and Indiana's applicable construction code¹¹². In an A-1 district, a dwelling must also have at least 720 square feet of living space, which rules out most tiny homes there⁹. Any occupied dwelling without sewer service also needs compliant sewage disposal, so solve septic feasibility rather than treating an RV or small structure as a way around sanitation rules²⁰.

Building a home in Decatur County: the steps, in order

1. Ask the Area Plan Office to identify the parcel's zoning district, permitted residential use, setbacks and required permit package²³. For an A-1 parcel, confirm the lot's boundaries predate November 1, 1996 and that the plan has 720 square feet or more of living space⁹.
2. Confirm water and sewage capacity before finalizing the site plan, because county zoning standards require sufficient capacity for regulated uses, buildings and structures²².
3. Send the soil information to Decatur County Environmental Health and complete the residential septic-permit process; the county inspects before construction and during installation¹⁸⁵.
4. Apply for the building and Improvement Location Permits through Area Plan and confirm the inspection schedule¹³.
5. Apply to the Highway Department for a county-road driveway, or use INDOT's electronic permit system if the entrance connects to a state highway¹¹²³.
6. Check floodway status; most development in an Indiana floodway requires DNR review, although exemptions can apply²⁴.

What should you check before buying land in Decatur County?

Make septic feasibility the first physical-site test: only about 0.6% of Decatur County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field¹⁹. Terrain is generally gentle, with about 96.5% of land at a 15% slope or less, but a specific building pad can still differ²⁵. Confirm the township zoning map, district standards, legal access and whether the road is county-maintained or a state highway before closing⁷¹¹. Check floodway status because Indiana DNR regulates most floodway development, while floodplain-fringe work may instead be governed through local floodplain rules²⁴²⁶. For carrying costs, the county's effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, with a median annual bill around $1,176²⁷²⁸. Private-well permitting in Decatur County remains unconfirmed, so ask Environmental Health before relying on a well plan¹⁸²⁹.

Watch-outs

• Decatur County requires building permits, but the exact permit needed for a particular project should be confirmed with the Area Plan Office before work starts¹³.
• A parcel zoned Agriculture A-1 whose boundary was created after November 1, 1996 must be rezoned to A-2 before a residential building permit can be issued, and an A-1 home needs at least 720 square feet⁹.
• Agricultural zoning provides a narrow right-of-way dedication exemption for A-1 and A-2 land, not a blanket exemption from building, zoning or septic approval¹⁵.
• Decatur County's long-term RV, temporary-camping, tiny-home and owner-builder rules remain unconfirmed; ask the Area Plan Office about the specific parcel and project¹⁰³.

Sources

1. § 150.21 Building Permits (2026 county census)
2. Zoning Ordinance (2026 county census)
3. Decatur County Area Plan Office (decaturcounty.in.gov)
4. Decatur County: Environmental Health (2026 county census)
5. Decatur County: Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
6. § 150.21 Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
7. Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
8. Decatur County: Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
9. Zoning Ordinance Article 09 Agriculture, quoted and re-checked
10. (2026 county census)
11. Decatur County Highway Department (decaturcounty.in.gov)
12. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
13. § 150.01 Building Permit Applications, quoted and re-checked
14. Zoning Ordinance Article 10: Residential, quoted and re-checked
15. Zoning Ordinance Article 03: General Standards, quoted and re-checked
16. Decatur County: Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
17. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Decatur County Health Department, Environmental Health (in.gov)
19. 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
20. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Zoning Ordinance Article 03: General Standards, quoted and re-checked
23. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
25. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
26. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
28. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
29. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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.