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

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new homes and other listed construction¹

Zoning

County rules cover Pennville, Salamonia and other unincorporated areas; four municipalities have separate ordinances²³

Septic

Administered locally by the Jay County Health Department under Indiana rules⁴⁵

RV living

RVs may not be occupied continuously for more than 12 weeks outside an approved campground (county ordinance area)⁶

Tiny home

Counts as a residential home: over 950 sq ft of occupied space on a permanent foundation (county ordinance area)⁷

Owner-builder

No exemption confirmed; ask Building & Planning who may apply and perform work⁸

Agricultural building

A narrow county occupancy-compliance exception and a conditional state design-release exemption may apply⁹¹⁰

Private well

Local permit status was not confirmed; ask the Health Department before drilling¹¹

Temporary home while building

Temporary use permit from the Zoning Administrator, one year plus one extension¹²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

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

Yes, in unincorporated Jay County. The county requires permits for new homes, garages or carports, new or enlarged basements, additions and structural changes, commercial buildings, agricultural structures, towers, pools, ponds and other listed work in county authority areas.¹ The Jay/Portland Building & Planning Department issues city and county building and zoning permits and performs inspections.¹³ Indiana's statewide system currently includes the 2014 Indiana Building Code and the 2020 Indiana Residential Code; all work must meet the applicable code even when state filing is not required, and locally required permits still apply.¹⁴ A qualifying agricultural building is outside the state Class 1 design-release category, but that does not waive local requirements; the county's agricultural exception is limited to specified certificate-of-compliance cases.¹⁰⁹ Permit fees vary by project and are not published online, so request the current amount from Building & Planning.¹⁵ Driveways are listed as not needing a building permit from Building & Planning, but that answer does not settle whether the road's owner requires an entrance approval.¹⁶

Who issues Jay County building permits, and how do you reach them?

The Jay/Portland Building & Planning Department is the first stop for building permits, zoning review, inspections, rezoning and local flood-control questions.¹³ The office is at the Community Resource Center, 118 S. Meridian Street, Ste E, Portland, IN 47371; call 260-726-6904 or email jpbp.jhemmel@gmail.com.¹³ The department handles building permits and zoning for county-ordinance land: Pennville, Salamonia and other unincorporated areas, while Portland, Dunkirk, Bryant and Redkey set their own rules; septic permits stay with the Jay County Health Department wherever the parcel sits.³⁴ For an Improvement Location Permit in the county ordinance area, submit a completed application, required fees and material showing compliance; the zoning administrator aims to decide promptly, but additional review can extend the process.¹⁷ A certificate of compliance is required before covered occupancy, use or change of use, including a newly erected or enlarged structure.¹⁸ No owner-builder exemption was confirmed, so ask the department who may pull the permit and perform the proposed work.⁸

Does Jay County, Indiana have zoning?

Yes, but the zoning authority varies by location. Jay County's ordinance governs Pennville, Salamonia and other unincorporated areas, while Portland, Dunkirk, Bryant and Redkey have separate ordinances.²¹⁹ Jay County publishes zoning districts and maps, so the parcel's district is the starting point for any land-use answer.²⁰ In the Agricultural/Residential district, a lot using a well and septic system must have at least 2 acres; the stated minimum does not apply where public or another approved community sewer serves the lot.²¹ Agricultural/Residential setbacks are 30 feet from the road right-of-way and 5 feet from property lines unless another ordinance provision applies.²² Height also changes by district: primary structures are capped at 30 feet in Rural/Residential, 50 feet in Commercial and 70 feet in Industrial, while secondary structures in each are capped at 16 feet, subject to stated variance and special-structure provisions.²³²⁴²⁵ Ask Building & Planning to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction and district before designing or buying.¹³

How do septic permits work in Jay County?

The Jay County Health Department administers septic permits for residential onsite-sewage systems under Indiana's statewide rule, and that applies to town addresses as well as rural ones; building permits and septic permits are separate.⁴⁵ Local health departments issue permits for new systems and repairs, and a local septic ordinance that differs from the state rule was voided as of July 1, 2023.²⁶ Where a sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance, a septic system is prohibited and a sewer connection is required.²⁶ Contact the Health Department at 504 West Arch Street, Portland, IN 47371, or 260-726-8080 before committing to a house location.²⁷ The available material did not confirm Jay County's precise application, permit and inspection sequence, so ask the department what soil evaluation, design, installer and inspection steps apply.⁴ Only about 0.4% of mapped Jay County soils avoid a “very limited” rating for a conventional septic drain field, making site-specific soil work a central feasibility check.²⁸ Indiana sanitation rules generally require a compliant septic tank and soil absorption system where a dwelling is not connected or cannot connect to sewer; drywells and cesspools are not allowed as onsite sewage treatment.²⁹

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Jay County?

Yes, within limits, in the county ordinance area outside Portland, Dunkirk, Bryant and Redkey. A recreational vehicle may not be occupied continuously for longer than 12 weeks at any county location other than an approved campground.⁶ Indiana's campground rules do not turn a deeded parcel into a place to live in an RV.³⁰

While you build a permanent house on the same tract, a temporary mobile home is allowed with a temporary use permit from the Zoning Administrator, obtained before the unit is moved onto the property. The permit runs for one year and can be extended once for one more year.¹² After that, the owner must go before the Board of Zoning Appeals to show just cause.¹²

For a tiny home used as a dwelling, the ordinance does not define the term; its residential-home standard applies, meaning more than 950 square feet of occupied space on a permanent foundation and compliance with local and state codes.⁷ A manufactured home made after January 1, 1981 may serve as a scattered-site residence in a zone that permits dwellings if it meets the dwelling-size, permit, permanent-foundation, anchoring, exterior and entrance standards.³¹ Inside the four towns, ask their own offices.²

Building a home in Jay County: what are the steps?

1. Give the Jay/Portland Building & Planning Department the parcel information and confirm whether county or municipal rules control, then identify the district, allowed use, lot size, setbacks, coverage, height and any subdivision review.^{321223223242533}

1. Contact the Jay County Health Department about onsite-sewage evaluation, design and permitting before fixing the house location.⁴²⁷

1. Confirm legal access with the government controlling the road; a driveway connecting to an Indiana state highway requires permission through INDOT's permit system.³⁴

1. Submit the building and zoning materials and current fee requested by Building & Planning; county permit fees vary by project.¹⁷¹⁵

1. Post and protect the permit card, arrange required inspections with Building & Planning, and obtain the required certificate of compliance before covered occupancy or use.¹⁷¹⁸

What should you check before buying land in Jay County?

Confirm the governing zoning authority first: Jay County regulates Pennville, Salamonia and other unincorporated areas, while Portland, Dunkirk, Bryant and Redkey have separate ordinances.²³ Verify the parcel's mapped district, use, lot size, setbacks, coverage, height and subdivision status rather than assuming one countywide dimensional standard.^{20212232232425} Make septic feasibility an early contingency because only about 0.4% of mapped soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field.²⁸ For land near a ditch, waterway or low area, contact Building & Planning because floodways and floodplain areas involve Jay County, Portland, Indiana DNR and FEMA rules.³⁵ Confirm road authority and entrance approval before assuming a farm lane can become a residential driveway.³⁴ The median property-tax bill is about $665 per year and the effective rate is about 0.6%, though the parcel assessment controls.³⁶³⁷

Watch-outs

• Jay County's agricultural exception is limited to specified certificate-of-compliance cases, and the state design-release exemption does not waive local building, zoning or inspection requirements.⁹¹⁰
• Jay County permit fees vary by project and are not published online; request the current amount before budgeting.¹⁵
• Private-land RV occupancy, a county owner-builder exemption and the local private-well permit rule were not confirmed; ask Building & Planning and the Health Department before relying on any of them.^8111327

Sources

1. Jay County: Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
2. Jay County: Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
3. Jay County: Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
4. Jay County IN - Departments (Health Department) (2026 county census)
5. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
7. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
8. (2026 county census)
9. in.gov, quoted and re-checked
10. Plan Review FAQs (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
13. Jay/Portland Building & Planning Department (in.gov)
14. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
15. Jay County: Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
16. Jay County: Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
17. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
18. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
19. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
20. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
21. in.gov, quoted and re-checked
22. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
23. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
24. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
25. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
26. Environmental Public Health: Onsite Sewage Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
27. Jay County Health Department (in.gov)
28. 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
29. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
31. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
32. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
33. Jay County Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
34. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
35. Jay County: Building & Planning, quoted and re-checked
36. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
37. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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.