Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Highland, Indiana

Town of Highland’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures built or altered under a Town of Highland building permit inside Highland town limits

  • Occupancy is allowed only after the certificate of occupancy is issued.

  “certificate of occupancy must be issued before the structure is occupied.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Highland town limits; the Town of Highland's own zoning ordinance (Title 18 Zoning of the Highland town code) governs; not the unincorporated county area.

  • Zoning district standards and variances are administered through the Town's Board of Zoning Appeals and Building & Inspection Department.

  “title 18 zoning (§ 18.05.010 – § 18.120.030)”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwelling in the R-1 residence district inside Highland town limits (two-story dwellings stated; one-story minimum not found)

  • Floor area is measured exclusive of basements, terraces, unenclosed porches and garages.
  • The one-story minimum was not located in the material opened.

  two-story minimum floor area: >= 1400 square feet (floor area excludes basements, terraces, unenclosed porches and garages) · two-story first-floor minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet (applies to the first floor of a two-story dwelling)

  “no dwelling may be established, erected, or changed so that its floor area, exclusive of basements, terraces, unenclosed porches and garages in square feet is less than prescribed below. two story: 1,400 square feet (first floor minimum: 1,000 square feet).”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family detached dwelling on a zoning lot in the R-1 residence district inside Highland town limits

  • A lot of record existing on the effective date of the zoning ordinance that is smaller than 7,200 sq ft in area, under 60 ft in width, or under 120 ft in depth may only be improved by a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
  • Quoted from Town BZA minutes (2021) reproducing HMC 18.15.060(c)(1); the current codified text was not reachable, so confirm before relying on it.

  minimum zoning lot area: >= 7200 square feet (lots of record below this size need a BZA variance) · minimum lot width at building line: >= 60 feet (lots of record below this width need a BZA variance) · minimum lot depth: >= 120 feet (lots of record below this depth need a BZA variance)

  “every one-family detached dwelling hereafter erected and every transitional use permitted in this zoning district hereafter established shall be on a zoning lot having a minimum area of 7,200 square feet, a minimum width of 60 feet at the building line and a minimum lot depth of 120 feet.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications to the Town of Highland Building & Inspection Department inside town limits

  • Application must be signed by the contractor and the property owner, or a signed copy of their contract must be provided.
  • Contracted work must be done by contractors licensed with the Town of Highland.
  • Floodplain status and BZA/plan commission approval are noted on the form, but the form does not state the approval process.
  • Fees, inspection schedule and full process are not stated in the material opened; the Building & Inspection Department is at 3333 Ridge Road, phone 219-972-7595.

  “all contracted work must be done by contractors licensed with the town of highland”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Highland or Lake County directly.

• Building permit — Whether construction inside Highland town limits requires a building permit
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits inside Highland town limits
• Building code adopted — Building codes adopted by the Town of Highland
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Highland town limits
• Zoning districts — Full list of zoning districts inside Highland town limits

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 Town of Highland 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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