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

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction and many other projects in unincorporated Madison County¹

Zoning

County zoning covers all unincorporated areas; confirm the adopted district rules for a specific parcel²⁵

Septic permit

Madison County Health Department, Environmental Division⁴⁶

Owner-builder exemption

Not confirmed on any official source; ask the Planning Commission directly⁷

Home permit fee

$650 plus $0.10 per square foot above 1,200 square feet, including inspections⁸

Septic soil suitability

Only about 2.4% of soils are free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹

State highway driveway permit

Required through the INDOT Electronic Permit System for state-route access¹⁰

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 Madison County, Indiana?

Yes. Unincorporated Madison County requires building permits for new construction, additions, remodeling, pools, towers, demolition, signs, meter bases, driveway or curb cuts, and detached accessory structures larger than 121 square feet¹. A new one- or two-family dwelling costs $650 plus $0.10 for each square foot above 1,200 square feet, and the published fee includes inspections⁸. A driveway or curb-cut permit costs $125⁸. Indiana's currently effective residential code adopts the 2018 International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings¹¹. Agricultural buildings used only for farming where they stand and not used for retail are exempt from state Class 1 design-release classification, but local zoning and inspection may still apply¹². Starting work without a permit can bring a stop-work order and double the permit fee¹³. The county's published fee schedule lists no certificate-of-occupancy requirement, so ask the Planning Commission what it requires before you move in.

Who is the Madison County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Madison County Planning Commission handles building and zoning permits throughout unincorporated Madison County and serves as the building commission for the Town of Orestes². Reach the planning office at 765-641-9540; it is open 8 to 4 on county working days¹⁴. The office is in the Madison County Government Center at 16 East 9th Street, Anderson, IN 46016¹⁴. Ask for the application, the parcel's zoning district, required plan documents, the inspection sequence and any engineering review before filing. Madison County publishes permit and inspection fees, but applicants must also reimburse direct engineering-review costs when the Planning Department requires that review⁸.

Does Madison County have zoning?

Yes. The Madison County Planning Commission administers zoning throughout unincorporated Madison County, and the Board of Zoning Appeals hears variance and special-use applications². The county page links a proposed zoning map and a draft unified development ordinance, but those materials do not confirm the currently adopted district standards⁵. Ask the Planning Commission to identify the parcel's adopted district and verify its allowed uses, setbacks, minimum lot or dwelling size, height and lot coverage before designing a home. County subdivision review also applies in unincorporated Madison County, with separate published fees for major and minor plats, replats and plat amendments¹⁵. Incorporated cities and towns may use their own rules, so first confirm which jurisdiction contains the parcel².

How do septic permits work in Madison County?

The Madison County Health Department's Environmental Division performs septic site evaluations and issues onsite sewage permits⁴. Indiana requires a written construction permit signed by the health officer before an onsite system is built, replaced or altered, and the application needs an onsite soil evaluation and the bedroom count³. The health department must issue or deny the septic permit in writing within 30 days of receiving the application and plans³. Indiana requires a compliant septic tank and soil absorption system where a dwelling is not connected to sewer; drywells and cesspools are not allowed¹⁶. Before subsurface work is covered, the permittee must request final inspection using the local procedure or, if none is published, give at least 48 hours or two working days' notice¹⁷. Only about 2.4% of Madison County soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, making the site evaluation a key pre-purchase step⁹. Madison County uses a mix of onsite systems, municipal wastewater utilities and the Fall Creek Regional Waste District, so ask which service applies to the parcel¹⁸. Reach the Environmental Division at (765) 641-9524 or healthdept@madisoncounty.in.gov⁶.

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

We could not confirm a Madison County rule allowing long-term RV living or tiny-home occupancy on a private parcel. Because unincorporated Madison County is zoned, ask the Planning Commission whether the parcel's adopted district permits the proposed use and what setbacks, dwelling standards or approvals apply²⁵. Indiana's campground rule does not answer the private-lot question because it covers qualifying campgrounds and excludes individually deeded lots¹⁹. A tiny home used as a dwelling still needs an approved wastewater arrangement: Madison County has both sewer-service areas and parcels served by onsite septic systems¹⁸. Ask the Health Department about septic feasibility before treating an RV or tiny home as a bridge while building⁴.

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

1. Confirm that the parcel is in unincorporated Madison County and ask the Planning Commission for its adopted zoning district and applicable standards²⁵.
2. Determine whether the parcel must connect to a wastewater utility or can use septic, then obtain the Health Department's site evaluation and permit if an onsite system is needed¹⁸⁴.
3. Submit the building-permit application and plans to the Planning Commission; budget for the published permit fee and any required engineering review¹⁸.
4. Ask the Environmental Division whether a private-well permit is required, and use an Indiana-licensed well driller²⁰.
5. Obtain permission from the agency controlling the road; state-highway access applications go through INDOT's Electronic Permit System¹⁰.
6. Arrange building inspections and request the septic final inspection before subsurface work is covered⁸¹⁷.

What to check before you buy land in Madison County

Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction and adopted zoning district before relying on a listing's description of buildability²⁵. Verify whether water and wastewater will come from private well and septic, a municipality, or the Fall Creek Regional Waste District; the available arrangement varies by location¹⁸. Check soils early because only about 2.4% of Madison County soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹. If the parcel is in a floodway, Indiana's DNR Division of Water regulates most development activity there, while floodplain-fringe work has no state permit but may still need local approval²¹²². For access, confirm which government controls the road, since state-highway driveways require INDOT permission and the county fee schedule separately lists driveway or curb-cut permits¹⁰¹. If a purchase includes a land split, account for county subdivision review before closing¹⁵.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption in Madison County; ask the Planning Commission before assuming one applies⁷.
• The Madison County Planning Commission's jurisdiction covers unincorporated areas and the Town of Orestes; confirm the correct permit office for land inside another municipality².
• Well-permit requirements vary by local health department in Indiana and aren't published in one place; confirm directly with Madison County's Environmental Division whether a well or well-pump permit applies to your project²⁰.
• Septic permits and building permits are separate approvals from separate offices, and a building permit from the Planning Commission does not include the Health Department's septic permit³¹.

Sources

1. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
2. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
3. 410 IAC 6-8.3, Residential Onsite Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
4. Environmental Public Health: Onsite Sewage Systems Program (2026 county census)
5. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
6. Madison County Health Department, Environmental Division (madcohealth.org)
7. (2026 county census)
8. Madison County Planning Department Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
9. 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
10. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
12. Plan Review FAQs (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Madison County Planning Department Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
14. Madison County Planning Commission (madisoncounty.in.gov)
15. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
16. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Indiana Register: 410 IAC 6-8.3 amendments, quoted and re-checked
18. Water/Wastewater Master Plan, quoted and re-checked
19. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.