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

At a glance

Building permit

Required, through the Warrick County Building Department¹

Zoning

County ordinance applies outside Boonville, Newburgh and Chandler⁵³

Septic permit

Required through the Health Department; available sewer may require connection⁴

Owner-builder exemption

Not stated on the county's own pages; confirm with the Building Department⁶

Septic-friendly soils

Only 4.1% of soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁷

Land division

Covered plats and replats need Area Plan Commission approval before recording⁸

Driveway onto a state highway

Needs an INDOT permit through the Electronic Permit System⁹

Median property tax bill

About $1,497/yr (0.7% effective rate)¹⁰¹¹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

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

Unincorporated Warrick County requires building permits for residential construction; the Building Department reviews plans and conducts inspections for compliance with state and local laws¹. Residential applications must include blueprints or computer-generated house plans, with drawings no larger than 11 by 17 inches for scanning¹²¹³. The published single-family building-permit fee is $0.08 per square foot with a $200 minimum; additional inspections outside the normal sequence cost $25 each¹⁴. Applicable one- and two-family construction follows the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, based on the 2018 International Residential Code¹⁵¹⁶. Buildings used only for agriculture on the land where that activity occurs, without retail trade, avoid Indiana's state Class 1 design-release classification; confirm local building-permit and zoning requirements separately with the Building Department and Area Plan Commission¹⁷¹³¹⁸.

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

The Warrick County Building Department, at 107 West Locust St, Suite 208 in Boonville, reviews plans, issues building permits and conducts construction inspections¹³¹⁹. Call 812-897-6188 or email buildingcomm@warrickcounty.gov¹³. Start with the Area Plan Commission at 812-897-6190 to identify the zoning and Improvement Location Permit paperwork for the parcel, then confirm the required building applications with the Building Department¹²¹⁸. Warrick County publishes an Area Plan fee schedule as well as residential building-permit fees, including a $100 mobile-home permit fee²⁰¹⁴.

Does Warrick County have zoning?

The Warrick County Area Plan Commission administers zoning in unincorporated Warrick County and identifies Elberfeld, Lynnville and Tennyson within its planning jurisdiction². Boonville has its own Unified Development Ordinance, and Newburgh and Chandler have their own zoning ordinances²¹²²²³. Septic permits remain with the Warrick County Health Department²⁴. Ask the Area Plan Commission for the current district table for a county-zoned parcel: the ordinance history records a 0.5-acre minimum in CON and A, setback standards in R-2B, and a 45-foot maximum height in R-2^25262728. Covered plats and replats need commission approval before recording or selling a proposed subdivision parcel⁸.

How do septic permits work in Warrick County?

The Warrick County Health Department's Sanitarian/EHS office issues septic permits, reviews septic plans, performs site evaluations and oversees system improvements and repairs²⁴. Where sanitary sewer is available within a reasonable distance, an on-site sewage system is prohibited and sewer connection is required⁴. In covered subdivisions without public sewer, private septic systems require Health Department approval and zoning permission²⁹. Only 4.1% of Warrick County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so obtain a site evaluation before assuming a standard system will work⁷²⁴. Indiana requires a compliant septic tank and soil-absorption system where a dwelling cannot connect to sewer; drywells and cesspools are not allowed³⁰. Inside Lynnville, private sewage installations also require final inspection by the town Superintendent before underground portions are covered³¹.

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

We could not confirm a Warrick County rule allowing long-term RV living or tiny-home occupancy on an individually deeded parcel; ask the Area Plan Commission before planning residential occupancy¹⁸. Ask the Area Plan Commission about the parcel's zoning district, the proposed dwelling, district-specific setbacks and any temporary-use approval before buying⁵²⁷¹⁸. Indiana's campground rule does not answer the private-lot question because it governs regulated campgrounds rather than individually deeded lots³². In covered subdivisions without public sewer, an approved private septic system is allowed, but that sanitation rule does not by itself authorize an RV or tiny home as a residence²⁹.

What are the steps to building a home in Warrick County?

1. Confirm which jurisdiction controls the parcel: the county ordinance excludes Boonville, Newburgh and Chandler³.
2. Ask the Warrick County Area Plan Commission for the zoning district, use rules, setbacks and Improvement Location Permit paperwork; if land will be divided, ask about plat approval before recording or selling a parcel²⁵⁸.
3. If public water or sewer is unavailable in a subdivision, take the proposed private well and septic plan to the Health Department for approval³³³⁴.
4. Contact the Sanitarian/EHS office at 812-217-5528 to establish whether sewer connection is required or a septic site evaluation and permit are appropriate⁴³⁵.
5. Ask the Building Department at 812-897-6188 which applications and inspections apply, then submit the required house plans¹²¹⁹¹³.
6. Budget the published residential permit fee, including the $200 minimum for a single-family dwelling¹⁴.
7. For access to a state highway, apply through INDOT's Electronic Permit System⁹.

What should you check before buying land in Warrick County?

Soils: only 4.1% of Warrick County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so get a Health Department site evaluation before relying on a standard septic layout⁷³⁶. Utilities: covered subdivision land without public sewer or water must use an approved private septic system and potable-water source, but a separate county well-permit requirement could not be confirmed³³³⁴. Zoning: confirm whether the parcel falls under the county ordinance or the separate rules of Boonville, Newburgh or Chandler³⁷. Land division: covered plats and replats need Area Plan Commission approval before recording, and proposed subdivision parcels cannot be sold before approval and filing⁸. Flood: Indiana DNR oversees most floodway development, while floodplain-fringe work has no state permit but may still need local approval³⁸³⁹. Access: state-highway driveways need INDOT permission⁹. Taxes: the median property-tax bill is about $1,497 a year at an effective rate near 0.7%¹⁰¹¹.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption from Warrick County building permits or contractor requirements; ask the Building Department before planning to pull your own building permit⁶¹³.
• Zoning standards vary by district, and the available ordinance history does not provide every current setback, lot-size or height rule; ask the Area Plan Commission for the current district table²⁶²⁷²⁸.
• Only 4.1% of Warrick County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so do not assume a standard system until the Sanitarian/EHS office evaluates your site⁷.

Sources

1. Building Department | Warrick County, quoted and re-checked
2. Area Plan | Warrick County, quoted and re-checked
3. Warrick County Area Plan, quoted and re-checked
4. Sanitarian/EHS, quoted and re-checked
5. Warrick County Area Plan, quoted and re-checked
6. (2026 county census)
7. 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
8. Warrick County Subdivision Control Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
9. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
11. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
12. Building Department, quoted and re-checked
13. Warrick County Building Department (warrickcounty.gov)
14. Residential Uses Permit Fee Table, quoted and re-checked
15. DHS: Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
16. DHS: Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission, quoted and re-checked
17. Plan Review FAQs (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Warrick County Area Plan Commission (warrickcounty.gov)
19. Building Department, quoted and re-checked
20. Warrick County Area Plan, quoted and re-checked
21. Boonville: Boonville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 153: Zoning, § 153.02 (Warrick County), quoted and re-checked
22. Town of Newburgh: § 157.100 DISTRICTS (Warrick County), quoted and re-checked
23. Town of Chandler: Title XVII: Zoning (Warrick County), quoted and re-checked
24. Sanitarian/EHS | Warrick County, quoted and re-checked
25. Warrick County Area Plan, quoted and re-checked
26. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance front sheet, quoted and re-checked
27. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance front sheet, quoted and re-checked
28. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance front sheet, quoted and re-checked
29. Warrick County Subdivision Control Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
30. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
31. Town of Lynnville: § 52.17 Private Sewage Disposal Systems (Warrick County), quoted and re-checked
32. Environmental Public Health: 410 IAC 6-71 Campgrounds (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Warrick County Subdivision Control Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
34. Warrick County Subdivision Control Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
35. Warrick County Health Department Sanitarian/EHS (warrickcounty.gov)
36. Sanitarian/EHS | Warrick County, quoted and re-checked
37. Warrick County Area Plan, quoted and re-checked
38. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
39. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.