What do these permits involve in Elkhart County?

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Onsite Sewage (Septic) System Permit — Commercial (Elkhart County Health Department)

A business site in Elkhart County that is not on a public sewer goes through the Elkhart County Health Department for its onsite sewage system; a site on a public sewer has no septic permit. The Health Department's septic page says installations must meet the commercial rule 410 IAC 6-10.1 and the Elkhart County Private Sewage System Ordinance 2012-153, and that all septic tanks, dosing chambers, aerobic treatment units and soil absorption fields require an Elkhart County Health Department permit before installation, by a registered installer. For commercial properties, soil borings must be done by a Registered Soil Scientist and sent to the Indiana State Department of Health for minimum requirements; a to-scale system drawing then goes to the state or to the county Health Department with the application and fee, and designs of 750 gallons per day or less are typically referred to the county for plan review without an engineer's or architect's stamp. County Code 151.06(C)(1) adds that plans for any commercial or industrial building permit must include a preliminary report from the Health Department's Environmental Health Division, based on a soil scientist's sample, on the sewage system best suited to the site. Applications are taken at 4230 Elkhart Rd, Goshen; contact Environmental Health at 574-971-4600 for the current fee.

Commercial Building Permit (Elkhart County Building Department)

Elkhart County Code 151.06(B)(2) provides that no one may construct, alter, repair, remodel or add to a building, or do plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation or air conditioning work, before the Building Commissioner approves a written application and issues a permit; painting and routine maintenance that does not affect those systems or structural stability are exempt (151.06(B)(4)). A Class 1 structure needs the state's construction design release first, and its plans may be filed on paper or as PDF (151.06(B)(1), (3)). As set in County Code 151.11 Table II (Ord. 2015-214, passed July 6, 2015, effective August 1, 2015, and reproduced in the Building Department Fee Schedule on the Planning and Development site), commercial, industrial and multi-family buildings pay an application fee of $200 for the first 25,000 square feet, $400 to 50,000, $500 to 100,000 and $500 plus $0.02 a square foot above that, plus item fees such as $100 construction plan review, $100 site plan review, $40 base plumbing plus $5 a fixture drain line, $50 a mechanical unit, $50 gas lines and $35 to $400 for electrical service. The county Building Code ordinance applies in the unincorporated area of Elkhart County and in any municipality that elects by ordinance to be subject to it. Permits expire after one year without final inspection, with a six-month commercial extension (151.06(E)). Work started before the permit carries a civil penalty of twice the normal fee.

Data Management (GIS) Fee on Nonresidential Building Permits (Elkhart County)

Elkhart County Code 41.131(A) assesses a data management fee on each listed permit processed by the county planning department, in addition to the permit's own fee. As set in that section (Ord. 03-238, passed June 16, 2003; Ord. 07-78, passed February 26, 2007), the fee is $50 on a building permit for a new nonresidential (commercial/industrial) building, and $25 on a permit for a nonresidential addition, a new nonresidential non-building structure or another new nonresidential building; a demolition permit carries $25. Under 41.131(B) the fee is a supplementary fee added to the fees set by the county's other ordinances, and it is paid and collected when the permit application is made. A business building, adding to or demolishing a commercial building in the area covered by the county Building Department therefore pays this fee alongside the commercial building permit fees of County Code 151.11.

Certificate of Occupancy (Elkhart County Building Commissioner)

Under Elkhart County Code 151.06(D), no building for which a permit is required may be used or occupied, other than to complete the work, until the Building Commissioner has issued both an occupancy permit and a utility service hook-up authorization, and after final inspection the Building Commissioner issues a certificate of occupancy. The Elkhart County Development Ordinance, section 158.11(P), adds that no land or building may be occupied or used, and no change of use made, without a Certificate of Occupancy; that the certificate is applied for at the same time as the Improvement Location Permit; and that the Zoning Administrator recommends and the Building Commissioner decides. As set in County Code 151.11 Table IV (Ord. 2015-214), the certificate of occupancy costs $35. Re-inspections caused by code violations, uncorrected violations or lock-outs cost $35 for the first, $50 for the second and $65 for each one after that, and when a certificate is requested those fees must be paid before it is issued.

Improvement Location Permit (Elkhart County Zoning Administrator)

Under the Elkhart County Development Ordinance, section 158.11(L)(1)(a), an Improvement Location Permit is required before the permanent erection, reconstruction, alteration, movement, conversion, extension or enlargement of a structure or improvement, and before establishing a new nonresidential land use or changing an existing one. An applicant must receive it before a Building Permit is issued, and it does not replace the building permit (158.11(L)(1)(b)–(c)). Small accessory structures of 120 square feet or less without a permanent foundation, landscaping, property maintenance, and a permitted home occupation without new construction need none (158.11(L)(2)). The Zoning Administrator approves, approves with conditions or denies the permit after checking the project against the ordinance, any approved plat, planned unit development, special use permit or variance, and the site's access to a public right-of-way. Work must start within 6 months and finish within 24 months, with at most two 30-day renewals. Under 158.11(P)(2)(c) the Certificate of Occupancy is applied for at the same time. Under 158.01(F) the ordinance covers all of Elkhart County except the planning jurisdictions of Goshen, Elkhart and Nappanee; a site inside those cities follows the city's own zoning process.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Onsite Sewage (Septic) System Permit — Commercial (Elkhart County Health Department)only if it applies to you	Elkhart County Health Department — Environmental Health	The permit fee is set in the Elkhart County Health Department Fee Schedule; the Health Department's septic page states that the system drawing is submitted "with the appropriate application and fee". Contact Environmental Health at 574-971-4600 for the current amount.	per system installation, repair or replacement	2026-10-15
Commercial Building Permit (Elkhart County Building Department)only if it applies to you	Elkhart County Planning and Development — Building Department	Commercial building application fee by floor area: first 25,000 sq ft $200; 25,001–50,000 sq ft $400; 50,001–100,000 sq ft $500; over 100,000 sq ft $500 plus $0.02 per sq ft over 100,000. Plus, per item: construction plan review $100; site plan review $100; base plumbing fee $40 plus $5 for each fixture drain line; mechanical $50 for each heating, cooling, make-up air or refrigeration unit; gas lines $50; electrical service up to 100 A $35, up to 200 A $40, up to 400 A $50, up to 800 A $100, up to 2,000 A $200, over 2,000 A $400; footings and structural first 25,000 sq ft $50, 25,000–50,000 $75, 50,000–100,000 $100, over 100,000 $150 plus $0.02 per sq ft over 100,000; fire suppression or sprinkler system up to 150 heads $50, 151–300 $100, over 300 $200; extension of permit $200. Work started before the permit: civil penalty equal to twice the normal fee.	expires one year after issuance if construction has not reached final inspection; commercial permits may be extended for six months (County Code 151.06(E))	2026-10-15
Data Management (GIS) Fee on Nonresidential Building Permits (Elkhart County)only if it applies to you	Elkhart County Planning and Development — Building Department	$50 per new nonresidential (commercial/industrial) building permit; $25 for a nonresidential addition, a new nonresidential non-building structure or another new nonresidential building, as set in Elkhart County Code 41.131(A) (Ord. 03-238; Ord. 07-78); collected with the permit application	one-time, with each permit application	2026-10-15
Certificate of Occupancy (Elkhart County Building Commissioner)only if it applies to you	Elkhart County Planning and Development — Building Department	$35 per certificate of occupancy, as set in Elkhart County Code 151.11 Table IV (Ord. 2015-214); re-inspections $35 for the first, $50 for the second and $65 for each later one, paid before the certificate is issued	one-time, issued after final inspection	2026-10-15
Improvement Location Permit (Elkhart County Zoning Administrator)only if it applies to you	Elkhart County Planning and Development — Zoning Administrator	The application fee is charged by Elkhart County Planning and Development; contact the department for the amount that applies to a given project.	work must commence within 6 months and be completed within 24 months of approval; up to two 30-day renewals (Elkhart County Development Ordinance 158.11(L)(5))	2026-10-15

Business licenses and permits in Elkhart County, Indiana

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