ADU rules in Vanderburgh County, IN — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Indiana has no statewide ADU mandate; the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission regulates ADUs under the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). ADUs are allowed only as accessory to a single-family home or duplex on lots of at least 5,000 sq ft, sized 400-800 sq ft (or 40% of the principal structure, whichever is greater), with mandatory owner occupancy of either the principal home or the ADU recorded by deed restriction.
Indiana has no statewide ADU preemption statute, leaving zoning authority with local units under the Home Rule Act (IC 36-1-3). In Vanderburgh County, zoning is administered jointly by the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission, an appointed 9-member board that meets monthly to act on rezonings and subdivisions. The City and County Zoning Codes (Title 17 of the Vanderburgh County Code, with parallel Evansville rules) and the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) govern ADUs. Under the adopted ADU standards, an ADU is permitted only on a lot whose principal use is a single-family home or duplex. Lot size must be at least 5,000 square feet. Minimum ADU floor area is 400 sq ft; maximum is 800 sq ft or 40% of the floor area of the principal structure, whichever is greater. The property owner must live in either the principal residence or the ADU and must sign an affidavit and record a deed or title restriction confirming primary-residence occupancy. Where an ADU exists, the five-unrelated-persons cap in the UDO definition of 'Family' applies to the entire property combined (principal + ADU). Building permits and zoning compliance are issued through the Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission.
Constructing an ADU without zoning approval and a building permit from the Evansville-Vanderburgh Building Commission violates the UDO and can result in stop-work orders, after-the-fact permit requirements, fines, or removal of the structure. Failure to record the required owner-occupancy deed restriction is a separate violation that can void the ADU's status as a permitted accessory use.
Vanderburgh County, IN
Vanderburgh County itself has not adopted a countywide noise ordinance for unincorporated areas; only the City of Evansville has a comprehensive noise code (...
Vanderburgh County, IN
Vanderburgh County regulates fences through Chapter 15.20 of the County Code and through the Evansville-Vanderburgh Unified Development Ordinance (UDO, Title...
Vanderburgh County, IN
Vanderburgh County Code Chapter 6.05 (Animal Control) requires all animals - including dogs - to be on a leash whenever they are off the owner's property. A ...
Vanderburgh County, IN
Indiana legalizes consumer fireworks under IC 22-11-14 (Indiana Fireworks Safety Act). Statewide discharge hours under IC 22-11-14-6 are 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p...
Vanderburgh County, IN
Vanderburgh County has not adopted a parking rule unique to short-term rentals. STR parking is governed by the off-street parking standards in the Evansville...
Vanderburgh County, IN
Neither Vanderburgh County nor the City of Evansville sets a numeric guest cap specific to short-term rentals. Indiana Code 36-1-24-8 makes owner-occupied ST...
See how Vanderburgh County's adu rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.