Bloomington, IN Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Monroe County Building Department
- City administrator
- Transportation and traffic engineer
- Owner-occupant exemption
- Not for resale property
- Appeal body
- Indiana Fire Prevention & Building Safety Commission
- Change-of-use/temp-use permit fee
- $250 (Sec. 17.08.050)
- Grading/site development fee
- $115 per acre
Summary
In the City of Bloomington, a building permit is required whenever construction, alteration, demolition, moving, or repair work meets or exceeds the scope set out in Title 17 of the Bloomington Municipal Code. The Monroe County Building Department issues the permit itself, while the City's Planning and Transportation Department enforces the technical codes, inspects sites, and can halt work with a written stop-work order.
The provisions of this title shall serve as the administrative, organizational, and enforcement rules and regulations for the technical codes which regulate the site preparation and construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair, use and occupancy of buildings, structures, building service equipment and systems within the City of Bloomington and its jurisdiction. ... No section or provision in this title is to be interpreted as prohibiting a property owner from doing work on a residence which he or she owns and in which he or she lives or plans to live. Property for resale is not included in this exemption. Permits are required when work or construction equals or exceeds the scope set forth in this title.
Full Breakdown
030. 060. 090 states that permits are required when work or construction equals or exceeds the scope set forth in Title 17, though it exempts a property owner doing work on a residence they own and occupy, an exemption that never extends to property held for resale. 010, is an official document issued by the Monroe County Building Department after a certificate of zoning compliance has been obtained from the City. 010, may appoint building inspectors, and can issue a written stop-work order for any work proceeding contrary to the title.
100: any Monroe County or City permit authorizing demolition must be approved by the Planning and Transportation Department for compliance with Titles 8 and 20, including the historic-preservation demolition-delay rules. C. C. 100.
Violations & Fines
Section 17.04.040 makes it a violation of the Bloomington Municipal Code to fail to comply with any Title 17 regulation; where no specific penalty is set, a violator faces the fines in the general penalty clause at Section 1.01.130. Continuing work after the transportation and traffic engineer issues a written stop-work order under Section 17.08.010(b) is itself a separate ordinance violation, and after a stop-work order or a permit denial the site or structure must be returned to its original condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a building permit in the City of Bloomington?
Does a homeowner doing their own work need a permit?
What happens if work continues after a stop-work order?
Do demolition permits need extra city sign-off?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
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