Vanderburgh County, IN Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Construction, alteration, repair, sewer connection
- Small-repair exemption
- $500.00/unit/year (licensed person)
- Volunteer-labor exemption
- $1,000.00 material cost
- Permit validity
- 1 year from issuance
- Unpermitted-work fee
- Tripled
- General violation penalty
- $2,500-$7,500 escalating
Summary
Vanderburgh County requires a building permit before any structure, equipment, or sewer connection is installed, constructed, repaired, or altered, per County Code Section 15.08.030(A). The owner and the person doing the work are jointly responsible for obtaining it, and no permit issues until the Area Plan Commission and the water and sewer utility department sign off on the project.
No building or any part thereof, nor equipment for any building or part thereof, or any sewer connection or part thereof, or any sewer connection or part thereof, shall be installed, constructed, repaired, or altered, except in conformity with this title nor before a permit has been issued for the work. No work shall be started, nor shall materials be stored on any premises for the construction of any work, and no enclosing or protecting devices shall be used or erected, nor shall any excavation be made without first obtaining a permit to carry on the contemplated work. The owner or lessee of real estate on which the work is being done shall be jointly and severally responsible with the person doing the work for obtaining a permit. No building permit shall be issued until proper approvals have been obtained from the area planning commission and the water and sewer utility department.
Full Breakdown
030(A) requires a permit before any building, part of a building, equipment, or sewer connection is installed, constructed, repaired, or altered, and bars starting work, storing materials on site, erecting protective devices, or excavating until the permit is in hand. The property owner or lessee is jointly and severally responsible with whoever is doing the work for pulling the permit, and the joint department of building commissioners will not issue one until the Area Plan Commission and the water and sewer utility department approve the project.
Once issued, the permit card must be displayed in a conspicuous place on the property until work is done, and the street address must be posted with temporary numbers at least four inches tall during construction. 00 in material cost for work performed by a DMD-approved volunteer organization at no cost to the owner. That exemption never covers structural modifications, electrical wiring or service panel work, plumbing or gas piping, water heaters, HVAC equipment, or more than two squares of roofing, and the owner must still notify the Building Commission and get a control number before starting exempt work. 040(B), and the fee for work started before a permit is obtained is tripled.
Violations & Fines
Skipping the permit, or failing to display the permit card, is a Title 15 violation punishable under Section 15.08.170 at up to $2,500.00 for a first offense, $5,000.00 for a second, and $7,500.00 for a third, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Starting a job under the $500.00 small-repair exemption without first calling in the project draws its own fine of $100.00 for a first offense, $250.00 for a second, and $500.00 for a third, and a job that exceeds $500.00 in value draws a flat $250.00 fine under Section 15.08.030(G).
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Vanderburgh County require a building permit?
Is there an exemption for small home repairs?
Who is legally responsible for getting the permit?
How long does a Vanderburgh County building permit stay valid?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vanderburgh County
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