Porter County, IN Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Sec. " Sec. 6-55 spells out what the application must contain: contact information for the applicant, "a clear and understandable copy of detailed plans and specifications drawn to scale," a plot plan showing the structure's location relative to existing property lines, streets, curbs and sidewalks (waived only for work entirely inside an existing structure), and, if state law requires it, a design release issued under IC 22-15-3 by the state building commissioner and state fire marshal. Sec. 6-56 requires the building commissioner to issue the permit once the application is complete, the fee is paid, and the proposed construction conforms to all applicable building laws and will not violate other ordinances; the same section bars a building commissioner, code official, or inspector with a conflict of interest from issuing or overseeing the permit, requiring referral to the department director instead.

Occupancy is separately gated: Sec. " The county can also withhold future permits from an applicant who owes fees, including bounced checks, under Sec. 6-107(a), or from a property that is out of conformance with zoning under Sec. 6-107(b). This building code chapter does not apply to industrialized building systems or mobile structures certified under IC 22-15-4, or to regulated amusement devices, boilers, pressure vessels, or lifting devices, per Sec. 6-22.