Lake County, IN Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Lake County adopted the Indiana Electrical Code (IEC, effective 3-1-1987) by reference in § 151.004(A)(4), along with any later amendments published in the Indiana Register or Indiana Administrative Code. Section 151.020(A) requires a permit before beginning any construction, alteration, repair or maintenance of a building or structure in the unincorporated county, obtained from the County Planning and Building Department, which covers electrical work performed as part of that construction. Section 151.021 requires the application to include a plat or sketch, plans and specifications, and any information the Department requests, submitted as a sworn affidavit.

The fee schedule in § 151.043 sets electrical charges separately from the base building fee: $.20 per amp per meter with a $20 minimum, plus a flat fee for a new branch circuit. Section 151.025(A) requires rough electric and electric service inspections, plus a final electric inspection, among the minimum inspections scheduled for every permit; an inspection that finds work out of compliance draws an additional $50 fee under § 151.025(B), and a re-inspection after correction costs another $50 under § 151.025(C). A permit is valid two years from issuance under § 151.023(B), and § 151.026 lets a permit-holder appeal a Building Department decision to the County Board of Zoning Appeals and then to the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission under I.C. 22-12-7-11 or 22-12-7-12.