Tippecanoe County, IN Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Pre-permit review
- Code compliance + flood-safety check
- Approval-to-permit window
- 30 days or application voids
- Inspecting officer
- County Building Commissioner
- Entry power
- Reasonable-times right of entry, §151.10
- Non-compliant work remedy
- Written stop order, §151.11
- Fine for violations
- $100/day, §151.99
Summary
Before issuing a building permit, the Tippecanoe County Building Commissioner reviews the application for code compliance and flood-safety, and voids it if the applicant does not secure it within 30 days of approval. After the permit issues, the Commissioner performs the inspections needed to confirm the work matches the permit and the code.
(A) Prior to the issuance of any building permit hereunder, the Building Commissioner shall:
(1) Review all building permit applications to determine full compliance with provisions of this subchapter.
(2) Review all building permit applications for new construction or substantial improvements to determine whether proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding.
(3) An application for a permit becomes null and void if the applicant does not secure the permit within 30 days after its approval.
(B) After the issuance of any building permit hereunder, the Building Commissioner shall make, or shall cause to be made, such inspections of the work being done under such permit as are necessary to insure full compliance with the provisions of this subchapter and the terms of the permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-17: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2025-25-CM, passed 8-1-25; and State legislation current through 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
09(A) requires the Building Commissioner, before issuing any building permit, to review the application for full compliance with the building regulations subchapter, and, for new construction or substantial improvements, to determine whether the proposed site will be reasonably safe from flooding. An approved application that is not secured into an actual permit within 30 days becomes null and void, forcing the applicant to reapply. 09(B) obligates the Commissioner to make, or arrange for, the inspections of the work necessary to confirm full compliance with both the subchapter and the terms of the permit itself.
10 backs this up with a right-of-entry power: upon presenting proper credentials, the Building Commissioner or an authorized representative may enter any building, structure, or premises in the county at reasonable times to perform any duty the subchapter imposes, which covers routine inspection visits. 11 lets the Commissioner issue a written stop order to whoever is doing or causing the work, and that person must halt until the Commissioner authorizes the work to resume. 12 unless the building was erected or altered in compliance with the subchapter, which in practice ties final sign-off directly to passing the required inspections.
Violations & Fines
Inspection non-compliance, including refusing entry to the Building Commissioner or ignoring a stop order issued under § 151.11, is enforced through § 151.99: a $100 fine for each violation, with every day the noncompliance continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the county check before issuing a building permit?
Can the county inspect my property during construction?
What happens if I lose my approved permit application after 30 days?
Can the county stop work that fails inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tippecanoe County
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