Tippecanoe County, IN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Height is set zone by zone in Chapter 2 of the Unified Zoning Ordinance, which the Area Plan Commission administers countywide, including in the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette and the Towns of Battle Ground, Clarks Hill and Dayton, rather than by one universal number. The R1 Single-Family Residential zone and the R1B Single-Family Residential zone both cap primary buildings at 35 feet, with the ordinance carving out an exception for a building being repaired, restored or rehabilitated to its original height even if that height exceeds 35 feet (§ 2-1-12/13; § 2-3-10, Amend 10). Both sections point to § 4-5 for additional height exceptions, such as allowances for chimneys, spires and similar features that are typically not counted as building height.

Zones built for higher-density housing run taller. The R1U zone, reserved for townhouses, allows buildings up to 45 feet and three stories (§ 2-6-12), well above the 35-foot ceiling in the standard single-family zones. A property owner has to confirm the parcel's zoning district on the county's zoning map before relying on either number, since the two figures are not interchangeable.

The Area Plan Commission's Administrative Officer checks proposed building height against the applicable zone table when an improvement location permit is reviewed. A design that exceeds the zone's cap, and does not qualify for a § 4-5 exception, needs a variance from the Area Board of Zoning Appeals before it can be built.