5 rules for unincorporated Elkhart County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Elkhart County allows an accessory dwelling unit only with a single-family home on one acre or more in the A-1 agricultural district. It must run 600 to 1,000 square feet, stay a single story, and the owner must live on site.
Elkhart County, Ind., Zoning Ordinance § 5.5.3(D) (Accessory Dwelling Unit)
An accessory dwelling unit must have a minimum net above-ground floor area of 600 square feet and a maximum net floor area of 1,000 square feet.
A storage shed in Elkhart County that is not on a permanent foundation and is 120 square feet or less skips the zoning permit. Larger sheds need an Improvement Location Permit and must keep five-foot side and ten-foot rear setbacks.
Elkhart County, Ind., Zoning Ordinance § 5.5.2(B) (Setbacks)
Detached accessory structures have a minimum side setback of five feet. Detached accessory structures have a minimum rear setback of 10 feet.
Converting a garage to living space in Elkhart County is a change of occupancy needing a building permit under the 2020 Indiana Residential Code. The county reviews egress, ceiling height, insulation, and smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.
2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4-1, adopting the 2018 IRC)
That certain document being titled the 2018 International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, first printing August 2017, published by the International Code Council
A carport in Elkhart County is a detached accessory structure needing an Improvement Location Permit and a building permit. It must stand six feet from other structures, five feet off side lines, and ten feet off the rear.
Elkhart County, Ind., Zoning Ordinance § 5.5.2(A) (Setbacks)
No detached accessory structure may be located closer than six feet to any other structure.
A tiny house on a permanent foundation is legal in Elkhart County if built to the Indiana Residential Code with a 20-foot average width. A tiny house on wheels is a mobile vehicle and cannot be used as a dwelling.
Elkhart County, Ind., Zoning Ordinance § 4.4, Minimum Dwelling Standards (D) (Mobile Structures or Vehicles)
Any mobile structure or vehicle, including but not limited to travel or camping trailers, not meeting the minimum definition of a mobile home must not be used as a dwelling in any zoning district permitting dwellings.
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