Tell City IN Homeowner Hub: Perry County Permits

Tell City sits in Perry County, on Central time, and the county planning office is right in town. Two things catch homeowners out here: the permit is triggered by more than just building, and it comes with a clock attached.

What triggers a permit in Perry County

Perry County Planning and Zoning issues improvement location permits, administers the zoning regulations, and keeps the file of every permit and application. In the county’s own terms, you need one before you:

occupy or use any vacant land
occupy or use any structure constructed, reconstructed, moved or enlarged
change land or a structure to a different use
alter a nonconforming use

Note that first line. Occupying or using vacant land is a permit trigger, which is not what most people picture when they hear “building permit.”

The clock, and the paperwork order

Once issued, construction must start within one year and be complete within two. Worth knowing if you are permitting a project you intend to do in stages.

Your application needs a complete copy of the application, a dimensional floor plan of the proposed building, and a copy of the property’s water/sewage permit where one applies. The department will not issue the building permit until the water and sewage side is finalised — so start that first if your project touches it, or you will be waiting on it.

Office is at 2219 Payne Street, Tell City, IN 47586 — (812) 547-7121, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 4:00 Central. Call for an appointment rather than turning up. Fees vary by project and are set out in the department’s fee schedule. Perry County Planning & Zoning.

Clearing out

Perry County clear-out dates were not confirmed at our last check. The Tri-State Clear-Out Calendar tracks each county’s programs and official source, and says plainly where nothing has been posted.

Call 811 before any digging, fence posts and footings included.

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Browse the Tri-State contractor directory by trade, or tell us what you need and we will hand it to one local contractor in your area. Free to you — contractors pay us, you never do.