Bloomington building department

In Bloomington and the rest of Monroe County, permits come from two offices:

• Zoning is handled by the City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department for property inside city limits, and by Monroe County for unincorporated land.
• Building permits and construction inspections for the whole county, including inside Bloomington, come from the Monroe County Building Department. It enforces the Indiana building codes adopted by the state and runs the county’s licensing and registration program for electricians and plumbers.

Step 1: Zoning approval

Every residential building, accessory structure, repair, and miscellaneous-structure application in the county’s portal lists a zoning approval as a required attachment:

• Inside Bloomington city limits: a Certificate of Zoning Compliance (CZC) from the City of Bloomington.
• Unincorporated Monroe County: an Improvement Location Permit (ILP) from Monroe County.

Attach the certified or scaled plot plan you used to get the CZC or ILP to the building permit application as well.

Step 2: Building permit through OpenGov

The county takes applications through its OpenGov portal. You need an OpenGov account, and the county posts a how-to video and PDF instructions. Residential record types include:

• building permit (new home, addition, remodel, attached deck, or basement finish)
• accessory structure
• repair
• miscellaneous structure (ramps and standalone decks)
• swimming pool and spa
• demolition
• manufactured home placement
• electrical
• plumbing
• certificate of occupancy

Which permit fits:

• Detached outbuildings (garages, pool houses, utility buildings, and yard barns of 200 sq ft or more) use the accessory structure permit. If any part of the building includes living space, use the residential building permit instead.
• Decks attached to the house use the residential building permit. Freestanding decks use the miscellaneous structure permit.
• Repair permits cover replacing failed structural elements or altering structure without changing the size or use of the space, such as opening a wall, adding a header, or changing a staircase. They do not cover remodels.

A complete residential application includes construction plans, the CZC or ILP, the plot plan, and the county’s Advanced Structural Components form. If you use a private inspector, also submit an affidavit, a plan review report, and proof of insurance.

Published timelines for residential building permits:

• 3 business days for the county to decide whether the application is complete.
• 7 business days from plan review to permit issuance.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Permits and licenses can be picked up, and payments made, only between 9 and 11 a.m. and between 1 and 3 p.m.

Commercial and apartment projects apply under the county’s commercial permit category. Class 1 work may also need an Indiana Construction Design Release from IDHS.

Fee highlights

The county’s posted fees come from its 2012 fee tables. The OpenGov listings show the same residential rates.

Residential permit	Fee
New one- or two-family dwelling	$0.14/sq ft (min. $125)
Addition	$0.14/sq ft (min. $75)
Remodel	$0.14/sq ft (min. $50)
Alteration/repair	$50
Covered decks, porches, and decks or balconies over 30 in. above grade	$0.10/sq ft (min. $50)
Accessory structure	$0.10/sq ft (min. $50)
Fences over 6 ft, ramps, stairs	$50
Pool: above ground / in ground	$50 / $125
Electric service under 400 A	$50
Residential demolition	$75
Re-inspection	$50
Certificate of occupancy	$125

An expired permit can be renewed for 50% of the original fee.

Inspections

Call (812) 349-2580 at least 24 hours ahead and have your permit number ready. Inspections are assigned first-in, first-out, and the residential permit listing says they are scheduled within 3 business days of your call.

• The owner, the contractor, or a representative must attend every inspection.
• The orange permit card must be visible from the road, or no inspection will be done.

The required order is:

1. footing
2. foundation (before framing or backfill)
3. underslab
4. rough-in
5. fire blocking
6. final

Some inspections may not apply, depending on the scope.

Before the rough-in inspection, the electrical and plumbing contractors must file their sign-offs in OpenGov. If a homeowner is doing the wiring or plumbing personally, the homeowner files the county’s Homeowner Sign-Off form instead.

After the final passes, the county issues a Certificate of Inspection Completion. For projects that create a new dwelling unit, a separate $125 certificate of occupancy is then issued. Using a structure before it has that certificate violates the law.

Licensing and registration

Under Monroe County Ordinance 96-38, electricians and plumbers must be licensed or registered with the county. A plumber registers with a current state license and an application. Licensees need:

• liability insurance naming Monroe County, with at least $500,000 combined coverage, or $500,000 per injury occurrence plus $100,000 for property damage;
• workers’ compensation coverage, unless they have no employees.

The county does not license general contractors. Their registration is voluntary and free.

Homeowners may do their own electrical or plumbing work on the permit. They must sign the homeowner sign-off saying the work will be done by them, a relative, or unpaid volunteers. Hiring an unlicensed contractor violates the ordinance, and the homeowner can be penalized too.

Codes

The county lists these codes as currently in effect:

• 2020 Indiana Residential Code, based on the 2018 IRC, effective December 26, 2019
• 2014 Indiana Building Code, based on the 2012 IBC
• Indiana Electrical Code, based on the 2008 NEC
• 2012 Indiana Plumbing Code
• 2014 Indiana Mechanical Code
• 2010 Indiana Energy Conservation Code

It also enforces the Monroe County Building Code (Chapters 430 and 432) and Unsafe Building Ordinance 95-25.