Bloomington Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Bloomington’s permitting path is split between city land-use administration and Monroe County building enforcement. The City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department handles city zoning, certificates of zoning compliance, development review, site-plan decisions, and occupancy-related site conditions. The Monroe County Building Department handles building permits and construction inspections for projects in the county, including the county building inspection step for projects inside Bloomington. Confirm the property jurisdiction before applying.

Bloomington building permits and plan review

For a project inside Bloomington city limits, begin with Planning and Transportation to determine zoning, use, site-plan, certificate-of-zoning-compliance, historic, grading, or right-of-way requirements. The city’s pre-construction guidance specifically directs applicants inside city limits to the city for grading, excavation, right-of-way, construction bonding, and site inspections, while directing projects outside the city to the Monroe County Building Department for building permits and construction-site inspections.

The city zoning code requires the applicable city approvals before occupancy. The county building authority applies Indiana’s adopted technical codes and performs the building inspections. Class 1 commercial or public projects may additionally require an Indiana Construction Design Release through IDHS; state review does not replace city zoning or county permit requirements.

Inspections, zoning, and occupancy

Monroe County’s final building inspection is one of the prerequisites identified by Bloomington for a Certificate of Occupancy. City occupancy procedures also require the relevant certificate of zoning compliance or conditional-use approval, final city planning and fire inspections, and a Housing and Neighborhood Development inspection for applicable rental properties. Submit the city’s temporary or final occupancy inspection request at least 24 hours before the requested appointment when the project requires it.

Bloomington’s official zoning map and Unified Development Ordinance should be checked for the parcel’s district, permitted use, overlays, setbacks, and site requirements. Properties outside the city’s planning jurisdiction may follow Monroe County or another local authority’s zoning and building process instead.

Official contact information

The Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department lists (812) 349-3423 at 401 North Morton Street, Suite 130, Bloomington, Indiana 47404. The official city pages do not identify a public permit-login portal for Monroe County building permits; contact the city for zoning/site approvals and the Monroe County Building Department for the building permit and inspection path outside city limits.