Evansville building department

The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Commission is a joint city-county office. It issues building, trade, demolition, moving, and fire-system permits and performs inspections for the City of Evansville and all of Vanderburgh County. It also licenses contractors and tradesmen, administers floodplain rules, and enforces the property maintenance code.

Zoning is handled separately. The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission (APC) issues Improvement Location Permits (ILPs) and does land-use planning for Evansville, unincorporated Vanderburgh County, and the Town of Darmstadt. The Building Commission tells applicants to check with the APC first.

What needs a permit

According to the Building Commission’s permit page:

• Building permit: all new buildings, additions, and structural alterations, including accessory buildings, swimming pools, windows, siding, and re-roofing.
• Wrecking permit: demolition of any building, including accessory buildings.
• Moving permit: any time a building is moved to a new location.
• Fire alarm and fire suppression permits: new systems and improvements to existing systems.
• HVAC permit: installing or replacing a furnace, wood-burning stove, fireplace, or central air conditioner, or altering ductwork or fuel supply.
• Electrical permit: a new service, new wiring, or rewiring.

The fee ordinance charges nothing for portable buildings without utilities under 200 sq ft. Detached garages and outbuildings over 100 sq ft are charged by the square foot. The APC separately requires an ILP for new structures, additions, and accessory structures such as yard barns and pools.

Step 1: Area Plan Commission (zoning)

For a single-family home, addition, or accessory structure, submit plans to the APC at 1 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 312. After staff approve them, the ILP can be issued over the counter. New single-family homes, residential additions, and accessory buildings can be filed online. Other ILP types go by email to [email protected].

Commercial, industrial, and multifamily ILPs go to the Site Review Committee. Plans received by Monday at 4:00 p.m. are reviewed the following Monday at 10:00 a.m. by conference call. A representative of the applicant must attend. A site approval is good for six months. The APC main line is (812) 435-5226.

Step 2: Building permit

You can request a building permit in four ways:

• Online through the Commission’s Tyler Munis Citizen Self Service portal. Not every permit type is available online.
• By email to [email protected]. Include the work address, a detailed scope (square footage, fixture counts, and so on), the estimated cost, the license holder’s name and phone number, and any plans. Staff email back a payment link. You then pay online by entering only the application reference number.
• By phone at (812) 436-7879 or (812) 435-5788.
• In person at the Building Commission, Civic Center Complex, Room 310. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

No inspection can be scheduled until the permit is paid for and issued. The Commission’s plan requirements cover building plans, site plans, soil investigation reports, and wood truss design drawings. Class 1 (commercial) projects also need an Indiana Construction Design Release from IDHS, which must be filed electronically through the state Design Release Service.

Codes

The Commission notes that Indiana adopts building codes at the state level, and local governments generally cannot adopt codes stricter than the state’s. Homes are built to the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which is based on the 2018 IRC. The Commission’s deck packet summarizes its R507 deck rules. Key points:

• Guards are required where a walking surface is more than 30 inches above grade.
• Guards must be at least 36 inches high.
• Stair risers may be no more than 8¼ inches, and treads at least 9 inches deep.

IDHS lists the 2014 Indiana Building Code (2012 IBC) as the current commercial code.

Fee highlights

These are from Evansville Municipal Code 15.05.470 as posted by the Commission:

Permit	Fee
One- and two-family dwelling or addition	$0.06/sq ft of gross floor area (min. $100)
Detached garage or outbuilding over 100 sq ft	$0.06/sq ft (min. $50)
Residential roofing (new, replacement, or repair)	$30 per building
Fence or retaining wall under 6 ft	$30
Residential pool	$30 (under 24 ft diameter) / $50 (over 24 ft)
Electrical service under 400 amps	$30
Residential wrecking / moving	$35 / $100
Residential permit extension past one year	$30

Covered porches, attached garages, and attached decks more than 30 inches above grade count toward the dwelling’s square footage.

Inspections

Contractors request inspections at (812) 436-7867 or by emailing [email protected]. Inspection types include:

• pier and pylon
• post-hole footing
• concrete footing
• foundation
• retaining wall
• slab
• frame
• fire/smoke penetration
• ceiling grid
• building envelope
• building final

The frame inspection happens after the rough electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are approved. To look up a permit, its inspections, or a certificate of occupancy, search Citizen Self Service using only the application number, then click Details. The Commission also publishes an ArcGIS map of permit history by area.

Contractor licensing and homeowner permits

Vanderburgh County has its own local contractor and tradesman licensing. Applicants must:

• submit three letters of recommendation showing at least four years of experience;
• pass an exam at Ivy Tech;
• carry general liability insurance of $1,000,000 for master, commercial general, and unlimited roofing licenses, or $500,000 for residential general, limited roofing, and wrecking licenses;
• post a $25,000 surety bond;
• show proof of workers’ compensation coverage or an exemption affidavit.

Renewals require 3 hours of continuing education per year and are paid by check, money order, or cash, not card. A new residential contractor license costs $210, and a renewal costs $150. A $25 late fee applies after January 31. The license clerk’s number is (812) 436-7880.

Homeowner exception: an owner, or the owner’s immediate family, may get a permit without a license to work on a one- or two-family home they live in and will keep living in for at least two years. The owner signs an affidavit. If footing, foundation, framing, or roofing is subcontracted, that contractor must be licensed. Alternatively, the owner may be asked basic code questions to show they can do the work.

Floodplain

Any development in a special flood hazard area needs a Floodplain Development Permit before work starts. Development includes fill, grading, fences, utilities, and storing materials. Send the completed form to [email protected]. Lowest-floor elevations must be given in NAVD 88 or NGVD. For floodplain questions, call (812) 436-7830.