South Bend building department

The Building Department, part of South Bend’s Department of Community Investment, is a joint city-county office. It issues building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, demolition, moving, sign, and occupancy permits. It also registers or licenses every contractor who works within its jurisdiction.

Which properties it covers

The department’s 2026 fee schedule defines its territory:

• City of South Bend. A 3- or 4-digit address with a South Bend mailing address is generally inside the city.
• Unincorporated St. Joseph County, including Wyatt, Granger, Terre Coupe, and Crumstown. A 5-digit address is generally unincorporated county.
• Indian Village, Lakeville, North Liberty, Osceola, and Roseland. These towns have handed building, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC inspections to the department. They still handle their own zoning, and the town must approve the work and issue an Improvement Location Permit before the department will issue a permit.
• Mishawaka, New Carlisle, and Walkerton run their own departments. Contact them directly.

What needs a permit

The department’s “YES! You need a permit for that” flyer lists the following:

• New homes and additions
• Accessory buildings over 120 sq ft, including pre-fab sheds
• Remodeling worth more than $500, including roofing, siding, windows and doors, and interior work
• Porches and decks with a roof or trellis, porches and decks more than 30 inches above grade, and enclosing an existing porch or deck
• Any in-ground pool, and any pool 42 inches or more deep
• Fences in the city and county, except on agriculturally zoned lots
• Demolitions, trailers, and tents over 120 sq ft
• Signs over 2 sq ft, temporary or permanent
• All electrical, HVAC, and plumbing work

How to apply

Each permit type has its own online application, a JotForm linked from the permit page. Forms cover:

• Residential: renovation, new house, addition, accessory structure, ADU, fence, pool, demolition, moving, and reconnect.
• Commercial: new construction or remodel, change of occupancy, roofing or siding, and towers.
• Trades: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, solar, and EV chargers.
• Other: signs and flood hazard development.

You can also email applications to [email protected], and plan sets can be uploaded through the department’s digital plan submittal (Dropbox) link. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The department now accepts Visa, Discover, and Mastercard.

The residential checklist sets out what each application needs:

• Remodels: owner and contractor information, the cost of the work, and the trade contractors.
• Additions, detached garages, and sheds: a site plan, drawn to scale if the parcel is under 3 acres, plus energy code certification and the septic location.
• New homes: a septic and well permit from the St. Joseph County Health Department, or a sewer or water permit from South Bend Engineering. In the county you also need a driveway permit from County Engineering. You must have a legal lot of record and energy code certification.

Since February 1, 2020, every new home application must include a basement plan showing at least one emergency egress window or door from a common space. New homes in the city’s Northeast Neighborhood Development area need a separate design review, which costs $160.

Before applying, check whether the property is in a historic district (contact the Historic Preservation Commission first) or a floodplain or wetland (prior approval may be needed).

Codes

The department enforces the state codes adopted under 675 IAC. That includes the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which is based on the 2018 IRC with Indiana amendments. It also applies the City of South Bend and St. Joseph County building and zoning codes. Commercial (Class 1) projects also need an Indiana Construction Design Release from IDHS.

2026 fees

The 2026 schedule took effect January 1, 2026. The minimum permit fee is $60.

Permit	2026 fee
New construction or addition	ICC valuation $/sq ft × total sq ft × 0.00098 (min. $60)
Remodel over $500, fence, in-ground pool	$60 up to $3,000 of cost, then +$5 per $1,000, up to $550 at $100,000
Residential demolition	$0.02/sq ft (min. $60)
Electrical / plumbing / HVAC	itemized, $60 minimum each
EV charger / backup generator ≤10 kW (electrical)	$60 / $60
Tent or temporary structure	$60 first term

Starting work without a required permit triples the permit fee. Inspection fees are included in the permit fee. Re-inspections are billed separately: $60 for trade re-inspections and for commercial and industrial building re-inspections.

Inspections

Inspections are scheduled directly with each inspector. The department has separate structural, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC inspectors.

• Call (574) 235-9554 between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. for same-day service. Requests after 9:00 a.m. are handled the next working day. Inspectors are also in the office from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. You can also email [email protected].
• Have the permit number and township ready. Both are printed on the permit.
• Request inspections at least 24 hours ahead, and finals at least 2 days ahead.
• Call for a foundation inspection at least 24 hours before pouring. If no one has inspected after 24 hours, you may pour.
• Only the contractors performing the permitted work may request inspections.

The minimum residential inspections are foundation, frame and masonry, rough plumbing, mechanical, and electrical, and final before occupancy. A permit stays active for 2 years, or 6 months for a stand-alone gas or electric reconnect. If no inspection is called in during that time, the file is closed as “no call.”

Contractor registration

All contractors and subcontractors must be registered or licensed with the department. The one exception is a residential owner-occupant doing work on their own home. Under the 2026 schedule:

• General contractors: this category also covers homebuilders, remodelers, roofers, siding, fencing, and pool contractors. They need a notarized registration form, a $5,000 bond naming the City of South Bend and St. Joseph County that states “Building Contractor,” and a $125 fee.
• Electrical (Class A) and HVAC: a $5,000 bond, a $125 fee for new or renewal licenses, and a $50 exam filing fee.
• Demolition contractors: a $10,000 bond and a $125 fee. In the city, owners demolishing their own structure over 600 sq ft must also post a $10,000 bond.
• Plumbing contractors, excavators, and sewer cleaners: a $125 registration.