Shelbyville Homeowners: Are you thinking about starting a house project? Are you wanting to remodel your kitchen? Install a fence? Please get informed with the City's requirements before you start your project. Here are some major points to consider.  First and foremost, our jurisdiction is the City of Shelbyville, so please make sure you are in the City of Shelbyville before reading this. If you are not, seek advice from the County Plan Commission. http://www.shelbyplancommission.com/
 Just because you have a Shelbyville address does not mean you are in the city limits.  

In most cases  your residential project is acceptable but you should be aware of the zoning district you are in. A zoning district defines the uses that are allowed and outlines the development standards and regulations for the area.   The classifications that are used by other offices, such as the County Assessor and Public Utilities Office, are NOT the official zoning district for your property.  

To determine your zoning: You can visit our web-based mapping program.   When you are on the main page, click on the Think GIS Web version link and then a quick help guide on how to use the website will be on the left hand side. You will need to turn the Shelbyville Zoning layer on from the Layer button on top of the web page.

Or: you can call the office at 317-392-5102. It takes us about 2 minutes to determine your zoning designation.

It is good to know where your property lines are before you do anything to your property. Also it is good to be aware of any easements because that area might have more restrictions on your property as described in the easement language. Any person with a home improvement project that involves new construction will be asked by our office for a site plan of the property.

 To get a plat of your property: If you don’t already have a plat of your property you have two options:

1. County Recorder’s Office. This office can provide property plats to you at a cost. Their contact information: 317-392-6370, 25 W. Polk Street. The Assessor’s office only provides dimensional data of the existing structures, which is available free on our web-based mapping programs.

 2. Hire a private surveyor. Surveyors are licensed to provide accurate information on property lines and easements. They can do the research for you, provide a surveyed plat and even mark property lines.

As a government entity, we cannot provide a list of recommended Surveyors so please use the internet or the yellow pages to find a licensed Surveyor.

Some subdivisions have a Homeowner Association that has additional rules and regulations on the properties within the subdivision. Covenants usually spell out these regulations and can be obtained from the Recorder’s office if you are unsure where to obtain a copy. Covenants are only regulated through the Homeowner Association. We are not  familiar with each subdivision’s covenants nor do we enforce them.

The City of Shelbyville has several development codes that apply to all types of developments. We don’t expect you to learn them all but the most important ones to know in preliminary planning are setback requirements, lot coverage, accessory standards, driveway standards, fence requirements, and pool standards.

Setback requirements

Setback lines determine how far a building must be from a property line. A front yard is any yard that abuts a street (not including alleys). So corner lots will have two front yards.

                                Standards for R-1 single family residential 

In some cases, these setbacks are reduced depending on the neighborhood. The plan commission staff will make the determination.

Primary Structure – The main building of a parcel, in this case: the home
Accessory Structure – A structure that is subordinate to a primary structure; in this case: pools, decks, sheds, or detached garages. Accessory structures are not allowed in front yards.

Structures located in an easement will need to provide a letter of approval from the easement holder.

Lot Coverage

In order to ensure the proper storm water drainage of lots and to ensure that there are no negative effects on adjoining properties, we limit the amount a lot can be covered with impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces include homes, pools, decks, buildings, and any areas of concrete and asphalt.

Single Family maximum lot coverage standard is 45%.

Accessory Structure Standard

The following are permitted accessory structures: Greenhouses, detached garages and carports, mini barns,  sheds and swimming pools. They are only permitted if a primary structure exists on the lot. If you have several lots/parcels next to each other and wish to place an accessory structure on a lot other than the house, you will be required to combine the lots into one lot.

You are only to have 4 accessory structures on a lot. Also you may not have more than 2 of the same type.

Fences

We don’t require permits on fences but we do have standard requirements on fences that shall be followed.

Please click here for the Residential fence pamphlet 

Carports and Sheds

Sheds that do not exceed 200 sq.ft. will not be subject to our permit process. Sheds that do exceed 200 sq.ft. will need to obtain approval and permits from our office. Additionally, these sheds will need to be installed on permanent foundations.  This applies to pre-manufactured sheds.

Pre-manufactured Metal Carports that you can purchase at retail stores will not be subject to our permit process IF it is not enclosed. If the carport has 3 or more sides it will be considered an accessory structure.

Driveways

All new driveways/parking pads must be asphalt or concrete. Gravel driveways are no longer allowed.

Any additions to existing driveways must be asphalt or concrete as well.

Residential Driveways cannot exceed 24 feet in width at the road right of way. You can flare out the driveway on your property but it can only be a maximum of 24 feet in width at the right of way line.  Also you can only have on driveway/enterance per property.

Swimming Pools

Our department only regulates in-ground pools and large above ground pools.  For above ground pools that exceed 42 inches in height when measured from the bottom of pool to the skimmer, a building permit is required and the pool will be subject to the Indiana Swimming Pool Code.  The code requires the installation of either a 4 foot tall fence that will enclose the pool or an automatic pool cover on all in- ground pools and above ground pools that are a depth of 42 inches or more.

Basements and Attics

When considering converting a basement or an attic into livable space you should consider the following Code requirements:

·         Bedrooms must have two mean of ingress/egress.  Please click here to see the minimum opening requirements on windows and window wells.
·         The space between the floor and ceiling must be at least 7 feet, and knee walls should be at least 5 feet in height.  ·         If you are adding a second story to your house, structural engineer’s report will be required to prove that the existing foundation can handle the load. 

Please click on the following pdf to determine if you will need to get a building permit for your house project. If the item is not on the list, please contact our office.

An electrical permit is required for all electrical work except changing light fixtures, outlets, light switches or the coverings.

A plumbing permit is required to run new lines, install new drains and for all new construction. If you are replacing existing fixtures in their current location, you do not need a permit.

A mechanical permit is required for installation or replacement of any mechanical equipment and/or duct work. This is typically installation of furnaces and air conditioners.

When hiring a contractor, you should make sure they are insured and bonded. If the project needs a permit, we require contractors to be registered with the City of Shelbyville.

For tips on how to hire a contractor and tips to protect yourself, please read the following articles

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,199776,00.html

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110618/LIVING02/106180312/Guide-hiring-contractor

As a government entity, we cannot recommend contractors.  We can only advise if they are registered with us or not. You can also use the list provided by the Shelby County Builder’s  Association. http://www.shelbycountybuilders.com/

 Please click here to re-direct you to another page on registration and permits.

Anyone may submit the paper work for a permit and anyone may pay the permit fees. However, the original signatures of the property owner and the registered contractor are required on the applications.

The only time a homeowner can obtain a building permit without a contractor’s signature is if the homeowner is doing the work on a home they own and live in.

Once permits are issued, a permit must be posted on the site. Typically, permits are taped to the front windows, but they must be accessible to the inspector.

Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a professional, smart digging means calling 811 before each job WEBSITE LINK http://www.call811.com/

Homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call – even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Digging without calling can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm you and those around you and potentially result in fines and repair costs. Calling 811 before every digging job gets your underground utility lines marked for free and helps prevent undesired consequences.

All homeowners are required to have numbers on their house that provide identification of the location for emergency service personnel. Numbers should be 4” in height and shall be placed where numbers can be seen from the public road. They must also be of a highly visible color that contrasts with the color of the home. This insures a faster response on emergency calls.

Are you considering a home occupation? Please familiarize yourself with our home occupation regulations by clicking on this link. (ADD LINK)

Garage sales are generally only allowed for 7  days collectively in any one year period per property. Garage sale signs shall be on that property only and not attached to any utility pole, street sign, or light pole.