Off-Grid Living in Rush County, Indiana

Rush County, Indiana sits in that middle ground of off-grid friendliness: it's not a jurisdiction with zero zoning, but it's also not particularly hostile to someone building modestly and living independent of utilities. Here's what I found digging through official sources.

Zoning. Contrary to what some off-grid forums assume about rural Indiana counties, Rush County does have a zoning ordinance and subdivision control ordinance, jointly administered with the City of Rushville through the Joint Planning and Zoning Office. Any structure or dwelling use is going to run through their Improvement Location Permit process. The county is also mid-rewrite of its zoning ordinance as of the research I pulled, so provisions could shift. I could not confirm whether simply living on raw, unimproved land (no structure) is separately addressed, so treat that as an open question for the zoning office.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I could not find a Rush County page spelling out minimum square footage or RV occupancy limits. What I can say for certain: Indiana classifies one- and two-family homes as "Class 2" structures under the state's residential code (based on the 2018 IRC with state amendments), but enforcement, meaning permits and inspections, is entirely a local job. In Rush County that's the Joint Planning & Zoning Office. Before buying a tiny home or planning to live in an RV long-term, call that office and ask directly how they'd classify it.

Building permits. Required, and enforced locally per the state's minimum code system overseen by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission. Locally, the Improvement Location Permit is your gateway.

Septic. Permitted and required for anything off public sewer. The Rush County Health Department runs the onsite sewage system permit process under state rule 410 IAC 6-8.3, and they want you to contact them before you start installation. Composting toilets aren't addressed on the county page I found, so that's unconfirmed.

Greywater. No Rush County-specific greywater rule found. It likely falls under the same onsite sewage system framework the septic program uses, but confirm with the Health Department directly.

Rainwater harvesting. No county prohibition found. This inherits Indiana's general lack of a state ban, though any indoor plumbing use would tie into the state plumbing code and local permitting.

Wells. No Rush County-specific well authority found. Well construction is governed statewide by Indiana DNR rules, and septic setbacks relative to your well get reviewed by the county Health Department during septic permitting.

Utilities. I found no mandate, state or county, requiring hookup to electric, water, or sewer. Living disconnected appears permitted, with your two real regulatory touchpoints being the zoning/building permit and the septic permit.

Bottom line: Rush County isn't a "no rules" county, but the rules it does have are fairly standard rural Indiana fare, and a phone call to the Joint Planning & Zoning Office and the Health Department will clear up the specifics fast.