Administrative overview · FIPS 18167
Vigo County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Vigo County Building Inspections Department / Area Planning Department
For a project in or near Vigo County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Building Inspections 812-462-3365; Area Planning 812-462-3354
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Building Inspections Department, 151 Oak Street, Terre Haute, IN 47807; Area Planning Department, 159 Oak Street, Terre Haute, IN 47807
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Building Inspections publishes a noon-1:00 p.m. lunch closure.
Review expectation
The Area Planning Department is allowed five business days under the Unified Zoning Ordinance to grant an Improvement Location Permit; additional time may be required for Health Department or Building Inspection review.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Vigo County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Vigo County Building Inspections Department / Area Planning Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact Building Inspections 812-462-3365; Area Planning 812-462-3354 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
The Area Planning Department is allowed five business days under the Unified Zoning Ordinance to grant an Improvement Location Permit; additional time may be required for Health Department or Building Inspection review.
How are inspections scheduled?
The owner or contractor must schedule inspections with Building Inspections. Published stages are footers before pouring, temporary electric approval before meter installation, inspection of electric/plumbing/framing before walls are covered, and final inspection or certificate of occupancy when required. Call 812-462-3365.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Vigo County Code Chapter 61 Building Code Ordinance, Chapter 62 Unsafe Building Code, the county Unified Zoning Ordinance, and applicable Indiana building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy, fire, and floodplain requirements. Commercial work also requires state-approved plans and a design release; a specific 2026 technical code edition was not identified. The county distinguishes remodeling of existing structures, including roofs, gutters, windows, doors, and interior work of $500 or more, from additions that add square footage and require an Improvement Location Permit. Accessory-structure, pool, patio, deck, solar, sign, demolition, mobile-home, commercial, and industrial requirements vary by permit type; the county page does not publish a broad cosmetic exemption list.