Design-Build Remodeler in Zionsville, Indiana

Boone County

Remodeling in Zionsville

Zionsville is a town, not a city, in Boone County. The Census Bureau estimated its population at about 33,600 on July 1, 2025. The town covers about 67 square miles of land. Mergers with Eagle and Union Townships in 2010 and Perry Township in 2014 added 58 square miles.

The Town's 2026 Comprehensive Plan describes two service districts. The urban one is concentrated around The Village and suburban neighborhoods. A large rural one covers former township lands. Construction-noise hours differ between the two. The plan also maps different sewer and water providers in different parts of the town.

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Permits and codes

Permits, utilities and housing in Zionsville

Inside the Town's jurisdiction, remodel and addition permits go through the Town of Zionsville's Planning & Building Department. That department also inspects the work. Septic and well permits come from the Boone County Health Department. Where they apply, they must be in hand before the Town accepts a building permit submittal.

The Town's permit procedures, an undated Town document, start with the zoning map. Applicants check it to be sure the property is in the Town of Zionsville's jurisdiction. Boone County's Area Plan office serves the Town of Advance and the unincorporated parts of the county.

One residential Improvement Location Permit application covers additions, remodels, accessory buildings, decks, patios and pools. It lists the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, including all crafts, as the required code. It has a field for Boone County Health Department sign-off on well and septic. Another field covers Boone County Surveyor sign-off on drainage. New single-family homes, two-family homes and town homes use a separate application.

Where they apply, some other permits must come first. Before a building permit submittal, the Town asks for the septic permit or sanitary sewer release. It also asks for the well permit or water service approval. A driveway permit for a county road or state highway is on the list. So are a Zionsville stormwater or Boone County drainage permit and fire protection permits.

Plan sets for an addition need at least two elevations. New single-family and two-family homes need four. Both also need a foundation plan, a floor plan and a typical wall section. If manufactured trusses are used, the plans must include truss diagrams sealed by the Indiana-registered architect or engineer responsible for that design. The Town may also require a certified plot plan stamped and signed by a land surveyor.

The Town's Green Sheet, also undated, lists the residential inspections a project may need. They run from footing and foundation drainage tile through rough, energy and final. The rough inspection takes in framing, plumbing, heating, electric, the meter base and low voltage. Nothing may be insulated before it. No Certificate of Occupancy is issued until every required inspection is done and fees are paid. Inspection requests go to the Town by email.

Town permits are valid for one year after issuance. A single extension of up to six months can be requested before a permit expires. A Town permit does not take the place of homeowners association approval. The Town asks owners to contact their HOA about the project. In the urban district, construction-noise hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with no Sunday work. In the rural district, they are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.

Local guide · Zionsville

Height, legal drains and The Village

The maximum building height in Zionsville's residential districts is 35 feet. It is measured from finished grade to the highest point of the roof. The Urban R-E district is the exception, at 40 feet. No building or septic system may sit within 75 feet of a Boone County legal drain without the Boone County Drainage Board's written permission.

The 2026 Comprehensive Plan says much of the Town's original housing stock is on the Village residential streets. Those streets surround The Village business district. For its Village Residential category, the plan says new development and redevelopment must respect the form and massing of surrounding properties. New construction or renovations can expand a building's footprint. But the plan says multiple lots should not be joined for a single house.

Local guide · Zionsville

When Zionsville homes were built

Census Bureau survey estimates for 2020-2024 put the median year built for Zionsville housing units at 1999. The margin is two years either way. There are an estimated 12,066 units. About 48 percent were built in 2000 or later. About 24 percent were built before 1980. About 445 units date from 1939 or earlier.

About 10,100 of those units are single-family detached. Owners live in about 84 percent of occupied units. If your home was built before 1978, we would coordinate and provide appropriate EPA services in that instance.

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Local guide · Zionsville

Sewer, water, septic and wells

As of the Town's 2026 Comprehensive Plan, four sewer utilities have territory in Zionsville. The Town's sewer territory covers the central area, including The Village and the neighborhoods around it. TriCo Regional Sewer Utility's territory covers the southeast, from 96th Street to County Road 200 South. Hamilton Southeastern Utilities holds territory in northern Zionsville. The plan says it had no infrastructure in the town while the plan was being written. Whitestown's territory includes parts of former Eagle Township and areas west of Interstate 65. Most existing development north of County Road 300 South has no sewer access. That development relies on septic systems. The plan expects some territories or providers to change.

For water, the plan says Citizens Energy serves most of the urban service district. Whitestown serves areas west of County Road 800 East. While the plan was being written, Whitestown was considering selling its water utility to Citizens Energy. Outside those districts, homes and subdivisions rely on wells. Rural areas in the north and west have no water utility. The Town's new-home permit application asks which sewer provider serves the lot. It also asks whether the water supply is a public or private system.

The Boone County Health Department permits residential septic systems. It works under Indiana rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 and Boone County Ordinance 94-7. A septic permit starts with an application and a soil report. That soil information can come from tests by a soil scientist. When a new dwelling replaces an old house, it can sometimes connect to the existing system. The Department says that system must have been adequate for the old house, with no new bedrooms added. If the system will not accommodate the new dwelling, it must be expanded or replaced to meet current rules.

Drilling or repairing a well in Boone County takes a Health Department permit. A new well's water must be tested for bacteria before use. At the Town's final inspection, septic inspection and water test documents must be on site where they apply.

Local guide · Zionsville

Eagle Creek, floodplains and lot drainage

The Town calls Eagle Creek the main stream running through Zionsville. It is part of the larger Upper White River watershed. FEMA's 2012 Flood Insurance Study for Boone County says Zionsville is subject to flooding from Eagle Creek. The study's table of past flood crests at the gage near Zionsville covers five floods, from 1957 to 1991. FEMA flood maps for Zionsville took effect January 18, 2012, with later map revisions.

Federal flood insurance rules define the special flood hazard area. It is floodplain land with a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year. Under Indiana rule 312 IAC 10, as Indiana DNR's Local Floodplain Administrator's Guide (revised April 2021) explains it, structures in that area must be protected from flood damage below the Flood Protection Grade. That grade is the regulatory flood elevation plus 2 feet. When a site is in a floodplain, the Town's permit applications require an elevation certificate. A land surveyor, engineer or architect must sign it.

The federal rules also define a substantial improvement. It is any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvement costing 50 percent or more of the structure's market value before the improvement starts. The term includes structures with substantial damage. It excludes the minimum work needed to correct health, sanitary or safety code violations a local code official has identified. It also excludes an alteration that keeps a historic structure's designation.

The Town's Stormwater Division requires an Individual Lot Permit for new residential construction. The same permit is required for land disturbance of 10,000 square feet up to 1 acre. A Stormwater Management Permit is required at 1 acre or more. Inside the Boone County Surveyor's drainage jurisdiction, landowners file for a county drainage permit for any new structure, addition or pond.

The Town's lot-grading standards, an undated document, set the finished floor at least 6 inches above the finished grade around the building. For structures fronting a pond or open ditch, the standards also cover openings where floodwater can enter. These include windows, doors and window-well rims. They must be at least 2 feet above the higher of the adjacent 100-year local or regional flood elevations.

Services

Remodeling services for Zionsville homes

For Zionsville homes we offer kitchen, bathroom, basement, laundry, mudroom and home office projects. We also offer whole-home renovations, additions and custom on-your-lot new construction. Permitted work inside the Town's jurisdiction follows the Town process described above.

We take on structural changes as part of a home remodel, not as standalone jobs.

Built-ins and fireplace remodels, including gas inserts, surrounds, mantels, millwork and flanking built-ins, are part of our work too.

Working with us

Working with 1874 Design Studio in Zionsville

Our studio is in Muncie, about 59 miles by road from the Census Bureau's reference point for Zionsville. We provide your design, the structural engineer and the building permits.

Design starts with measurements. It moves through one to three design concepts, 3D renderings and curated selections. It ends with an all-inclusive total cost. You can explore material selections, including name brands and boutique lines, with guidance on finishes. When a project needs zoning review or HOA approval, we help with those materials.

Most clients stay in their homes during the project. The work area is protected, air scrubbers run and cleanup happens every day.

Installation work carries a one-year workmanship warranty, and the products you select carry their manufacturers' warranties. To talk about your Zionsville project, call the studio at (765) 288-1874.

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