Priority Issues Affecting Home Builders

We support clearly defined isolated wetlands classifications to provide regulatory relief for property owners and developers while ensuring protection of high-quality isolated wetlands.

● In 2021, the Indiana General Assembly enacted legislation that protects high-quality isolated wetlands while reducing the regulatory costs and permitting requirements on low-quality Class I isolated wetlands in Indiana.

● In the years since the law was passed, property owners and environmental consultants who conduct wetland delineations have found that the State Regulated Wetland Class Determination Worksheet utilized by the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management (IDEM) presented some implementation challenges as it related to the intent of SEA 389 and the classification of isolated wetlands in the state.

● After several stakeholder meetings with wetlands consultants and developers from across the state and IDEM to discuss concerns with the worksheet and the isolated wetlands classifications in Indiana, there is consensus to support legislation that more clearly defines isolated wetlands classifications.

We support allowing third-party inspection for residential construction.

● Indiana has statewide building codes that govern construction.

● By statute, local units must require compliance with statewide building codes, and many do so through inspections.

● Inspections typically include checking a jobsite at specific intervals to verify that construction complies with codes, standards, and other regulations.

● To ensure an efficient inspection process for residential construction, local units that require a building permit should allow a qualified, third-party to perform inspections