The newest backyards on our list
Of the towns we work most, McCordsville has the newest homes. Census figures put the median year built at 2009: about a third of homes were built in the 2010s and another 13 percent since 2020. The town's population went from 4,797 in 2010 to 8,503 in 2020. Platted in 1865 and incorporated in 1988, it still has an original village core too, with about 8 percent of homes built before 1940.
A lot of new-construction homes come with a small concrete pad off the back door or just sod. That's the easiest time to plan a backyard right: nothing to tear out, and you can lay out the patio, fire pit and walks together before the landscaping fills in.
McCordsville permits
- Patios need a permit. The town requires an Accessory Structure Permit for decks, gazebos, patios, pergolas, porches, pools and similar projects. The exception is a structure under 200 square feet, unless it has a permanent foundation. Review typically takes three to five business days.
- Work in the street. Any work in the town right-of-way, like a driveway apron or a widened curb cut, needs a ROW permit, applied for online with a drawing of the location and measurements.
- Easements. Fences can't go into an easement without the town's approval. New subdivisions often have drainage and utility easements across the back of the lot, so it's worth knowing where yours runs before we lay out a patio or wall.
The town's Planning & Building office handles both permits. We'll go over what yours needs at the estimate.
Hancock County ground
Most of Hancock County sits on the Crosby-Brookston soil association, which a U.S. Geological Survey report puts at nearly three quarters of the county: deep, somewhat to very poorly drained soils formed in loamy glacial till. The federal soil survey maps Crosby, Brookston and Miami as the county's biggest soils. New subdivisions add another wrinkle, since lots are often graded with fill. A new slab needs the fill compacted, a stone base, and a slope that sends water away from the house, and footings go to the 30-inch frost depth Indiana's code sets for Hancock County.
Fire pits in McCordsville
McCordsville's nuisance ordinance bans wood burning but specifically exempts "monitored or supervised recreational or ceremonial fires," so a backyard fire pit is allowed as long as someone is watching it. Indiana's state rules still apply: clean wood only, attended until it's out. Check your HOA covenants too. Our fire pit rules page compares every town.
What we pour in McCordsville
- A full backyardPatio, fire and walks planned together
- Stamped patiosBigger than the builder pad
- Driveway extensionsRoom for another car
- Fire pitsWith a seat-height wall
Around McCordsville
McCordsville sits in Vernon Township in Hancock County, and a small part of Geist Reservoir reaches into the town. Our Fishers page covers the Hamilton County side of the lake.