Indianapolis building department

The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS) issues building permits, licenses contractors, and inspects construction for the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County. Four cities run their own licensing and are excluded: Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway, and Southport. If your property is in one of those cities, check with that city first.

DBNS’s counter and mailing address is the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., Suite 107. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Applying through Accela Citizen Access

Applications, payments, and plan submittals go through the Accela Citizens Access (ACA) portal, or by mail to DBNS.

• No account needed to research permit history, pay fees, or view permit conditions.
• An account is needed to apply. Online applications replace the paper form.
• Contractors: add your business and agent license numbers to your ACA account. Only authorized agents listed on the company’s license can link to it.
• One application per permit. Each permit is applied for separately, and status updates come by email.
• Uploads must be PDFs of 150 MB or less. Split larger files.
• Extensions: use Schedule/Request an Inspection or Submit a Completion Card and choose the 180-day extension.
• Expired permits can’t be renewed online. Send a written request to Permit Issuance or email [email protected].

Which permits a residential project needs

A typical Class 2 (one- or two-family) project moves through permits in this order:

1. Drainage (infrastructure review). Infrastructure handles this step: (317) 327-8583.
2. Improvement Location Permit (ILP), for zoning. You need an ILP when you add square footage or height, build a new structure, or make other site improvements, unless Sec. 740-801A exempts the work. Most subdivisions platted after 1980 are pre-approved for drainage. A lot that isn’t pre-approved, or an addition over 400 sq ft, needs a drainage inspection before the ILP is issued.
3. Structural permit. It’s released after the ILP, and after any sewer, flood, or wrecking permits the project needs.

The structural application typically needs:

• a legal description
• a scaled site plan
• foundation and floor plans
• a wall section for each type of wall construction, from footer to roof
• elevations
• engineer-stamped truss specifications
• a completed Residential Plan Submittal Checklist

New homes on sewer need a sewer permit from Citizens Energy Group. Adding a bedroom to a home on septic needs a septic permit from the Health and Hospital Corporation. Exterior work in a historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from IHPC first: (317) 327-4406. For zoning questions, call Planner On Call at (317) 327-5155.

Work that doesn’t need a structural permit

DBNS’s homeowner guide (updated 3/2021) lists Class 2 work exempt from a structural permit under Sec. 536-201. An ILP may still apply. Exempt work includes:

• A shed of 120 sq ft or less, under 15 ft tall, not on a permanent foundation, and with no utilities. A shed of 121–200 sq ft needs structural and drainage permits. Over 200 sq ft, it also needs an ILP.
• A deck with no part of the floor more than 30 inches above grade.
• Fences that meet zoning.
• Retaining walls up to 4 ft, unless they support a surcharge.
• Above-ground pools 30 inches deep or less and 15 ft or less across.
• Like-for-like window and door replacement, re-roofing, and siding, when done by a listed contractor who follows the notice-and-posting rules. Owner-occupants may also add one layer of shingles over a single existing layer, or one layer of siding, themselves.
• Gutters, insulation, cabinets, and similar finish work.

Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work is listed separately. Exemptions there include replacing an exhaust fan, replacing a water heater with an identical one, extending ductwork, and replacing fixtures in kind.

2026 fee highlights

DBNS raised many service fees on January 5, 2026. Electrical, HVAC, plumbing, wrecking, and zoning permit fees did not change. Applications filed before that date are billed at the old rates.

Item	2026 fee
Structural, new Class 2 primary structure (≤2,000 sq ft)	$40 application + $175 review + $750 issuance
Structural, residential remodel with no addition (≤1,000 sq ft)	$40 + $150 review + $200 issuance
Structural, accessory structure 200–1,000 sq ft	$40 + $150 review + $300 issuance
ILP, new single-family home in a platted subdivision / addition or accessory building	$32 + $156 / $32 + $108
Residential driveway permit	$40 + $141 per access
Wrecking, residential primary structure	$40 + $127
Re-inspection	$175
Accelerated Class 2 inspection, same day / next day	$232 / $187
Stop-work-order violation (Class 2)	$250

Inspections and closing a permit

Post a copy of the permit where it’s visible from the street, and keep the stamped, released plans on site. The 2021 homeowner guide lists these inspection details:

• Schedule through the automated line at (317) 327-5525 using your permit number. Questions go to Construction Services: (317) 327-8939.
• Inspectors arrive within 48 business hours. Footing inspections happen within 2 business hours.
• Framing must be inspected after, or at the same time as, the trade rough-ins.

Indianapolis does not issue certificates of occupancy. Instead, under Sec. 536-301, the general, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and wrecking contractors each file a Certificate of Completion and Compliance within 14 days of finishing and before the building is used. The final inspection is scheduled after that certificate is filed. If it isn’t filed within 30 days after the permit expires, DBNS charges administrative fees.

Contractor licensing and homeowner permits

DBNS licenses general, electrical, HVAC, and wrecking contractors. Electrical, HVAC, and wrecking applicants must first pass an exam approved by the relevant city licensing board. Plumbers are licensed by the state and must register that license with the city.

Applications can’t be filed online. Email them, with your insurance certificate and bond, to [email protected], or call (317) 327-1291. A new or renewed general contractor business listing costs $247. Each company gets five authorized agents free, and each additional agent costs $63.

Homeowners may pull structural permits for their own work by signing a Statement of Intent. Electrical and HVAC permits require a licensed contractor, unless the homeowner passes the city’s homeowner exam. Homeowners can pull plumbing permits only in limited cases.