Indianapolis Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Indianapolis and Marion County use a consolidated metropolitan permitting path. The City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services handles building permits, construction inspections, code enforcement, and related permit records through the city’s official Accela Citizen Access portal. Confirm the parcel’s jurisdiction before filing because excluded municipalities and specialized state or federal facilities can have a different authority.

Indianapolis building permits and plan review

Start in the Accela portal by selecting the permit or contractor service that matches the work. Structural, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, drainage, flood, improvement-location, sign, right-of-way, sewer, and wrecking cases can appear in the city-county system. Review the current permit instructions and submit the required application, plans, contractor information, and supporting approvals before work begins.

Commercial and other Class 1 projects may also require an Indiana Construction Design Release through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. A state design release does not replace the local Indianapolis building permit, zoning review, or inspection requirements. Indiana DHS says local governments generally inspect both Class I and Class II structures when they have an approved building department.

Inspections, zoning, and occupancy

The Accela portal provides online scheduling for most building, drainage, and excavation permit inspections and lets users search permit-related cases by address or case information. Keep the approved plans and permit information available at the job site and do not cover work that requires a required inspection. Indianapolis and Marion County zoning and land-use questions are tied to the consolidated zoning/subdivision framework and IndyGIS zoning layers; zoning approval, historic review, drainage, or other agency approvals may be required before a building permit can be issued.

Before occupancy, complete all required building, trade, fire, and site inspections and obtain the applicable certificate of completion, compliance, or occupancy documented in the permit record. The official portal is the source of record for current case status, inspection appointments, and uploaded approvals.

Official contact information

The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services lists (317) 327-8700 and 1200 Madison Avenue, Suite 100, Indianapolis, Indiana 46225. Use the official Accela portal for Indianapolis permit login, permit search, and inspection scheduling. Indiana DHS remains the state path for Class 1 design-release and state code-enforcement matters that are not delegated to the local department.