Building permits in Indianapolis, Indiana
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Indianapolis, 1 needs a permit outright and 8 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Indianapolis
One thing Indianapolis does not make you permit
Worth knowing before you call anyone. Most jurisdictions we cover require all of these.
- Fence Permit
No structural permit and no improvement location permit is required for a residential fence or structural barrier that conforms to the zoning ordinance. A certificate of appropriateness is still required before building a fence in a historic district.
City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS)
- Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, 200 E. Washington St., Suite 107, Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Phone: 317.327.8700
- Email: permitquestions@indy.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Indianapolis
Indianapolis runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
What needs a permit in Indianapolis
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Indianapolis, 1 needs a permit outright and 8 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | deck height above grade, excluding handrails, at which an improvement location permit becomes required | ...- Residential (ILP), "Single-family Accessory Buildings and Additions," $32.00 per... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Before any construction activity on an electrical power distribution system, including... | ...Permit (ELE): "Installation-New Structure or Commercial Addition" $202.00 for 2,500... |
| Fence Permit | No permit needed | Exempt | No permit and therefore no permit fee is published for a residential fence |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Before any construction activity on a heating, venting, air conditioning or... | ...- Installation, Replacement, Addition, Duct Work Only- All Structures" $153.00 for... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | patio height above grade at which an improvement location permit becomes required | ...(ILP), "Other improvements associated with single- and two- family," $32.00 per... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | share of a structure's piping replaced in kind with piping of the same performance specifications and capacity | ...1.5.2026), Plumbing Permit (PLM): "New Residential Structure--Installation" $185.00... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | above-ground pool or hot tub depth, for a pool 15 feet or less in diameter, at which an improvement location permit becomes required | ...(ILP), "Other improvements associated with single- and two- family," $32.00 per... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Before a re-roof that changes the roof configuration, changes the covering type in a way... | no addition" is $40.00 per application, review fee $150.00 for 1,000 sq ft or less plus... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | shed base area, for a shed under 15 feet high, not on a permanent foundation and with no utility connection | ...or placement of, or additions to, accessory Class 2 structure": $40.00 per... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Permit (ELE), "Repair to Existing Structure or Residential Addition," $169.00 for... |
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Indianapolis permit fees compared with nearby Indiana localities
| Indiana locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | ...Accessory Buildings and Additions," $32.00 per... | ...Addition, Duct Work Only- All Structures" $153.00 for... | ...Structure or Commercial Addition" $202.00 for 2,500... |
| Fort Wayne | ...(example: carport, deck, gazebo, open porch)"... | 6-10-2-4-4: "Existing residential home - $0.03 per sq. ft... | 6-10-2-3-4: "Existing residential home - $0.03 per sq. ft... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Indiana jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Indianapolis permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Indianapolis?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Indianapolis, 1 always requires a permit (for example a solar permit), 8 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance), and 1 needs no permit at all in Indianapolis. Each Indianapolis permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Indianapolis?
- Indianapolis publishes a fee for 10 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS); we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Indianapolis?
- City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS) issues permits in Indianapolis, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 317.327.8700. The Indianapolis official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Indianapolis pages were verified. 10 permit types, 4 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS) or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Indianapolis is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.