What shapes a site plan in Indianapolis
Indianapolis and Marion County run a consolidated city-county government, and the state's building release runs beside the city's permits. The Indiana-wide picture is on the Indiana page; five conditions decide how a plan moves through permitting here.
- The state release comes first in effect. No construction may begin on a Class 1 structure before the state issues a Construction Design Release (CDR), unless the work is of a type the rule specifically exempts (675 IAC 12-6-3) [1]. Indianapolis enforces the order at the permit counter: its CDR exemption form states that local permits are not issued without the release [2].
- The city and the state review side by side. The city's commercial permits page tells applicants to file with the city and with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) "at the same time" [3].
- Each local permit carries its own site plan. The improvement location permit (ILP), the drainage permit, the flood permit and the driveway permit each "requires a site plan," according to the city's Homeowner's Building Permit Guide [4].
- The structural permit can wait on others. Before a structural permit issues, Indianapolis may require sewer, flood, drainage, wrecking and improvement location permits [3].
- A 2026 form can remove state plan review. A July 2026 IDHS form allows a release without plan review where an Indiana registered design professional who has completed at least 5 Indiana projects certifies compliance [5].
Jurisdiction map: who governs where
| Jurisdiction | Who acts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis and Marion County | The consolidated city-county issues the ILP and the drainage, flood and driveway permits through its Business and Neighborhood Services staff, each permit with a site plan | [4] |
| State of Indiana | The IDHS Plan Review Division issues the CDR, the fee is payable to IDHS, and exemptions are claimed under 675 IAC 12-6-4 | [2] |
| Unincorporated land in the surrounding counties | Under IC 36-7-4-801 a municipality may issue ILPs on unincorporated land inside its plan commission jurisdiction where the county has no zoning ordinance | [6] |
Carmel, Fishers and Westfield in Hamilton County and Greenwood in Johnson County run their own processes, and the first line of a site data table there names the city and its plan commission before anything is drawn.
The Indianapolis permit path
| Step | What it involves | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Improvement location permit | Needed for a new structure, added square footage or height, and other site improvements, unless exempt under Indy Rezone §740-801.A; the statutory basis is IC 36-7-4-801 | [4, 6] |
| Drainage, flood and driveway permits | Each is its own permit, and each requires a site plan | [4] |
| Construction Design Release | Filed with IDHS at the same time as the city filing and reviewed by the IDHS Plan Review Division | [3, 2] |
| CDR exemption | Claimed under 675 IAC 12-6-4 and cited on the city's CDR exemption form | [2, 7] |
| Structural permit | May follow the sewer, flood, drainage, wrecking and improvement location permits | [3] |
| Release without plan review | The July 2026 IDHS form, for a qualifying Indiana registered design professional and certain project types | [5] |
The city's homeowner guide prices the ILP at $156 on a platted lot, $199 on a metes and bounds parcel and $108 for an addition or accessory structure [4]. Those are the guide's residential lines [4]; a commercial project adds the state release, which every local commercial permit waits on [1, 2].
Who issues the release and who prepares it
Statewide, a design release comes from the state building commissioner or from a city, town or county the commission has certified (IC 22-15-3-1) [8]. In Indianapolis the city sends applicants to IDHS for it [3]. The release set for a Class 1 structure needs a design professional once the building, or an addition to it, exceeds 30,000 cubic feet, with alterations that do not affect structural safety excepted (675 IAC 12-6-9(a)) [9]. Because that line is drawn in cubic feet of space rather than in floor area [9], building volume sits beside building area on an Indianapolis site data table.
Asset rules in metro Indianapolis
| Asset | Rule that applies in Indianapolis | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gas stations and truck stops | Underground and aboveground storage tanks and dispensers need their own release; IDHS treats the release as the state's permit for that equipment (675 IAC 12-6-2) | [10] |
| Commercial buildings | A state release before construction unless the work is exempt under 675 IAC 12-6-4, and no local permit without it | [1, 2] |
| Single-family homes, additions and accessory structures | ILP at $156 (platted lot), $199 (metes and bounds) or $108 (addition or accessory structure), with a site plan | [4] |
| Campgrounds and RV parks | Indiana Department of Health, under 410 IAC 6-7.1 | [11] |
A fuel site therefore carries two state releases in its schedule, one for the building and one for the tanks and dispensers [10]. Layout standards are on the gas station, truck stop, retail, industrial and multifamily hubs, and the campground numbers are on the Indiana page.
What the preliminary plan carries in Indianapolis
The site data table for an Indianapolis parcel lists the permits the layout will need (ILP, drainage, flood, driveway), because each of those permits carries a site plan [4], and it states building volume against the 30,000 cubic foot design professional line [9]. Where the work claims a CDR exemption, the table names the 675 IAC 12-6-4 provision the exemption form will cite [2].
That is the preliminary site plan: site layout, buildings, drive aisles, parking, pads and yield, organized with a site data table. Developers use it to settle the program before the parallel city and IDHS filings, to brief a lender and to have a general contractor price the work. The Indiana architect or engineer of record then builds the permit site plans and the release set on it, with the drainage, flood and utility design. The who prepares a site plan guide sets out that division of work, preliminary vs final site plan traces the handoff, and the Chicago, Columbus and Kansas City pages cover the other Midwest metros. Service areas lists every metro covered.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Construction Design Release?
The state plan release that a Class 1 structure needs before construction starts, under 675 IAC 12-6-3 [1].
Can I file with the city and the state at the same time in Indianapolis?
Is any project exempt from the design release?
Work listed in 675 IAC 12-6-4 is exempt, and the exemption has to be cited on the city's CDR exemption form [7].
Can a project skip state plan review?
Under a July 2026 IDHS form, a qualifying Indiana registered design professional can obtain a release without plan review for certain project types [5].
Do the tanks at a gas station need their own release?
Yes. Tanks and dispensers get a release of their own; IDHS ties it to 675 IAC 12-6-2 and calls it the state's permit for underground storage tanks, dispensers and related equipment [10].
What does an Indianapolis ILP cost for a new house?
The city's Homeowner's Building Permit Guide lists $156 on a platted lot and $199 on a metes and bounds parcel [4].
When does Indianapolis require an ILP?
For a new structure, for added square footage or height, and for other site improvements, unless the work is exempt under Indy Rezone §740-801.A [4].
Which Indianapolis permits need a site plan?
The improvement location permit, the drainage permit, the flood permit and the driveway permit each need one [4].
Sources
- 1)Construction Design Release Requirement (quoting 675 IAC 12-6-3), City of Lafayette, Indiana. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 2)CDR Exemption Form, City of Indianapolis. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 3)Commercial Development Permits, City of Indianapolis (indy.gov). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 4)Homeowner's Building Permit Guide, City of Indianapolis and Marion County, City of Indianapolis. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)Request for Construction Design Release without plan review (July 2026), Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 6)Indiana Code 36-7-4-801, Improvement location permit; requirement, Indiana General Assembly (via Justia). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 7)Class 1 Plan Review, City of Indianapolis. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)Indiana Code 22-15-3-1, design releases, Indiana General Assembly (via FindLaw). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 9)675 IAC 12-6-9, design professionals, Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (via Justia Regulations). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)Building Plan Review: Underground Storage Tanks (presentation), Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)410 IAC 6-7.1, Campgrounds, Indiana Department of Health. Accessed 2026-10-10.