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Typically for the City of Indianapolis, permitting new residential construction begins, after any special district approval, with the infrastructure review process and drainage permit. If the proposed house is located within a subdivision that has been pre-approved for drainage (most subdivisions after 1980), a drainage inspection will not be required prior to the issuance of the ILP. If the house is a subdivision that has not been pre-approved for drainage, or if the addition is over 400 square feet, a drainage inspection will be required prior to the issuance of the ILP.

Once the ILP has been approved and issued, the structural permit can be obtained.  So then, the process goes something like this:

  1. Special district approval (flood control district, historic preservation district, regional center, etc.)
  2. Drainage approval and permit (DRN), Driveway Permit (DRV) if applicable
  3. Improvement Location Permit (ILP)
  4. Structural permit (STR)

Required documentation for any new construction goes something like this (although it can vary from project to project):

  1. legal description of the property
  2. a site plan drawn to scale that shows the location of the existing and proposed buildings as they are setback within the property boundaries, as well as driveways, patios, decks, pools, courts, walks, etc.
  3. a foundation plan
  4. a floor plan
  5. a wall section that shows the make up of the load-bearing wall from the footer up to the roof system
  6. drawings of all sides of the building or addition, showing existing and proposed improvements
  7. If trusses are to be used, engineer stamped truss specs need to be submitted as well

If you wish to submit the Residential Development Application through our drop off policy, mail such submittal to our offices with attention to the Permitting Section. Upon receipt, we will contact the applicant with a tracking number to reference for any query into the status of the project.