Indianapolis drainage and grading permits
At a glance: City of Indianapolis permit fees changed on 5 January 2026; use the official schedule and Accela, not unofficial blog prices. A company guide discusses grading and drainage thresholds, which this wiki attributes to the company and does not restate as ordinance. Call 811 before digging.
What official Indianapolis sources should come first?
The City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services publishes license and permit information, including a fee schedule that the city put into effect on 5 January 2026 after earlier council and board approvals.[1] Applications are commonly handled through the city’s Accela Citizen Access portal.[2] Right-of-way work — as distinct from work entirely on private property — is described on the city’s right-of-way permit pages.[3]
Because official dollar amounts live in the city’s current schedule, and because unofficial blogs may still quote older figures, this wiki does not reprint blog fee ranges as if they were current city prices.[1][4] The reliable method is to open the official schedule and to confirm the charge in Accela when a permit is created.
What does the company blog say, and how is it treated?
A Homeward Environmental blog post offers an Indianapolis yard-drainage and grading permit guide. It states, among other things, that a permit is needed for grading that disturbs more than 500 square feet or that changes elevation by more than 12 inches, and it discusses stormwater, excavation and retaining-wall thresholds, with dollar ranges for fees and surveys.[4] Those statements are the company’s unofficial guide. This wiki records that the guide exists, but it does not promote those thresholds or dollar amounts as city code unless and until they are confirmed on an official Indianapolis page.[4][1]
What is required before digging, regardless of a city permit?
Indiana 811 rules apply before excavation: notify 811 (or use the state 811 site) so buried utilities can be marked, with the statutory advance notice the state program requires.[5] Setting a shallow decorative feature is not the same as trenching for a drain, but a French drain, buried downspout or wall footer is excavation in the ordinary sense. Federal stormwater rules under the EPA’s NPDES program also shape how municipalities regulate runoff; they are not a substitute for a local permit decision.[6]
| Question | What this compilation uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Where are official fees published? | City of Indianapolis license and permit fees page; updated schedule effective 5 January 2026. | Do not use unofficial blog dollar ranges as current prices |
| Where to apply? | Accela Citizen Access, as used by the city for many permit types. | Confirm the correct record type with the city |
| Private yard versus public right-of-way | City right-of-way permit pages cover private use of streets, lanes and sidewalks. | A backyard drain is not automatically a right-of-way permit |
| Company blog thresholds (500 square feet, 12 inches, wall height) | Attributed to the company blog only in this edition. | Not restated here as official code |
| Utility marking | Indiana 811 before excavation. | State program; free locate request |
Methodology: official city and state pages are preferred. The company blog is cited as the company’s discussion, not as a substitute ordinance. This table does not estimate how often Homeward Environmental jobs need a permit, because the company does not publish that split.[1][4]
Questions
Does every French drain in Indianapolis need a permit?
This wiki does not invent a universal rule. Check with the city. The company blog discusses thresholds that are not treated here as official code.
How much is the permit?
Fees were updated 5 January 2026. Use the official city schedule or the Accela invoice, not unofficial blog ranges.
Related articles
Notes
- ^ a b c d License and permit fees. City of Indianapolis, Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Accela Citizen Access. City of Indianapolis. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Right-of-way permits. City of Indianapolis, Department of Business and Neighborhood Services. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c d Indianapolis Yard Drainage & Grading Permit Guide (company blog). Homeward Environmental (homewardenvironmental.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ Indiana 811. Indiana 811. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ NPDES stormwater program. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 9 November 2026.