Indianapolis and the separate cities and towns inside Marion County, including Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway and Southport. Who issues your permit depends on which one you live in.
Towns we serve in Marion County
- IndianapolisCost & permit guide
- LawrenceCovered on this page
- Beech GroveCovered on this page
- SpeedwayCovered on this page
- SouthportCovered on this page
Who handles permits in Marion County
Most of Marion County is the consolidated City of Indianapolis, where the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues residential permits.
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Indianapolis's homeowner permit guide is summarized in our Indianapolis cost guide1. A few communities inside the county run their own permit offices:
Lawrence
The City of Lawrence says a permit is required for any work on a structure or property where the cost exceeds $1,500, and contractors must be licensed with the City. Starting work without a permit costs five times the normal permit fee. Fences don't need a permit but are limited to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 42 inches in front yards. All building permits are issued by the Department of Public Works Permits Division2. Most patio projects cost more than $1,500, so Lawrence homeowners should plan on a permit.
Beech Grove
In Beech Grove, permits are handled through the Clerk-Treasurer's office, and general contractors must provide a certificate of insurance naming the City and a $10,000 bond. For new structures, the City says an Improvement Location Permit from Indianapolis is required first, and all new structures are reviewed by the Beech Grove Building Commissioner3.
Speedway and Southport
Speedway and Southport are separate municipalities inside Marion County. We haven't published town-specific guidance for them yet, so contact your town or city hall to confirm which office reviews a patio, wall or pergola before work starts.
Ground conditions in Marion County
By mapped acreage in the USDA soil survey, Marion County's leading soils are Crosby (about 27%), Miami (about 21%) and Brookston (about 10%), and roughly 12% is mapped as "Urban land," ground covered or reworked by development.
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Many map units are soil–Urban land complexes4. That can mean disturbed or filled ground, so a good contractor checks what's actually under your lawn before specifying the base. Crosby and Brookston are the wetter soils of the group6.
Indiana's residential code lists a 30-inch frost depth for Marion County, which applies to footings for pergolas, seat walls, fireplaces and outdoor kitchens5.
