Driveway and Sidewalk Permits Around Indianapolis: Who Issues What

Quick answer

Work in the public right-of-way, including most driveway aprons, curbs and public sidewalks, needs a permit almost everywhere in the Indianapolis metro. Indianapolis handles it through the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services for most of Marion County; Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville and Greenwood each run their own. Indiana has no statewide concrete license, but Indianapolis licenses contractors and several suburbs require registration and bonds.

Last updated October 22, 2026

Most concrete work on your own lot, like a back patio, doesn't involve the city at all, though some projects do need a building permit. The moment the work reaches the street, it usually does. The strip between your property line and the pavement, which often includes the driveway apron, the curb and the public sidewalk, is public right-of-way, and every city and town in the Indianapolis metro regulates it. This guide sorts out who issues what, so you know what to ask before a contractor starts breaking concrete.

Rules and forms change, and we've summarized what each city publishes as of this writing. Always confirm with the city or town before work begins.

First: where does the right-of-way start?

Your property line is usually not at the edge of the street. On many lots it's a few feet behind the sidewalk, or some distance back from the pavement where there's no sidewalk. Your plat or survey shows it, along with any drainage and utility easements. Indianapolis's Department of Business and Neighborhood Services has a page explaining how to find a site plan or plot plan for a property. If you don't know where the line is, assume the apron and sidewalk are public.

Indianapolis (Marion County)

The City of Indianapolis has jurisdiction over public streets in Marion County except state routes under the Indiana Department of Transportation and local streets inside the excluded cities. According to the city:

Driveway permits are required for residential and commercial driveways connected to streets proposed or accepted by the city, and driveways are built to the Department of Public Works standards.
Any use, restriction or excavation of the public right-of-way, including streets, alleys and sidewalk areas, needs a permit and sometimes an inspection.
Excavation permits in the right-of-way are issued to licensed general contractors or registered public utilities.
The city's code requires anyone doing construction, land alteration, driveway or excavation work to be a licensed contractor with the city, and the city publishes a list of currently licensed general contractors.

Permits are applied for through the city's Accela Citizens Access portal. For a homeowner, the practical takeaway is that the contractor should hold a current Indianapolis license and pull the permit. Ask for their license and check the city's list.

The excluded cities

Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport and Speedway sit inside Marion County but are excluded from the consolidated city for licensing and many local streets. If you live in one of them, check with that city rather than Indianapolis.

Carmel

Carmel's engineering department requires a right-of-way permit for construction, excavation or traffic restriction in the city's right-of-way, and permit applicants must file a license and permit bond with the department. The city's FAQs say residential driveways at the street must be between 12 and 20 feet wide, that sidewalk maintenance is the property owner's responsibility, and that sidewalk repairs must replace full panels after getting a right-of-way permit. If a driveway extends into a platted easement, a consent to encroach agreement may be needed. Carmel has also offered a sidewalk repair grant program; check the city's site for current availability.

Fishers

Fishers requires contractors to register in a right-of-way category before applying for a right-of-way permit. Registration calls for an Indiana business registration, a certificate of insurance naming the city, a performance bond, proof of safe-digging training and a safety plan. The city's instructions say driveway work generally needs a performance bond and an inspection before concrete is poured, that sidewalk repair needs a right-of-way excavation permit and final inspection, and that a homeowner personally doing the work may not need contractor registration. The city's standard construction details also limit how steep a driveway can be just beyond the right-of-way line.

Noblesville

Noblesville requires an encroachment permit for all work in or blockage of the city's right-of-way, and its permit form warns that work started before approval can bring a penalty and a stop-work order. The city's residential construction standards require at least six inches of concrete where a driveway passes through the right-of-way.

Westfield

Westfield's Public Works Department handles encroachment permits, which the city says may be needed for driveway access, sidewalk or curb impacts and other work in the right-of-way. Applications go through the city's online permit portal.

Zionsville

The Town of Zionsville requires a permit for any work in the public right-of-way, including alleys, sidewalks and bicycle and pedestrian paths. The town notes that repairs to a driveway on private property don't need a permit. If the work reaches the apron or path, it does.

Greenwood

Greenwood publishes a right-of-way and street cut permit application, and its city code addresses driveway permits for cutting into or excavating streets and curbs. Check with the city for current requirements before replacing an apron or curb cut.

Does Indiana license concrete contractors?

Not at the state level. Indiana doesn't issue a statewide general contractor or concrete license; plumbing is the main construction trade licensed by the state. Licensing and registration are local, which is why requirements change at each city line: Indianapolis licenses general contractors, while Fishers and Carmel rely on registration and bonds for right-of-way work. Whatever the local rule, ask any contractor for a certificate of insurance.

Indiana's Attorney General also points out that home improvement contracts over $150 must be in writing, and that changes should be made by signed change order. Get the scope, price, timeline and permit responsibility in writing.

Call before you dig

Indiana law requires anyone digging, homeowners included, to contact Indiana 811 at least two full working days before starting. Utilities mark their lines at no charge. Private lines, such as invisible pet fences, irrigation and lines to detached garages, aren't marked by 811, so point them out to your contractor. Driveway tear-outs disturb soil near water services, gas lines and communication cables, so this step matters even for a replacement.

Water and sewer connections

In Indianapolis, Citizens Energy Group operates the water and sanitary sewer systems, and connections to its water and sanitary sewers require Citizens' approval. A typical driveway job won't involve that, but if you're adding a garage floor drain, moving a curb box or regrading near a cleanout, ask your contractor how they'll protect or coordinate those.

Floodplains and drainage

Lots near the White River, Fall Creek, Eagle Creek and other streams may be in mapped flood hazard areas. Indianapolis requires a floodplain development permit for development in a special flood hazard area, and suburbs have similar rules. Regrading or adding large slabs in a drainage easement can also need approval.

HOAs

HOAs are very common in Hamilton County and in newer subdivisions across the metro. Many review driveway widening, patios, colors and decorative finishes, and some specify driveway materials. Get HOA approval in writing before the contractor orders concrete. HOA approval doesn't replace a city permit, and a city permit doesn't replace HOA approval.

A checklist before work starts

Find your property line and easements on your plat or survey.
Ask your city or town whether the work needs a right-of-way, encroachment or building permit.
Confirm the contractor holds any required local license or registration and bond.
Get the permit responsibility, inspections and price in a written contract.
Get HOA approval if you have an HOA.
Make sure Indiana 811 has been contacted before digging.

Once you know the rules, request a concrete contractor who works in your city and can handle the permit. Our driveway page covers how a durable driveway is built.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in the same footprint?

If the work reaches the apron, curb or sidewalk in the right-of-way, most cities in the metro require a permit even for a same-size replacement. Zionsville says repairs to a driveway on private property don't need one. Rules differ, so check with your city or town.

Who is responsible for the public sidewalk in front of my house?

It varies. Carmel says sidewalk maintenance is the property owner's responsibility. Other cities have their own rules and programs. Ask your city's public works or engineering department before repairing a public sidewalk.

How do I check whether a contractor is licensed in Indianapolis?

The City of Indianapolis publishes a list of currently licensed general contractors on indy.gov, and you can contact the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services with questions. In the suburbs, ask the city whether the contractor is registered for right-of-way work.

Sources and further reading

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