Indy Drainage Permits Without the Runaround
Indianapolis has one of the most layered permitting processes in Indiana. City, utility, state, and floodplain approvals all stack up before you can move dirt. We navigate those layers every day, led by a licensed Professional Engineer with years of site civil and drainage design experience.
Sound Familiar?
If any of these describe your project, we can help.
What You Get
Permits stall for lots of reasons: incomplete or botched applications, plans that miss City design requirements, proposals that do not comply with the Stormwater Manual, and steps done out of order. You get one engineer who knows every layer and gets it right the first time.
A Clear Permit Path
Before design starts, we list every approval your site needs: City, utility, and state. No surprises halfway through.A Package Built to Pass
Plans and drainage reports prepared to the Indianapolis Stormwater Manual, so reviewers have fewer comments and you get fewer rounds.Someone Who Handles It
We submit, answer every reviewer comment, and keep you updated until the permit is issued.Permits We Handle
Click any question to see the answer.
Indianapolis & Marion County
The City and utility approvals every Indy site has to clear.
Indianapolis Drainage Permits
Complete drainage permit packages: site plan, drainage report, detention and storm sewer design, and stormwater quality BMPs, prepared to the Indianapolis Stormwater Design and Construction Specifications Manual and submitted through the City portal. We work every reviewer comment until the permit is issued and help you close it out.
How do I get a drainage permit in Indianapolis?
Apply through the City online portal with a site plan and drainage report prepared to the Indianapolis Stormwater Manual. The City reviews it, issues comments, and approves once every comment is resolved. We handle the whole process for you.
Do I need one for my project?
Most site development goes through City drainage review, and disturbing half an acre or more triggers the City stormwater quality requirements. We confirm what your project needs before you spend money on design.
My permit is stuck in review. Can you help?
Yes. Send us the comment letter and the submitted plans. We will tell you what it takes to get approved and take it from there.
Improvement Location Permits & Site Plans
Site plans and supporting drawings for Improvement Location Permits (ILP), administrative approvals, and site development reviews, coordinated with the drainage permit so both move together.
What is an Improvement Location Permit?
It is the City approval that confirms your site improvements meet zoning and development standards. Most new buildings, additions, and site changes need one.
CEG Connections
Connection approvals and coordination with Citizens Energy Group for storm, sanitary, and gas service, including storm connections to the combined sewer. We prepare the submittals so utility reviews do not hold up your City permit.
Why does Citizens review my storm drainage?
Parts of Indianapolis are served by a combined sewer. New storm connections need utility approval so they do not add to sewer overflows.
When should utility coordination start?
Early. Utility reviews run on their own schedule, and starting late is one of the most common reasons Indy projects stall.
Statewide Water Resources Permits
Required on many Indianapolis projects, and anywhere else in Indiana.
Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSGP)
Notice of Intent filing, a site specific SWPPP, and erosion and sediment control plans that satisfy IDEM and local reviewers.
When is CSGP coverage required?
Generally when a project disturbs one acre or more, including smaller lots that are part of a larger plan of development.
Is this the same as Rule 5?
CSGP replaced the old Rule 5 program. If your plans still reference Rule 5, they need an update.
Construction in a Floodway (CIF)
Building, grading, filling, or placing a culvert or bridge in a floodway often requires a CIF permit. We prepare the hydraulic modeling, plans, and application.
How do I know if I am in a floodway?
We check FEMA mapping and IDNR best available floodplain data for your site. Being in the floodway changes what you can build and which permits you need.
Section 401 Water Quality Certification
Stream crossings, outfalls, channel work, and wetland impacts can require state and federal approval. We coordinate the 401 application and supporting drawings.
When is a 401 needed?
When work in a stream or wetland needs a federal Clean Water Act permit, Indiana requires a 401 Water Quality Certification from IDEM.
Regulated Drain Permits
Crossings, outfalls, and encroachments on county regulated (legal) drains need drainage board approval. We prepare the plans and request.
What is a regulated drain?
A drain maintained by the county drainage board. It carries a statutory easement, often 75 feet from the top of bank, and work inside it needs approval.
Floodplain Permits, No-Rise & Map Revisions
Floodplain development permits, no-rise certifications, and CLOMR and LOMR map revision support for projects in mapped flood zones.
What is a no-rise certification?
An engineer-certified analysis showing your project will not raise flood elevations. Many communities require it for floodway work.
Technical Services Behind the Permit
The engineering that gets permits approved the first time.
Site Civil & Grading Plans
Site layout, grading, erosion control, and utility plans for commercial, institutional, and residential development.
Do you do full site civil design?
Yes. Grading, drainage, utilities, and erosion control plans, coordinated with the permits your site needs.
Stormwater Modeling & Drainage Design
Detention and storm sewer design, stormwater quality BMPs, and hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, including 1D and 2D floodplain models.
Why does modeling matter for permits?
Reviewers approve numbers they can trust. Clean, well documented models are what move a drainage report or floodway permit through review.
Culvert & Storm Sewer Sizing
Culvert, storm sewer, and outlet sizing backed by calculations, for new construction or fixing a system that floods.
Can you size a culvert for a driveway or road crossing?
Yes. We size it to the drainage area and design storm so it works, and our crews can install it.
Why Builders and Developers Call Us
- Licensed Professional Engineer. Plans designed and sealed by a PE who specializes in stormwater and site drainage.
- We know the layers. City, utility, state, and floodplain reviews are routine for us, not a learning curve.
- Design and build under one roof. Our Alchemy Excavation crews can build what we design, so the plan works in the field.
- Straight answers fast. You know what your site needs and what it does not before you spend a dollar on design.
How It Works
Five steps from first call to approved permit.
Indianapolis Permits. Engineering Statewide.
We know Indianapolis and Marion County inside out: Downtown, Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Irvington, Castleton, and every side of town. Our engineering and state permitting work covers all 92 Indiana counties.
- Marion County: City of Indianapolis permits
- Indianapolis
- Engineering and state permits statewide
Get Your Permit Moving
Starting a project or stuck in review? Tell us about it. We will review your site and tell you exactly what it takes.