Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
Generally one business day for complete electronic applications; generally same day for complete in-person applications. New dwellings require site-plan approval first, and most commercial construction requires site-plan approval and a State Design Release before permit application.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 317-392-6480 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Shelby County Building Inspector / Plan Commission is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 317-392-6480 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
Generally one business day for complete electronic applications; generally same day for complete in-person applications. New dwellings require site-plan approval first, and most commercial construction requires site-plan approval and a State Design Release before permit application.
All inspections require 24-hour notice. Contact the Building Inspector at 317-392-6480 and follow the inspection procedures. Electronic applications are encouraged: email the ILP application, homeowner affidavit when applicable, and site plan to jelsrod@co.shelby.in.us. Permits are generally processed and issued in one business day electronically or the same day in person when requirements are complete.
Indiana State Building Code as administered by the Shelby County Building Inspector, plus the Shelby County Unified Development Ordinance, site-plan, floodplain, and related county requirements. The reviewed official pages did not identify a separate 2026 technical code edition. Permits are required for new dwellings, commercial structures, remodels/additions to dwellings, accessory structures over 200 square feet, remodels/additions to accessory structures over 200 square feet, decks, and pools. The department's Projects That Require Permits form contains the detailed exemption list; the county serves unincorporated Shelby County and Fairland, while other municipalities may require their own permits.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.