Building & Inspections

ARB Application

Fees, Permits, and Public Hearings

Commercial Permit and Inspection Frequently Asked Questions

Commercial Permit Frequently Asked Questions

bulk submittal requirements table

Building Permit Submittal
Requirements

Citizen Permit Portal

Citizen Permit Portal

The Department of Planning and Development’s building division is responsible for all plan reviews, inspections, and enforcement of the building code of all Class I and Class II structures in accordance with Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) 675. The building division seeks to serve the citizens of Noblesville by providing accurate, appropriate guidance and consultation through the plan review and inspection processes.

The building division reviews and inspects residential projects such as new home construction, additions, remodels, accessory structures, swimming pools, and other similar projects. All commercial projects such as new commercial buildings, additions to commercial buildings, tenant finishes, commercial remodels, commercial swimming pools, and other similar projects are also reviewed and inspected.

All current, adopted codes of the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission are enforced by the building division. Please refer to the resources posted below for additional information about a current or upcoming project.

Moving forward with a project is easy!  All of the City's permit applications are submitted using our online permit portal. 

All submitted documents must be reviewed and approved before any construction begins. The specific building plan documents required for each permit type can be found by clicking the Building Permit Submittal Requirements link at the top of the page or by visiting the Citizen Permit Portal and selecting a specific permit type.  

For specific questions about project regulations or the permitting process, please call the Department of Planning and Development at (317) 776-6325 to contact a building division staff member.  

Permitting and Inspections

Residential Permit Guide
Residential Permit Guide 

Commercial Permit Guide

Commercial Permit Guide

Citizens Permit Portal

Citizen Permit Portal

Inspection/Construction Packets

You have your building permit and now you are wondering what the next steps are for your project.  Find the packet relating to your construction project below and you will find information on the types of inspections needed for your project and at what point in construction they need to happen.  Questions about the information? Reach out to our building inspection staff.

One and Two Family Residential 

New Construction

One and Two Family Residential 

Addition

One and Two Family Residential

 Accessory Structure

One and Two Family Residential 

Deck

One and Two Family Residential 

Remodel

One and Two Family Residential 

 Swimming Pool

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional 

All Construction

Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, and Multi-Family

Swimming Pools

Monthly Permit Reports 

Monthly Permit Reports

Monthly Permit Reports

 

Helpful External Links

IDHS

Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS)

IAC

Indiana Administrative Code (IAC)

IABO

Indiana Association of Building Officials Current Effective Codes

Code Enforcement

The Planning Department's code enforcement division administers the investigation, documentation, and enforcement of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and the City of Noblesville Code of Ordinances (City Code). Code enforcement provisions regulate private property; regulations listed in the UDO apply throughout Noblesville’s planning jurisdiction, and City Code regulations apply only to properties incorporated into Noblesville city limits.  A corporate limits map can be found in the Map Room .  

Code enforcement operates as a proactive and complaint-based division. Potential violations can be reported to the Planning Department by phone, by submitting an action request to the Citizens’ Action Center, or by email to either of the Code Enforcement staff members. All complaints must include the address of the reported violation and a description of the potential violation being reported. Staff will make a visit to the site to verify if the complaint is valid.

All complaints are handled on a first come, first served basis. Property owners found to be in violation of code are contacted by the Planning Department and given a deadline by which the violation(s) must be corrected. Many of the compliance deadlines are contained with the sections of the codes that are being cited and are not at the discretion of staff.  

Not all regulations listed in the UDO and City Code are enforced by the code enforcement division. Noise complaints and complaints about vehicles parked in the street are enforced by the Noblesville Police Department and matters of public safety should be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Issues pertaining to interior or exterior conditions of a structure are regulated and enforced by the Planning Department’s building division. 

Quick Guides for Frequent Reports 

Grass Maintenance Guide

Grass Maintenance Guide

Vehicle and Trailer Guide

Vehicle and Trailer Guide

Ordinances

Code

City of Noblesville Code of
Ordinances (City Code)

UDO Icon

Unified Development
Ordinance (UDO)

 


 

Current Planning & Zoning

The Planning Department's current planning section is committed to serving the public regarding regulation of land use and development in accordance with City code and applicable laws. Staff prepares staff reports, assists applicants and homeowners, and provides recommendations for items filed for public hearing.    Those applications include things like annexation, change of zoning, planned developments, variances, and conditional uses. Planning Staff is available to answer questions from the public and from applicants regarding the facts of the various public hearings and permits and also to provide information about the process and how meetings are conducted. Planning Staff also reviews and processes permit applications along with other staff within the department.  In addition to those duties, Planning Staff facilitates the development of the Comprehensive Master Plan and various smaller area plans.  Those plans will inform and provide recommendations relating to applications in the future.

 

Unified Development Ordinance

The Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO as it is commonly referred, is used to address development regulations and to provide for their administration, enforcement, and amendment. It consists of 15 Articles including information from zoning regulations to landscaping or signage. You can access the online version of this document here.
  Adopted Planned Development Ordinances

A Planned Development (also referred to as a PD or a PUD) is a large-scaled unified development consisting of a parcel or parcels of land, controlled by a single owner to be developed as a single entity. Because Planned Developments require special approval from Plan Commission and City Council they most often have their own set of regulations. You can view all adopted PD ordinances here.

Noblesville General Viewer 

Please visit the Noblesville General Viewer for an array of information including the zoning map.  

Comprehensive Master Plan

The Comprehensive Master Plan is comprised of two different informing elements: the Existing Land Use Inventory and the Future Land Use Map. 

The Land Use Inventory provides a building snapshot of current land uses conditions and development patterns that are found within the community. For the purposes of this study, the boundaries were considered to be the planning jurisdiction as of 12/31/2012. Collection of the data occurred over the course of 2012 and was incorporated in the 2020 Noblesville Comprehensive Plan in order to assess the impact of development on built and natural spaces.
The Future Land Use Plan is a geographic translation of the vision, goals, and objectives that were formed in the PLANoblesville Comprehensive Plan.  It was created through examination of existing land use patterns, zoning, stakeholder input, and discussions with city staff. The Future Land Use Plan should not be confused with zoning. While land use and zoning are related, they serve separate functions. Land use describes the activity that occurs on the land, while zoning regulates character, building size, density, and other development standards of that land use activity.
  Permits & Inspections

Building permits and inspections of work conducted are required for certain levels of new construction and renovation. The mission of the Building division of the Department of Planning and Development is to administer the Uniform Statewide Building Code and associated laws and ordinances of the State of Indiana in a courteous, responsive, and professional manner in order to contribute to the health, safety, and welfare of the community.

 

Flood Hazard Mitigation

Floodplain Development in IndianaComprehensive flood hazard management is the most effective way to address flood control issues. It provides for a better understanding of the streams and floodplain systems and ensures that flooding problems are not simply transferred from one location to another within the watershed. The Hamilton County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed with input from the general public, neighboring jurisdictions, the city's Planning Department and the city's Stormwater Division.
 
The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) was implemented in 1990 as a program for recognizing and encouraging community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP standards. The National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 codified the Community Rating System in the NFIP. Under the CRS, flood insurance premium rates are adjusted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from community activities that meet the three goals of the CRS: 1) reduce flood losses; 2) facilitate accurate insurance rating; and 3) promote the awareness of flood insurance. The City of Noblesville's Planning Department works closely with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in evaluating the program as administered in the city.

The City of Noblesville has a number of resources that are available to our residents, but there are a number of resources now available on the web to gather more information.  Specific floodplain information and inquiries may be made to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources using the INdiana Floodplain Information Portal.  There are also a number of resources available from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency.  For information regarding flooding risks and flood insurance you can visit Floodsmart.gov.  If you are looking for general information about programs that FEMA runs or the resources that they have available you can visit FEMA.gov.  You can also find digital version of the currently adopted FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) on the FEMA Map Service Center.  You may enter an address in the left bar on the website and it will find the correct map panel, or you may click the Product Catalog link at the top of the page and manually search for the correct map.  

Quick links - Additional Resources
 
 
 
For more information on Noblesville's program contact our Certified Floodplain Manager Denise Aschleman at 317-776-6325 or [email protected].

Plans and Studies

The Planning Department's long range planning function is responsible for developing plans, policies, and programs designed to guide the physical design and development of Noblesville. Specifically, long range planning maintains and implements a coordinated, comprehensive master planning program for quality growth and development of the city that balances social, economic, and environmental goals. The historic past and the dynamic present provide the framework upon which the future can be built.
  
Click below for more information on our past and current projects:
     

Architectural Review Board (ARB)

The Architectural Review Board (ARB) is comprised of 5 members and uses the City's adopted Architectural Design Guidelines to review and evaluate housing characteristics, architectural standards, and landscaping requirements for all new residential planned developments. The Architectural Review Board also reviews house plans submitted by a new builder in developments previously approved by the Board. 

Current Architectural Design Guidelines  

Single-Family DETACHED Residential Architectural Guidelines

Single-Family ATTACHED Residential Architectural Guidelines

Multi-Family Residential Architectural Guidelines

Current Architectural Review Board Members

  • Mike Davis (Common Council Representative)
  • Dr. Joe Forgey (Plan Commission Representative)
  • Caleb Gutshall (Director of Planning & Development)
  • Darren Peterson  (Common Council Representative)
  • Malinda Wilcox (Plan Commission Representative)

For more information see the Related Pages below or contact Joyceann Yelton at 317-776-6325 or [email protected].

ARB Application
Fees, Permits and Public Hearings		 Meeting Dates and Deadlines
Meeting Dates & Deadlines		 ARB Rules of Procedure
Rules of Procedure

Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA)

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) is a quasi-judicial body of five members that meets on the 1st Monday of every month at City Hall (Council Chambers) 16 South 10th Street, Noblesville, Indiana 46060. Three citizen members are appointed by the Mayor, one citizen member is appointed by the Common Council, and one member is appointed by the plan commission as the extra-territorial jurisdiction member. The Board is charged with the responsibility of hearing appeals, requests for variances to the land use zoning regulations of the city, and requests for conditional uses--all further explained in their Rules of Procedure. The Board conducts public hearings for citizen input in order to make their decisions.  

Agendas for the meetings are posted approximately 3 weeks prior to the meeting and staff reports for the items are linked on the agenda approximately 5 days prior to the meeting. You can find agendas for public meetings by visiting the document center.  Each agenda item names the Planning Staff member working on the item and includes a link to email them directly.  

Current Board of Zoning Appeals Board Members

  • Mike Field, Chairperson (Mayor Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2026)                                          
  • Dave Burtner, Vice Chairperson (Plan Commission Representative, Term Expires 12-31-2028)
  • Dan Mac Innis (Mayor Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2026)
  • Lauren Wahl (Mayor Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2025)
  • Kevin Sears (Council Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2027)
ARB Application
Fees, Permits, and Public Hearings		 Meeting Dates and Deadlines
Meeting Dates & Deadlines		 ARB Rules of Procedure
Rules of Procedure

Plan Commission (PC)

The Noblesville Plan Commission meets on the 3rd Monday of every month at City Hall (Council Chambers), 16 South 10th Street Street, Noblesville, IN 46060. They help to shape the city's growth and development and help the Common Council develop and update City Ordinances, the Comprehensive Plan, the Thoroughfare Plan and other long-range planning functions. The Plan Commission consists of 11 voting members and conducts public hearings for land use zoning and land subdivision activities.


2025 Noblesville Plan Commission Members

Malinda Wilcox, President Mayoral Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2027
N. Scott Smith, Vice President   Mayoral Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2028
David Burtner County Commissioner's Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2028
Steve Cooke    Mayoral Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2027
Dr. Joe Forgey Mayoral Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2025
Gretchen A. Hanes Board of Public Works Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2025
Jim Hellmann Assistant City Engineer, Term Indefinite
Anita Rogers Mayoral Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2025
Angie Sutton Parks Board Representative, Term Expires 12-31-2025
Todd Thurston Council Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2025
Adriann Young County Commissioner's Appointment, Term Expires 12-31-2025

For additional Plan Commission information, please see the Related Pages section below or contact Joyceann Yelton, Development Services Manager, at 317-776-6325 or [email protected]. 

ARB Application
Fees, Permits and Public Hearings		 Meeting Dates and Deadlines
Meeting Dates & Deadlines		 ARB Rules of Procedure
Rules of Procedure

 

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

The Technical Advisory Committee assists in evaluating development plans and forwards their recommendation to other governmental entities having the applicable reviewing authority. The committee includes both public and private entities with specific knowledge of road, water, sewer design and construction; health requirements regarding water and sewer facilities; environmental planning criteria relating to geology, vegetation, noise, water systems; public safety issues relating to fire hydrant location and capacity; design criteria for telephone, cable, and natural gas installation; and urban design criteria.
 
Because this is such a multi-disciplinary board its members include representatives from:
  • Noblesville Planning Department
  • Noblesville Engineering Department
  • Noblesville Engineering Department - MS4
  • Noblesville Fire Department
  • Noblesville Parks Department
  • Noblesville Street Department
  • Hamilton Co. Surveyor's Department
  • Hamilton Co. Highway Department
  • Hamilton Co. Health Department
  • Indiana American Water
  • Hamilton Southeastern Utilities
  • Center Point Energy
  • Duke Energy
  • AT&T
  • Comcast
  • Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company
  • Citizens Energy Group

For more information, please contact Joyceann Yelton, Development Services Manager at 317-776-6325 or [email protected].

ARB Application
Fees, Permits, and Public Hearings		 Meeting Dates and Deadlines
Meeting Dates & Deadlines

Meeting Dates and Filing Deadlines

Public Meetings for the City of Noblesville include:

  • The Board of Zoning Appeals start at 6:00 PM (Monday).
  • Common Council meetings start at 6:00 pm (Tuesday).
  • Plan Commission meetings start at 6:00 PM (Monday)

PLANNING DEPARTMENT PUBLIC MEETINGS

2025 Meeting Dates - ARB, BZA & TAC

2025 Meeting Dates and Filing Deadlines for Plan Commission

*Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call the contact person listed for the meeting or hearing with specific information on your request before the date of the scheduled meeting.

Fees, Permits and Public Hearings

This page was created as a means to provide as much information and clarity about the processes within the Planning Department as possible.  It is not possible to communicate all information, but each of the documents below are links to facts sheets or forms to aid you in application.  If you have additional questions after reviewing this page, please reach out to Planning Staff with those questions.  Please note that all applications to the Noblesville Planning Department are made digitally through our Citizen Permit Portal.  A link is provided below.  
 
Fees 
 
For more information regarding Engineering fees and when they are applicable, please contact the Engineering Department at (317) 776-6330. Applicable fees are listed on the current fee schedule:

 

Public Hearings 

The documents listed below the described public hearings open or download current documents relating to the application type and any required forms for submittal.

 
Plan Commission 
Change of Zoning  Residential Preliminary Development Plan  Residential Detailed Development Plan 
Non-Residential Preliminary Development Plan  Non-Residential Detailed Development Plan  Amendment to an Adopted Preliminary Development Plan 
Primary Plat  Secondary Plat  Replat/Plat Vacation 
Program of Signs  Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Improvement Location Permit (ILP) 
Architectural Review Board
 
Board of Zoning Appeals

Conditional Use

Variance of Development Standards 

Variance of Use

Change of Development Plan 

Appeal of a Plan Director Interpretation 

  
Permit Applications 
 
Application Types and Documents 
The list below is not inclusive of all permit types required.  For a full list of application types, please visit the Citizen Permit Portal which also includes a detailed description of what is covered by each permit application.  
 
Site Plan Review/Improvement Location

BUILDING PERMITS

Single-Family and Two-Family Structures

Multi-Family, Commercial, Industrial, Governmental, Institutional Structures

Swimming Pool

Demolition

MISCELLANEOUS PERMITS 

Fence

Temporary Use

Mobile Food Vehicle

Home Occupation

Annexation (Contact the Development Services Manager at 317-776-6325 for information and requirements)

Signs 

Map Room

Unified Development Ordinance

Development Checklists

For more clarity on the exact information/materials needed for a given application, please refer to ‘Noblesville Application Checklists.’ Clicking on the links below will allow you to open or download the current Development Checklists.  Please note that all items listed in each checklist will need to be prepared prior to the submission of an application.  The deadline to submit your application for review is no later than 10 AM,  every 3rd Wednesday of each month. 

Meeting Dates and Filing Deadlines

Basic Filing Requirements Checklist

BZA Application Checklist

  • A request by an individual or entity for a review of an interpretation, order, decision, or determination by the Director of Planning and Development regarding any provision of the Unified Development Ordinance. 

Change of Zoning Application Checklist

  • An amendment to a zoning map and/or text of a zoning ordinance to effect a change in the nature, density, or intensity of uses allowed in a zoning district and/or on a designated parcel or land area.

Detailed Development Plan Application Checklist

  • The purpose of the Detailed Development Plan is to specifically designate the land subdivided into conventional lots or blocks for non-residential planned developments as well as the division of other lands into common open areas and building sites. The Detailed Development Plan shall show the exact location of each building to be constructed, and a designation specific internal use for each building. The Detailed Development Plan also informs all who deal with the Planned Development of the restrictions placed upon the land, and acts as a zoning control device.

Initial Project Inquiry Meeting Checklist

Prefiling Meeting Checklist

  • Conference with Planning and {Engineering Department Staff is required prior to the applicant/developer/owner filing an application(s) for a public hearing before the Plan Commission or for site review by the Technical Advisory Committee with said conference being completed at a minimum of ten (10) {business days prior to the filing of said application(s).  These applications are subject to the filing dates contained on the adopted Schedule of Meeting Dates and Filing Deadlines adopted by the Plan Commission annually.  ORD #32-07-19, ORD #44-10-23 

Preliminary Development Plan Checklist

  • The initial development plans as proposed for a Planned Development following approval by the Plan Commission and adoption by the Common Council of said drawings {and Planned Development (PD) ordinance including any waivers from the underlying zoning district regulations and commitments by the developer for said real property.}

Primary Plat Application Checklist

  • The preliminary drawing or drawings, described in these regulations, indicating the proposed manner or layout of the subdivision to be submitted to the Plan Commission for approval.

Secondary Plat Checklist

  • The final and formal presentation of the map, plan, or record of a subdivision and any accompanying material, as described in the regulations {of the Unified Development Ordinance.}

Site Plan Review Application Checklist

  • Request for a hearing and review by the Noblesville Technical Advisory Committee members.