Permitting Guidance
Indianapolis wants to "connect the drops" by encouraging the use of storm water as a valuable natural resource instead of managing it as a pollution source. Rain gardens are a beautiful way for you to connect the drops! The term rain garden encompasses a large variety of application and scale of practice. In general a small voluntary rain garden on private property will more than likely not need a permit. However, permitting causes a challenge due to the large variety of application and scale of practice. Rain gardens are construction and construction often requires permits and considerations. Permits are based on land disturbance, construction in special areas (historic districts, regional centers, etc.), and disturbance to waterways or City infrastructure (storm sewer pipes, ditches, swales, water bodies, etc.). Below is an easy to use permitting flow chart to determine what permits may be needed. The flow chart also references storm water retrofit forms that may need to be filled out depending on your project type these are also provided below.
Rain Garden Permitting Flow Chart (.pdf)
StormWater Retrofit Forms (.pdf)
Rain Garden Typical Cross Sections
What does the cross section of a rain garden look like? How do I build and construct a rain garden? What are the different types of rain gardens? Provided below are technical drawings accompanied by a simple graphic. This section explains the different application of each of these rain gardens.
RainGarden_CrossSection (.pdf)
Simple Rain Garden Graphic (.pdf)
Register Your Rain Garden
If you are within the city limits of Indianapolis, you are encouraged to register your rain garden with the City of Indianapolis and elect to receive a sign for your yard. Registering your rain garden will also allow you to put your project on the interactive map and encourage others to do the same. Check back often to watch the Rain Garden Program grow.