What's Required in Indianapolis
- Heating and cooling permit for any installation, replacement or addition of heating, cooling or refrigeration equipment (Residential Development Permits page)
- Exempt: identical water heater replacement, duct extensions, window air conditioners, fan replacements, ordinary maintenance and repair
- Fees: $153 heating, $153 cooling, $185 combined, up to 2,500 sq ft plus $23 per additional 1,000 sq ft; no application fee; reinspection $175
- Permit pulled by a city-licensed heating and cooling contractor, or by an owner-occupant with the board's written approval under Sec. 875-321
- Electrical contractors may install all-electric equipment under the electrical permit ($146 heating, $146 cooling, $178 combined) but not refrigerant work
- Equipment circuit up to 60 A covered by the HVAC permit; larger circuits or service changes need a $169 electrical permit
- Application states permit type, system type, fuel, BTU input, and whether ductwork, electrical work or a gas line is included
- Rough inspection of ductwork before covering; final requested with the Completion Card within 14 days
- No Improvement Location Permit for air conditioning units
Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Furnace or AC in Indianapolis?
Yes. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS) requires a heating and cooling permit for any construction activity related to a heating, venting, air conditioning or refrigeration system, with exactly two exceptions: replacement of a water heater with one identical in venting arrangement and fuel, and extension of heating or cooling duct work. A like-for-like furnace, air conditioner or heat pump swap is not on the exemption list, so it needs the permit; the HVAC application form even has a "Replacement" permit type. Sec. 536-201(b) also exempts the things people worry about needlessly: window air conditioners and other plug-in appliances, replacement of an attic, bath, range hood or whole-house fan, and ordinary maintenance and repair of equipment that does not reduce performance or add risk. Zoning needs nothing either: air conditioning units are exempt from the Improvement Location Permit.
Indianapolis HVAC Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Replacing a gas furnace only, same location | Heating permit ($153) | 2026 schedule: heating systems installation, replacement, addition |
| Replacing the outdoor AC condenser and coil only | Cooling permit ($153) | Cooling systems installation, replacement, addition |
| Replacing furnace and AC together, or a heat pump system | Combined heating and cooling permit ($185) | Combined systems line; $208 in a 3,500 sq ft house |
| Electric furnace, electric heat pump or ductless mini split installed by an electrical contractor | Electrical permit, space heating or cooling ($146; $178 combined) | Sec. 875-201 lets electrical contractors do electric equipment, not refrigerant work |
| Extending ducts to a new room, or an identical water heater swap | None | Sec. 536-201(b)(23) and (b)(24) |
| New or rerouted ductwork only | Heating or cooling permit ($153) as duct work only | Schedule line covers duct work only |
| Repairs: capacitor, blower motor, igniter, thermostat; window AC; fan replacement | None | Sec. 536-201(b)(12), (b)(18), (b)(20) |
How Much Is an HVAC Permit in Indianapolis?
The January 5, 2026 DBNS schedule prices craft permits by the size of the structure. Heating systems (installation, replacement, addition, or duct work only): $153 for a structure up to 2,500 square feet, plus $23 per additional 1,000 square feet. Cooling systems: the same $153. Combined heating and cooling systems: $185 up to 2,500 square feet plus $23 per 1,000. So a furnace-and-AC replacement in a typical house is $185, and $208 in a 3,500 square foot house. Refrigeration equipment is $156 and a general service activity permit $89. When an electrical contractor installs all-electric equipment under the electrical permit instead, the lines are $146 for space heating, $146 for space cooling and $178 combined, up to 10,000 square feet. Craft permits carry no application fee and did not change in 2026. A new circuit of up to 60 amperes for the equipment needs no separate electrical permit once the heating and cooling permit exists; a larger circuit or a new service does. Reinspections are $175.
Who Can Pull an HVAC Permit in Indianapolis?
Sec. 875-301 requires a city heating and cooling contractor license to install, modernize, replace, service or repair any part of a heating system, cooling system or refrigeration equipment, and it adds that businesses engaged in service and repair must be licensed too. There is no state HVAC license; Indianapolis licenses contractors itself after an exam and board approval, and publishes the list of licensed HVAC contractors monthly. Electrical contractors may install electric heating and cooling equipment but not touch the refrigerant cycle. The homeowner route is Sec. 875-321: a person who both owns and occupies a one- or two-family home may do the work without a license if they obtain the heating and cooling permit and written approval from the board or its designee that they have the skill, which DBNS runs as a homeowner exam. If a contractor does the work, the contractor must pull the permit under its own license and carries the violations; the city's licensed-contractor list and the Accela Citizens Access portal let you check both the license and the permit. Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway and Southport license separately.
Application and Inspection
The contractor files in the Accela Citizens Access portal: permit type (replacement, installation in an existing structure, addition or new), system type (heating, cooling, combined, refrigeration), fuel source, heating and cooling BTU input, whether electrical work or ductwork is included, and whether the job is only a gas line to an appliance. A rough inspection covers supply, return, makeup-air and exhaust ductwork before it is covered or insulated; an equipment-only swap generally goes straight to the final, requested with the Completion Card within 14 days of finishing. Work must stay available for inspection for 48 hours after it is called in.
How to Get a HVAC Permit in Indianapolis
Confirm the job needs a permit
Replacement, new equipment or new ductwork: yes. Duct extension, identical water heater, window unit, fan swap or a repair part: no.
Hire a city-licensed HVAC contractor, or qualify yourself
Check the monthly licensed-contractor list. Owner-occupants doing their own work need the heating and cooling board's written approval first.
File the heating and cooling permit in Accela Citizens Access
Permit type replacement or installation, system type, fuel, BTUs, and the electrical, ductwork and gas-line questions. Pay $153 or $185 plus $23 per 1,000 sq ft over 2,500.
Install and call the rough inspection if ducts are involved
Supply, return, makeup-air and exhaust ducts are inspected before covering or insulating; keep the work open 48 hours after notice.
Close with the Completion Card
Submit the Certificate of Completion and Compliance within 14 days to request the final inspection.