Cleveland building department

The City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing issues building, trade, demolition, and accessory-structure permits for property inside Cleveland city limits. Its Division of Construction Permitting runs intake and plan review at City Hall, while the Division of Records Administration keeps permit history and certificates of occupancy. Neighboring Cuyahoga County suburbs run their own departments or partner with the county, so confirm the property is actually in the city before applying.

What needs a Cleveland permit

The city’s permits page lists work that requires a permit, including new construction, additions, alterations, enlargement, replacement, repair, moving, or demolition of a structure, and any change of use or occupancy. Plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, elevator, and solar installations need permits. So do accessory structures: garages, sheds, decks, swimming pools, awnings, canopies, fences, and parking lots.

The same page lists minor work that does not need a permit. Examples are patching walls, patching leaking roof coverings, pointing masonry, replacing shingles or siding with the same material on no more than 10% of the area, and replacing glass (not whole window units).

Applying: Permit Portal and Digital Plan Room

On April 13, 2026, Cleveland stopped accepting paper submissions. Applications now go through the city’s Accela-based Permit Portal, and plans and supporting documents are uploaded to the integrated Digital Plan Room. You can still look up older records and check status in the legacy Accela Citizen Access portal without logging in. Small plan sets (fewer than 5 pages, 10” x 18” or smaller) can be scanned at the kiosks in Room 505.

The city describes a three-step sequence:

1. Submit a project application with site and floor plans.
2. Apply for the building permit with construction drawings.
3. Apply for the mechanical permits (electrical, HVAC, plumbing).

Depending on the project, reviews can involve Building and Housing, Zoning, City Planning, Landmarks, Fire Safety, Cleveland Water, Engineering, Urban Forestry, and other agencies. New buildings and additions need architectural drawings, a site plan, floor plans, and sections or elevations. Architect or engineer seals are required for commercial work but not for one- to three-family dwellings.

Digital Plan Room file rules

• PDF only, at least 300 dpi. File names must be 100 characters or fewer, with no spaces or special characters.
• Draw plans to a set scale (1/4” = 1’, 1/8” = 1’, or 1:10), in landscape orientation, with page numbers at the lower right. Bookmark the PDF or include a table of contents.
• Keep supporting documents separate from plan sheets.
• You can’t upload during a review cycle; wait until the cycle finishes. Resubmit only the revised sheets, keeping the same page names, numbers, orientation, and scale.
• Reviewers flag two kinds of comments. “Issues” must be corrected on the drawings. “Conditions” can be fixed in the field.

Homeowners and contractors

Owner-occupants of one- or two-family homes may do alterations or build their own homes without registering as contractors, but they’re held to the same permit, plan-examination, and inspection rules as contractors. Homeowner permits require a notarized Affidavit for Homeowner Permit attached to the application. See also owner-builder permits.

Contractors must be bonded, insured, and registered with the city. Electricians and plumbers also need licenses. The resources page has the general contractor registration application and separate electrical, HVAC, and plumbing contractor packages. Contractor registration can be reached at (216) 664-2884, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The city advises homeowners to call (216) 664-2910 to confirm a contractor is registered.

Fees

The city’s posted permit fee schedule (effective January 2, 2014) includes these residential figures:

Item (1-, 2-, 3-family)	Fee
Plan examination	$20.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction; $20.00 minimum
New buildings, additions	$10.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost; $150.00 minimum
Alterations or repairs	$5.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost; $30.00 minimum
Private garages, tool sheds	$50.00 minimum
Fences, guardrails	$50.00 minimum
Private swimming pools	$50.00 minimum
Demolition	$10.00 per 1,000 sq ft of floor area; $50.00 minimum
Special inspection (work faulty or not ready)	$40.00 each

A 1% State of Ohio surcharge is added to residential permit fees. The city says one- and two-family plans are typically reviewed in three to five working days.

Inspections

Cleveland’s permit inspections guide requires at least 24 hours’ notice to the inspector named on the permit, using the phone number on the permit. For homeowner work, the homeowner must be present. Inspections are required at three stages:

1. After foundation excavation, before concrete is poured.
2. At rough-in, before work is covered.
3. At completion.

If work isn’t ready at a scheduled inspection, the city charges a “useless trip” fee. If an inspector finds faulty work, they issue a violation notice with time to correct it.

Cleveland’s published design criteria for residential work are a 30 psf ground snow load, a 90 mph wind speed, and a 42-inch frost depth. The termite risk is rated moderate to heavy. As of August 17, 2026, the city no longer requires a meter-base inspection to reconnect electrical service at a structure that was previously served.

Zoning, planning, and right-of-way

Zoning questions go to the City Planning Commission zoning page. Projects in landmark districts or design-review areas need City Planning or Landmarks Commission design review, and the resources page has the checklists. For streetscape and public right-of-way projects, PetBOT (Planning, Engineering, and Traffic) holds virtual meetings on Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to noon.

Records and certificates of occupancy

The Division of Records Administration is in Room 517 at City Hall, open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (216) 664-2825 or (216) 664-2994. It handles permit records, certificates of occupancy ([email protected]), building records and plans ([email protected]), rental and vacant building registration, and lead-safe certification. A code violation letter costs $20, and a Statement of Authorized Use letter costs $40.

Contact

The Division of Construction Permitting is at 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 505, Cleveland, OH 44114, phone (216) 664-2910, open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.