An independent guide to local permits & inspections

Menu

Ohio building departments

Find local permit offices, inspection services, and official resources across Ohio.

8 department guides · 6 with online permit portals · 88 counties & county equivalents

Search the Ohio directory

How permitting works in Ohio

Statewide codes, certified local departments. Ohio's residential and commercial codes are statewide, and certified city or county building departments enforce them. In counties with a building department, the county covers unincorporated townships; trade contractors need state licenses.

A county name is only a geographic starting point. Depending on the address, a city, town, borough, township, or county office may issue your permit. How to check who issues your permit.

Ohio building codes and licensing

Residential code
2019 Residential Code of Ohio (RCO), covering one-, two- and three-family dwellings
Commercial code
2024 Ohio Building Code (2021 IBC basis), effective March 1, 2024
Outside city limits
In counties that run a building department, the county issues permits for unincorporated townships; Franklin and Lucas counties both do this. Cities such as Toledo run their own departments.
Contractor licensing
Electrical, HVAC/hydronics and plumbing contractors need state licensing through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Cities add their own rules; Columbus, for example, requires a city license or registration before any contractor can pull a permit. Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) (opens in a new tab)

What is different in Ohio

  • Ohio uses one residential code for one-, two- and three-family homes (the Residential Code of Ohio) and a separate Ohio Building Code for everything else.
  • Commercial projects submitted on or after March 1, 2024 must meet the 2024 Ohio Building, Mechanical, Plumbing and Existing Building Codes, which are based on the 2021 International codes.
  • In Columbus, homeowners may do their own work on a single-family home they live in, with help only from immediate family, but cannot pull permits for work they will hire a contractor to do.

Ohio department guides

Browse Ohio counties

Bold counties have at least one researched department guide.

Adams CountyAllen CountyAshland CountyAshtabula CountyAthens CountyAuglaize CountyBelmont CountyBrown CountyButler CountyCarroll CountyChampaign CountyClark CountyClermont CountyClinton CountyColumbiana CountyCoshocton CountyCrawford CountyCuyahoga CountyDarke CountyDefiance CountyDelaware CountyErie CountyFairfield CountyFayette CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGallia CountyGeauga CountyGreene CountyGuernsey CountyHamilton CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHarrison CountyHenry CountyHighland CountyHocking CountyHolmes CountyHuron CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyKnox CountyLake CountyLawrence CountyLicking CountyLogan CountyLorain CountyLucas CountyMadison CountyMahoning CountyMarion CountyMedina CountyMeigs CountyMercer CountyMiami CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMorrow CountyMuskingum CountyNoble CountyOttawa CountyPaulding CountyPerry CountyPickaway CountyPike CountyPortage CountyPreble CountyPutnam CountyRichland CountyRoss CountySandusky CountyScioto CountySeneca CountyShelby CountyStark CountySummit CountyTrumbull CountyTuscarawas CountyUnion CountyVan Wert CountyVinton CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWilliams CountyWood CountyWyandot County

Planning a project in Ohio?

Start with what the model codes say, then confirm local rules with the department that serves your address.

Sources

  1. Ohio Board of Building Standards / Ohio Department of Commerce
  2. City of Toledo – Ohio Board of Building Standards 2024 Code Update Information
  3. Franklin County – Building FAQs
  4. Lucas County – Building Regulations
  5. City of Columbus – Building and Zoning Services FAQ

State facts checked October 21, 2026. Local amendments can change these rules; the department serving your address has the final word.