Columbus Building Permit Office
Columbus
Columbus Consolidated Government
706-225-4126
420 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Columbus, Georgia, 31901
Building permits within the City of Columbus, Ohio are handled by the Department of Building and Zoning Services (BZS). The department combines building permit intake, plan review, zoning review, contractor licensing and construction inspections, while its Citizen Access system provides online applications, permit searches, status tracking and inspection scheduling.
Confirm the Property Is Inside Columbus City Limits
A Columbus mailing address does not by itself establish that the City of Columbus is the permitting authority. BZS recommends confirming that the property falls within city jurisdiction before beginning the residential permit process.
The city’s online zoning map can be searched by address or parcel and also displays zoning and other mapped property information. Properties outside Columbus city limits may fall under another municipality or permitting authority even when Columbus appears in the postal address.
Use the official zoning map to confirm the property’s location and zoning before preparing a city permit application. The map can also identify information such as historic districts, area commissions and zoning overlays.
From Application to Permit Issuance
Check zoning and project requirements
Before construction documents move through building review, the proposed work must comply with applicable zoning requirements. Zoning regulates matters such as permitted uses, building placement, setbacks, height, lot coverage and parking.
Submit the permit application and required plans
The permitting process begins with an application and the construction documents required for the proposed work. Columbus publishes a universal building permit application along with project-specific forms and plan requirements through the BZS document library.
Complete the required reviews
After submission, plans are routed to the departments or review disciplines that apply to the project. Most building permit applications require plan review under the Ohio Building Code or Residential Code of Ohio. Zoning review may occur as part of the same overall review process when applicable.
Obtain the permit and begin approved work
The building permit is issued after the required reviews are approved. Construction must follow the approved scope and plans, and required inspections must be completed before the permit can be closed.
Building and Trade Reviews Are Project-Specific
Columbus states that work involving a new structure, an addition or modifications to an existing building generally requires the applicable building and trade permits. For most permit applications, construction documents must pass plan review before permits can be obtained.
One-, Two- and Three-Family Projects
BZS maintains a residential plan-review process and publishes supporting material for projects such as decks, detached garages, swimming pools, rooftop solar installations and other residential work.
Commercial, Mixed-Use and Multifamily
Commercial, mixed-use and multifamily projects use BZS building plan review and may involve several review disciplines depending on the proposed construction, occupancy and site work.
Some work identified by Columbus as approved minor or limited-scope work may follow a different review path. The current BZS document library should be checked rather than assuming that a small project is exempt from permitting.
Zoning Approval Can Be Part of the Building Permit Review
Building code approval and zoning approval address different requirements. Columbus zoning rules govern land use and site-related standards, while building review examines construction for compliance with the applicable building codes.
For commercial properties, zoning clearance is required for many activities, including construction or alteration of buildings, changes in use, certain parking lot work, new impervious surfaces and specified site equipment. When work is contained within an existing building or structure, zoning clearance can in some cases be granted during the building permit review.
A project subject to an architectural or historic review commission may also require a Certificate of Appropriateness. When applicable, this approval can affect whether the related permit may be issued.
Citizen Access Handles Applications, Tracking and Records
The City of Columbus Citizen Access Portal is the main online system for BZS permit services. Registered users can access available online permitting functions, while permit and application searches can also be performed through the portal.
- Building applications: available permit application functions are accessed under the Building section.
- Permit tracking: existing applications and permits can be searched by information such as application or permit number, parcel number or address.
- Public records: the portal provides building-record searches without requiring an account for the basic search functions.
- Inspection scheduling: qualifying building inspections can be scheduled through the same system.
- Additional inspection trips: additional trips can be purchased online when a permit has no remaining inspection trips.
Columbus Uses Four Building Inspection Disciplines
BZS divides construction inspections into structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing disciplines. Each inspection checks work covered by the corresponding permit and approved plans. Required inspections must receive approval before the permit can be completed and closed.
Inspection trips are tied to individual permits. For example, a plumbing inspection is scheduled against the plumbing permit rather than the building permit. An inspector’s site visit uses an inspection trip regardless of whether the result is approved, disapproved or partially approved. When the trip balance reaches zero, additional trips must be purchased before another inspection can be scheduled.
Regular inspections may be requested through Citizen Access or the city’s automated inspection phone system. BZS states that inspections for the next business day, or another available business day, can be scheduled through these systems until midnight. Online scheduling also permits an AM/PM or call-ahead request, although the city does not guarantee that such timing requests can be met.
Rough fire alarm inspections can be scheduled through Citizen Access. Other fire alarm and fire suppression inspections may require the city’s Fire Protection Inspection Request Form rather than the standard online scheduling process.
Use the Current BZS Forms for the Specific Project
Columbus maintains separate forms and technical information for different types of construction. The official document library includes the building permit application, plan-review material, mechanical/electrical/plumbing documents and forms for specialized work.
- Building Permit Application
- Building Permit Plan Review Adequacy Checklist
- Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Permit Affidavit
- Roofing, Siding, Window and Door Permit Application
- Temporary Structure Application
- Residential Plan Requirements
- Approved Minor Work Permit information
- Project-specific residential construction documents
The documents required for a submission depend on the project. Plans, engineering information or other supporting material should be provided when required by the applicable BZS instructions rather than relying on a general permit checklist.
Track the Record After Submission
Once a permit or application record has been created, its progress can be followed through Citizen Access. Building records can be searched using the permit or application number, parcel number or property address. The portal also separates services for zoning, planning, engineering, right-of-way and other city functions, which helps identify related approvals that are not part of the building record itself.
Columbus Building Permit Links
Building & Zoning Services
City department responsible for Columbus building permits, plan review, zoning and building inspections.
Citizen Access Portal
Apply for available permits, search permit records, track applications and schedule eligible inspections.
Get or Track a Building Permit
Official instructions for submitting, obtaining and tracking Columbus building permits.
Building Plan Review
Information for residential, commercial, mixed-use and multifamily building plan review.
Building Inspections
Inspection scheduling procedures and information for structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections.
Documents & Forms
Current permit applications, plan requirements, project information and the city’s permit fee schedule.
Columbus Zoning
Official zoning-clearance information, zoning services and links to city zoning resources.
Zoning Maps
Check zoning, mapped property information, historic districts, area commissions and other geographic layers.