Where the line is
The Department of Building & Housing FAQ (read 23 October 2026): "You do not need a permit to paint and perform minor maintenance or repairs. However, a permit is required to reroof; apply siding; install gutters, doors and windows; or build decks, porches and ramps. A residential permit is also required to finish basements and attics and for electrical, plumbing and HVAC work." Minor repairs are patching or replacement "of the same material" where "the scope of replacement is limited to 10 percent" of the component.
The Permits page lists what an alteration covers:
| Remodel work | Permit in Cleveland? |
|---|---|
| Paint, minor maintenance | No |
| Patching walls, new floorboards, same material, 10% or less | No |
| Replacing broken glass (not the whole unit) | No |
| "Reconfiguring interior spaces (e.g., removing or adding non-load-bearing walls)" | Yes |
| "Changing structural components (e.g., modifying beams, supports, or egress paths)" | Yes |
| Upgrading or relocating electrical wiring, plumbing lines, HVAC, drainage or vent systems | Yes |
| Finishing a basement or attic | Yes |
| Replacing a window or door unit | Yes |
When you need drawings
The City requires drawings for an alteration that includes "Any structural changes", "The cutting away or removal of any wall or partition", "Any rearrangement of the internal spaces or their intended uses", a door or window opening that changes size, or "Installation of new plumbing, gas piping, heating, ventilating, refrigeration, or electrical systems". Its "What Do I Need to Apply" table marks an "Interior/Exterior Remodel" for a site plan, floor plan and section or elevation. For 1, 2 and 3-family dwellings, drawings "are recommended but, are not required to be sealed. Design calculations may be substituted."
Exceptions: "Extensions of less than 50' of pipe for gas, HVAC, or plumbing work do not require a plan approval", nor does replacing a component of a plumbing, HVAC or electrical system "where the replacement does not extend, alter or void the approval of the entire system".
What it costs
From the City's Plan Examination and Permit Fee Schedule (effective 2 January 2014, read 23 October 2026), 1, 2 and 3-family dwellings:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alterations or repairs | $5.00 per $1,000 or fraction of estimated cost, $30.00 minimum |
| New buildings and additions (for comparison) | $10.00 per $1,000, $150.00 minimum |
| Plan examination | $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction examined, $20.00 minimum |
| State of Ohio surcharge | 1% of the permit fee |
| Residential zoning fee, where applicable | $20.00 |
Worked example (our arithmetic): at the usual filed value of $17,465, eighteen thousands at $5 is $90, plus $0.90 surcharge and at least $20 plan examination. Electrical, HVAC and plumbing have their own fee schedules on the City's fees page, so a kitchen with new circuits and plumbing carries trade permits too. Starting before the permit costs a base penalty plus a percentage of the fee.
Who can pull it
The general remodeler registers with the City; Ohio does not license residential general contractors, and the City keeps no public list but "you can confirm their registration by calling 216.664.2884". The electrician, plumber and HVAC contractor are different: "To register as an electrical, plumbing or HVAC contractor, you must first be licensed by the State of Ohio", so check them on the OCILB license lookup. More: Cleveland contractor license lookup.
You, as homeowner, with the City's homeowner affidavit, notarized and filed with each homeowner's permit application.
How to apply
- Project application, then the permit, in the Permit Portal. Paper applications ended on 13 April 2026; kiosks are in City Hall, Room 505, 601 Lakeside Ave., (216) 664-2910 (Construction Permitting).
- Upload drawings where the scope needs them, and pay. The plan examination fee is "non-refundable" and due when plans are submitted.
- Inspections: call the inspector named on the permit, as the FAQ describes for electrical work.
- Track it on the Permit Tracker, no login needed.
What 1,443 Cleveland remodel permits show
| Measure | Cleveland remodel and repair |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,443 |
| Firms | 556 |
| Firms with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 236 |
| Usual filed value | $17,465 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $12,050 to $45,000 |
| Passed final or closed (permits a year or more old) | 56.4% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 391 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 43.3% / 74.7% |
| Busy firms under 70% closed | 13 of 18 |
| Firms with one permit | 361 (64.9%) |
This is the slowest-closing trade in our Cleveland file. Only 56.4% of remodel permits a year or more old had closed, against 75.2% for windows and 93.1% for demolition, and the ones that did close took a usual 391 days. Even the 90th-percentile busy firm closed only 74.7%, and 13 of 18 busy firms were under 70%. Put the final inspection in the contract and hold part of the payment until the Permit Tracker shows it closed. The busiest filer in the 12 months to September 2026 was Next Generation Construction, LLC., with 56 permits. Prices by home value: Cleveland remodel cost.
See every Cleveland remodeler by permits closed →
Related
Other places' rules: do I need a permit for a home remodel, a kitchen remodel and a bathroom remodel. The checklist: hiring a remodeling contractor; national prices: home remodel cost; local prices: Cleveland home improvement costs. Trade rules: Cleveland electrical permit, plumbing permit and HVAC permit. Records: Cleveland building permit search; counts by year: Cleveland permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our remodel category is split out of building-permit descriptions and combines remodels, rehabs and repairs; jobs filed only as trade permits sit under those trades. The fee schedule on the City's page is dated 2014; the portal invoice is the final word. Homeowner permits name no firm.
How we know this
The permit, minor-repair and drawing rules are quoted from the City of Cleveland Building & Housing FAQ and Division of Construction Permitting Permits page, fees from its Plan Examination and Permit Fee Schedule (effective 2 January 2014), and application steps from the Construction Permitting page, read 23 October 2026. Counts are City of Cleveland remodel and repair permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; "closed" uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Cleveland building permits, data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen or bathroom in Cleveland?
Yes for anything past paint and minor repairs. The City requires a permit for alterations, including reconfiguring interior spaces and upgrading or relocating electrical wiring, plumbing lines or HVAC equipment, and a residential permit for electrical, plumbing and HVAC work.
- What repairs can I do without a permit in Cleveland?
Painting, minor maintenance, and patching walls, leaking roofs, masonry pointing, or replacing shingles, siding or floorboards with the same material, limited to 10 percent of the wall, floor, ceiling, roof or other component. Replacing broken glass is exempt; replacing a whole window unit is not.
- How much is a remodel permit in Cleveland?
For a 1, 2 or 3-family house, alterations or repairs are $5.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost or fraction, minimum $30, plus a plan examination fee of $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft ($20 minimum) and a 1% State of Ohio surcharge. A $20,000 job is $100 plus plan examination (our arithmetic).
- Do I need a permit to finish a basement in Cleveland?
Yes. The City's FAQ says a residential permit is required to finish basements and attics, and for electrical, plumbing and HVAC work.
- How long does a remodel permit take to close in Cleveland?
Long. The usual Cleveland remodel permit in our file passed final 391 days after issue, and only 56.4% of permits a year or more old had closed.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Foundation repair in Austin: the 128 sq ft permit line, the one-day Express permit, and who does the leveling
- Do I need an electrical permit in unincorporated Miami-Dade? The $500 repair line, the exempt list, fees and 19,768 permits
- Do I need an HVAC permit in unincorporated Miami-Dade? AC change-outs, the $133.38 flat fee, and 10,248 permits
For one city
- Cleveland contractor license lookup: the state trade license, City registration, and what the permits show
- Home improvement costs in Cleveland, OH (2026): what 12 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Cleveland residential tax abatement for renovations and new homes: the permit, the $60 fee, the green standard and the caps
- Department of Building & Housing FAQs — City of Cleveland (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permits — City of Cleveland Division of Construction Permitting (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Plan Examination and Permit Fee Schedule (effective 2 January 2014) — City of Cleveland (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Construction Permitting — City of Cleveland (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Affidavit for Homeowner's Permit — City of Cleveland Division of Construction Permitting (accessed 2026-10-23)
- OCILB eLicense Center — License Lookup (2026-10-22)
- City of Cleveland Permit Portal (Accela) (2026-10-23)
- Permit Tracker — City of Cleveland (2026-10-23)