Which permit your job gets
Building and Zoning Services (BZS) issues HVAC work on the mechanical permit, and its Approved Minor Work Permit List (rev. March 2019, read 23 October 2026) names one mechanical item: "Replacement of a Single Furnace, A/C and/or Heat Pump (Not Located on Roof and No Smoke Detector)". Anything else is a full permit. The mechanical application says "Trade supervisor approval required for all work without plan approval" that is not on the list, and if you tick no option "a full permit is issued".
| HVAC job on a 1–3 family house | Permit | Fee (2026 schedule) | Inspections included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swap one furnace, AC and/or heat pump, not on the roof, no smoke detector | Minor Work Permit | $140 | 1 |
| Two systems, new ductwork, a new install, a rooftop unit | Full mechanical permit | $275 | 2 |
| HVAC inside a remodel or addition | Trade permit after the building permit is issued | $275 | 2 |
| Each extra inspection trip | $225 |
Fees are from the City's 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule, which lists one line for "Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (includes 2 inspections)" and one for "Minor Work Permit - Electrical, Mechanical, or Plumbing only". Work started without a permit draws a penalty on top of the permit: $200 at Level 1, rising to $750, $1,750 and $4,000 at Level 4.
The trip count is the catch. BZS's FAQ says every inspector visit uses a trip "regardless of the inspection type (i.e. rough, final) or result", and when the balance hits zero you buy more before the next inspection. A failed final on a minor permit costs $225 to retry.
Who can pull it
A state-licensed, City-registered HVAC contractor. Ohio licenses HVAC contractors through OCILB; look the license up on OCILB eLicense. The mechanical application asks for a "City of Columbus Registration Number" and says registration "must match the work type" (HVAC Contractor: "Heating & Cooling"). 66.0% of the 527 firms on Columbus HVAC permits matched an active OCILB license by name.
You, for your own work in your own house. The City's homeowner's affidavit has you swear you are "the occupying homeowner of this single-family residence", that you "will only use this structure as my home", and that you "will not enter into a contract with an unlicensed contractor". Unlicensed helpers are allowed only if "no contract either verbal or written exists". A homeowner "may not obtain mechanical, electrical, or plumbing permits for new construction of a single-family residence". And from the BZS FAQ: owners cannot buy permits "for work that they will hire a contractor to perform".
How to apply and close it
- Apply in Citizen Access or at BZS, 111 North Front Street ((614) 645-7433). BZS says "Payment is required at the time of submission."
- Choose Minor Work Permit on the application if the job is on the list; otherwise it is a full permit.
- Schedule the inspection. BZS takes next-business-day requests "until midnight"; inspectors are in the field 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Final. "After your final inspection is complete, your permit will automatically close." A permit with no inspection for six months after work starts expires (BZS FAQ).
What 21,342 Columbus HVAC permits show
| Measure | Columbus HVAC |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 21,342 |
| Firms | 527 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the file | 311 |
| Reached final (permits a year or more old) | 65.7% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 115 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 29.7% / 93.1% |
| Busy firms under 70% | 54 of 146 |
| Five busiest firms' share | 37.4% |
| Busiest / quietest month | June (index 129) / March (80) |
Columbus HVAC permits close slowly and unevenly. A usual 115 days to final is long for a one-day swap, and the gap between firms is wide: the 10th-percentile busy firm reached final on 29.7% of its permits, the 90th on 93.1%. 54 of the 146 busy firms were under 70%, including some of the biggest names, so check your installer's own rate on the compare page and ask who books the final. Columbus HVAC permits carry no job value, so this file cannot price the work.
See every Columbus HVAC contractor by permits reaching final →
Related
The hiring checklist is in hiring an HVAC contractor in Columbus; the City and OCILB checks in the Columbus contractor license lookup; older permits on your address in Columbus building permit search. Prices: Columbus home improvement costs and HVAC replacement cost. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for HVAC replacement and for a gas line. Counts by year: Columbus permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
The minor work list is dated 2019; BZS intake ((614) 645-7433, bzs-intake@columbus.gov) confirms which permit a job gets. "Reached final" counts a permit as finished only when the City's record shows Final Inspection Approved or a certificate of occupancy; a contractor who never calls for the final shows as open even if the work is fine.
How we know this
Permit types, fees and homeowner rules are quoted from City of Columbus BZS pages and documents: the FAQ, the 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule, the Approved Minor Work Permit List (rev. 3/2019), the 2026 mechanical permit application and the homeowner's affidavit, read 23 October 2026. Counts are City of Columbus HVAC permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; "reached final" uses permits a year or more old, and days are issue to final.
Numbers come from City of Columbus Building & Zoning Services permits on 1-, 2- and 3-family homes (the city's Accela permit layer), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a furnace or AC in Columbus, Ohio?
Yes. Columbus treats it as mechanical work. Replacing a single furnace, AC and/or heat pump that is not on the roof and involves no smoke detector is on the City's Approved Minor Work Permit List, which means a cheaper one-inspection permit.
- How much is an HVAC permit in Columbus?
On the City's 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule, a Minor Work Permit for electrical, mechanical or plumbing work is $140 with one inspection, and a full residential mechanical, electrical and plumbing permit is $275 with two inspections. Each additional inspection trip is $225.
- Can a homeowner pull an HVAC permit in Columbus?
Only for work you do yourself on the single-family home you live in, with the City's Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Homeowner's Affidavit. BZS says owners cannot buy permits for work a contractor will perform, and homeowners may not get trade permits for a new house.
- How long does an HVAC permit take to close in Columbus?
The usual Columbus HVAC permit in our file reached final 115 days after issue, and only 65.7% of permits a year or more old had reached final. BZS says the permit closes automatically after the final inspection.
- What license does an HVAC contractor need in Columbus?
An Ohio OCILB HVAC license first, then a City of Columbus registration; the mechanical permit application asks for the City registration number and says the registration must match the work type.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Columbus, Ohio building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a permit to replace my furnace or AC? The rule in 14 cities, and how many get filed
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Ames? Yes: what is exempt, homeowner permits, the $56.23 base fee and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Miami? A/C change-outs, the $2,500 repair rule, fees and who can pull it
- Do I need an electrical permit in Montgomery County, MD? Master electricians, the homeowner exam, fees, and 64 days to final
For one city
- Columbus, Ohio contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Hiring an HVAC contractor in Columbus, Ohio: two licenses, the permit, and what 21,000 HVAC permits show
- Do I need an electrical permit in Columbus, Ohio? What is exempt, the $140 and $275 permits, and who can pull them
- BZS Frequently Asked Questions — City of Columbus (accessed 2026-10-23)
- 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule — City of Columbus (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Approved Minor Work Permit List (rev. 3/2019) — City of Columbus BZS (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Mechanical Permit Application 2026 — City of Columbus BZS (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Permit Homeowner's Affidavit 2026 — City of Columbus (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Accela Citizen Access (permit portal) — City of Columbus (2026-10-23)
- OCILB eLicense Center — License Lookup (2026-10-20)