The Columbus rule
Building and Zoning Services (BZS) FAQ (read 23 October 2026): "Any planned work, regardless of whether it involves new construction, alterations to an existing building or space" requires a permit with plan review, and "In general, new construction, additions, or alterations to existing buildings require plans and specifications." The FAQ names a few exemptions, such as "Fences not over six feet (1829 mm) high" and "Minor electrical repair work, including the replacement of lamps", and points to Ohio Building Code 102.10 for the full list. It does not address painting, cabinets or flooring; ask BZS intake at (614) 645-7433 before skipping a permit on those.
What it costs
From the City's 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule, 1, 2 and 3 family dwellings:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Alterations/Accessory Structures (includes 2 inspections) | $385 |
| New Construction and Additions (includes 6 inspections) | $1,100 |
| Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (includes 2 inspections), each | $275 |
| Minor Work Permit, one trade, on the approved list (1 inspection) | $140 |
| Additional inspection trip | $225 |
| Plan revisions, plan review only: first hour / each added hour | $225 / $125 |
| Permit extension | $100 per permit |
| Work without a permit: Level 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | $200 / $750 / $1,750 / $4,000 |
By the schedule, a kitchen remodel with new circuits, a moved sink and a new range hood would be the $385 building permit plus electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits at $275 each: $1,210 before any extra trips. Trips are the catch: BZS says a trip is used on every inspector visit, and "When the balance of trips is zero (0) additional trip(s) need to be purchased before an inspection can be scheduled." A failed inspection costs $225 to retry.
Who can pull it
A City-licensed contractor. Columbus licenses home improvement contractors itself (Contractor Licenses). Structural additions, alterations or repairs to 1–3 family homes need the Home Improvement General license (the 767 Ohio Home Improvement Contractor exam at 70% or higher, three years' experience). A single-trade job such as basement waterproofing or decks needs Home Improvement Limited. The General Contractor license, on a house, covers only coordinating subcontracted licensed trades. Search the firm on the Licensed & Registered Contractors search.
You. BZS: "A homeowner is allowed to perform work on their single-family home or get help only from their immediate family"; others may help only if "no payment should be given or implied." Owners can get structural and MEP permits for their own owner-occupied home, but "cannot purchase permits for work that they will hire a contractor to perform."
How to apply and close it
- Apply in Citizen Access with plans. Review for 1–3 family projects is "approximately one week"; once assigned, "the reviewer has twenty business days to issue a plan approval or corrections letter." Unanswered corrections void the application after 6 months.
- Start within twelve months of issue; once work starts, the permit expires in six months without an inspection.
- Schedule inspections online or at (614) 645-8235, "until midnight" for the next business day.
- Final. "After your final inspection is complete, your permit will automatically close."
What 2,621 Columbus remodel permits show
| Measure | Columbus remodel and alteration |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 2,621 |
| Firms | 635 |
| Firms with exactly one permit | 382 (60.2%) |
| Usual job value on the permit | $22,000 |
| Middle half of firms' usual job (161 firms with 3+ permits) | $17,000 to $65,000 |
| Reached final (permits a year or more old) | 69.4% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 155 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 44.0% / 95.6% |
| Busy firms under 70% | 10 of 36 |
| Firms with 5+ permits, none in the last 12 months | 16 |
Against the usual $22,000 job, the $385 fee is small. What varies is the finish. The 10th-percentile busy firm reached final on 44.0% of its permits and the 90th on 95.6%, and an unfinaled permit expires six months after the last inspection. Remodelers here are mostly occasional: 60.2% filed one permit in three years. The three busiest firms in this category are basement and foundation specialists.
See every Columbus remodeler by permits reaching final →
Related
Values by job: Columbus remodel cost and Columbus home improvement costs. Choosing the firm: hiring a remodeling contractor and the Columbus remodeler list. License checks: Columbus contractor license lookup; trade permits: Columbus electrical permit and Columbus HVAC permit; past permits: Columbus building permit search. National: home remodel cost and do I need a permit for a home remodel. Counts: Columbus permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
The file covers City of Columbus permits; suburbs with their own building departments issue their own. The value is what was declared on the permit. "Reached final" counts only permits the City's record shows as finaled; a contractor who never calls for the final shows as open even if the work is sound.
How we know this
Permit rules, plan review times, homeowner rules and inspection steps are quoted from the City of Columbus BZS FAQ, read 23 October 2026; fees from the 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule, read the same day; license classes from the BZS Contractor Licenses page, read 21 October 2026. Counts are City of Columbus residential alteration permits, October 2023 to September 2026; value is the declared job value, "reached final" uses permits a year or more old, and days run from 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
- How much is a remodel permit in Columbus, Ohio?
The 2026 fee schedule charges $385 for 'Alterations/Accessory Structures (includes 2 inspections)' on a 1–3 family house. Each extra inspection trip is $225, and each trade permit (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) is $275 with 2 inspections, or $140 if the work is on the minor work list.
- Can a homeowner pull a remodel permit in Columbus?
Yes, for work you do yourself in your own home. BZS says property owners can get structural and MEP permits for their owner-occupied single-family home, but 'cannot purchase permits for work that they will hire a contractor to perform.'
- How long does a remodel permit take in Columbus?
BZS says plan review for 1, 2 and 3 family projects takes 'approximately one week'. After issue, the usual Columbus remodel permit in our file reached final 155 days later, and 69.4% of those a year or more old did.
- Does a Columbus remodeler need a license?
Yes. Columbus licenses home improvement contractors itself: structural alterations to 1–3 family homes need the Home Improvement General license, and single-trade jobs the Home Improvement Limited license. Search the firm on the City's Licensed & Registered Contractors search.
- Do I need plans for a remodel in Columbus?
Usually. BZS: 'In general, new construction, additions, or alterations to existing buildings require plans and specifications.'
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- German Village Commission approval: when a Columbus roof, window or fence needs a COA, and what staff can sign off
- Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom? The rule in 14 cities, and what is exempt
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen? The rule in 18 cities, and what is exempt
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Montgomery County, MD? The mechanical permit, Manual J, fees, and 55 days to final
- Do I need a solar permit in Montgomery County, MD? eSolar, SolarAPP+, the two permits, and 48 days to final
For one city
- BZS Frequently Asked Questions — City of Columbus (accessed 2026-10-23)
- 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule — City of Columbus (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contractor Licenses — City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Search for Licensed & Registered Contractors — Columbus Citizen Access (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Accela Citizen Access (permit portal) — City of Columbus (2026-10-23)