Building Department FAQs
For residential permits, between 8:00 am to 8:30 am, Monday through Friday.
For commercial permits, during normal business hours of 8:00 am-4:00 pm.
Call our office during normal business hours of 8:00 am-4:00 pm and ask speak to an inspector or a plans examiner. If no one is available, leave your name and phone number to be called
At this time, only Sanitary Sewer Contractors tying into the Richland County Sanitary Sewer Systems need to be registered with the Richland County Building Department. Local jurisdictions may require contractor registrations. Plumbing contractors should check with the local health dept. Check with the zoning inspector listed on the Zoning Inspectors Page. Manufactured Housing, Commercial Electrical, Commercial Mechanical, Fire Alarm, Automatic Sprinkler, Fire Suppression, and Commercial Plumbing work must be performed by contractors licensed by the State of Ohio. For information on licensing, please call the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board at (614) 644-3493 or visit their website at http://com.ohio.gov/dico/OCILB.aspx. Manufactured Housing contractors are licensed by the Ohio Manufactured Homes Commission. Please call the Ohio Manufactured Homes Commission at (614) 734-8454 or visit their website at http://www.omhc.ohio.gov.
Please download a Sanitary Sewer Contractor Registration Packet from the forms page on our website.
You will need the following:
- Proof of employment in the field of sewer construction for a minimum of four (4) years.
- Certificate of Insurance including property damage, general liability, auto, and workmen’s compensation.
- A bond, executed to the Richland County Board of Commissioners.
- For new licenses or expired licenses more than one (1) year old, the registration fee is $100.00. For renewal licenses, the registration fee is $25 per year.
- All licenses expire December 31st of the year obtained.
The local Fire Department and the local Health Department.
Check with your local zoning inspector. Zoning inspectors are listed by jurisdiction on the Zoning Inspectors Page. For unzoned townships, check with your Regional Planning Commission or County Engineer.
After you receive your Certificate of Occupancy (C/O). This is issued once you have received final building/electrical/plumbing inspections. For commercial jobs that require testing by outside agencies, such as the local Fire Department, once verification reports have been received by our office, the C/O will be processed.
Thirty-Six (36) inches below finished grade.
Wind load should be determined from a Wind Speed of 90 mph (3-second gust)
The ground snow load is twenty (20) psf.
Please call our office and we can issue a new permit card or make copies of the approved set of plans on file. There may be additional fees for copies of plans.
Residentially, we serve all of Richland County with the exception of the City of Mansfield and the Village of Bellville.
Commercially we serve Richland County (except Mansfield), Ashland (except the City of Ashland), Crawford County (except the City of Galion), Huron County, Seneca County (except the City of Fostoria and the villages of Attica, Bettsville, Bloomville, Green Springs, New Riegel, and Republic), and Wyandot County(except the villages of Carey, Kirby, Nevada, Sycamore, and Wharton) Counties
Building related codes that are enforced by the Richland County Building Department can be viewed for free at https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes/ohio. These are State adopted codes that Richland County enforces for projects within the jurisdiction of the Building Department. There are other codes that may apply to a project based upon the jurisdiction and scope of the project. These other codes include zoning, plumbing, stormwater, well/septic, and health codes.
Additions, Automatic Sprinkler Systems, Carports, Change of Occupancy, Commercial Construction (i.e. apartments, condos, churches, businesses, restaurants), Cooling Systems, Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hoods, Construction Trailers, Decks, Electrical Work, Fire Alarms, Fire Suppression Systems, Garages, Interior Alterations, Kiosks, Manufactured Home Installations (single wide and double wide)(HUD), Modular Homes(State of Ohio Industrialized Units), Moving Buildings, Plumbing (from Health Dept), Power Poles, Remodeling, Retaining Walls, Roofing (this applies to new roofs, not shingles only), Sewer Tap-In , Signs, Single Family Dwellings, Site Lighting, Sprinkler Systems, Storage Buildings, Swimming Pools (above and in-ground), Tents, and Towers. Typically, most building, electrical and mechanical work requires permits. Check with the local health department requiring plumbing work.
No, a permit is not needed if the patio is constructed on grade. If the patio is to be elevated in any form or has a frost protected footing (36” deep minimum), then a permit is required and is considered a deck.
Yes, if the fence is over six (6) feet high.
Yes, if the pool is over twenty-four (24) deep. Please refer to the Swimming Pool checklist for requirements.
Yes. For in-ground pools only. Please refer to the Swimming Pool checklist for requirements.
Yes, if the retaining wall is over 4’ in height.
A driveway does not require a permit from this office, but may require a permit from the jurisdiction responsible for the road (Municipality, Township, County, State), Please check with the responsible jurisdiction (State, County, Township).
No. Check with your local jurisdiction.
Yes, if you are installing or replacing new trusses/rafters or sheathing. No permit is required for re-shingling.
Yes. Please refer to the Residential Deck building checklist.
Yes, if over two hundred (200) square feet for residential buildings and one-hundred twenty (120) square feet for commercial buildings. This is to ensure the safety of the structure. Please refer to the residential accessory building plan requirements or the commercial building plan requirements for the respective project.
Yes. The drawings need to be sealed by a registered design professional. Please refer to the Life Safety Systems checklist for requirements.
The cost is based upon the type and size of project. Please refer to The Richland County Fee schedule for permits within Richland County. For other counties, please refer to the fee schedule for the Counties of Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Seneca, and Wyandot.
All permits require a site plan, approved zoning permit (where applicable) in zoned townships, and an approved Stormwater permit for projects in the jurisdiction of the Richland County Soil and Water Conservation District. For specific permits requirements, please refer to the Residential Building Checklist or Commercial Building Checklist found on the forms page. A detailed site plan checklist is available on the forms page as well.
A minimum of two sets of drawings need to be submitted. For Fire Alarms/Sprinklers/Suppression, a minimum of three sets of drawings need to be submitted.
Submit all of the required information to our office in person from 8:00 am -3:30 pm Monday-Friday or mail the required information and fees. An application and fee schedule is found on our forms page. If you are unsure of any fees, please call our office at (419) 774-5517 or submit the required information and we will calculate the fees and contact you with the amount required.
Residential projects shall be submitted on paper as instructed above.
Commercial/Non-Residential projects can be submitted via paper as instructed above or electronically through our web portal.
- For residential plan approvals, the review process is approximately 7-10 business days
- For commercial plan approvals, the review process is approximately 7-10 business days.
- Once a building permit is issued and ready to pick up, the applicant will be called.
Permit fees cover the application, plan review, all inspections of building, electrical, mechanical, and the certificate of occupancy. Additional fees may be charged during the construction process for reasons including but not limited to the following: additional review of revised drawings, missed inspections, multiple inspections for incomplete work, or additional square footage in the project.
If you are working without a permit, inspectors will order all work stopped and have any contractors leave the jobsite immediately. Permit fees will be doubled, and work cannot continue begin again until a permit is issued.
Applicants have twelve (12) months from the date the permit is issued to start construction, otherwise the permit expires. If in the course of construction, work is delayed or suspended for more than six months the permit becomes invalid. You may request an extension prior to the expiration of the permit for an additional fee.
- For a residential building plan the plans must be clear and understandable so that a contractor can build it per the plan. Building plans for residential projects do not require an Engineers or Architects seal other than for loads or techniques not addressed in the Residential Code of Ohio. An engineered design is required on foundations with unbalanced fill greater than 4 feet and not reinforced per the Residential Code of Ohio. Please see the Residential Building Checklist for specific residential plan requirements.
- For a commercial building permit the plans must be sealed by a Registered Design Professional (an architect or engineer registered with the State of Ohio). The plans must contain all pertinent information per the Ohio Building Code. Please see the Commercial Building Checklist for specific commercial plan requirements.
All work to be inspected must be complete and accessible to the inspector. An approved set of plans and the permit card must be on site. The address or house number must be plainly visible and legible from the street or road fronting the property.
When the work is completely ready for inspection and a twenty-four (24) hour notice is given for such inspection.
Inspections may be scheduled by the owner, contractor, architect, or engineer. The person scheduling the inspection should make sure that all parties working on the job are aware of the inspection and make sure that the inspector can access the work to be inspected.
A twenty-four (24) hour notice is required for inspections. Please call our office at (419) 774-5517 and have the following information ready:
- Permit Number
- Project Name
- Project Location
- Type of inspection desired
- Date of desired inspection
No. The inspector does need to have access to the work to be inspected. If no one will be present during the inspection, please leave directions (i.e. - key location, lock combination, garage door code, etc.) for the inspector to gain access if the structure will be locked.
We inspect Residential permits in Richland County Monday-Friday.
We regularly inspect commercial permits as follows:
- Richland County: Monday-Friday
- Ashland and Huron Counties: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Crawford, Seneca, and Wyandot Counties: Tuesday, Thursday
If these scheduled days present a problem for a specific situation, please call our office prior to scheduling an inspection and every effort will be made to accommodate the specific situation
Unfortunately, we cannot give inspection times or appointments when the inspection is scheduled. The inspection schedules are made the day of the inspection. Please call our office after 8:30 am the day of the inspection and an approximate 2-hour window will be given as to when the inspector will be on the job site.
If requested at the time of scheduling, the inspector will call approximately 30 minutes prior to the inspection.
- Depending on the type of construction, you could have the following inspections:
- Footing inspection- after reinforcing steel is placed and prior to placing concrete
- Poured concrete wall inspection- reinforcing steel is placed and prior to placing concrete
- Underslab- after reinforcing steel is placed and prior to placing concrete
- Electrical Service- prior to connection of the electrical service.
- Rough-in Electric/Mechanical- prior to covering walls or ceilings; done with Structural Framing inspection.
- Structural Framing- Prior to covering walls; done with Rough-in electrical inspection.
- Above Ceiling- After hanging ceiling grid, prior to placing ceiling tiles.
- For projects with a Richland County Sanitary Sewer permit, an inspection is required by the Richland County Wastewater division. Please call the Wastewater Division at (419) 774-4002 and schedule and inspection prior to placing backfill in the trench.
- Final Building and Electrical- prior to moving in items including but not limited to furniture, stock, appliances, or equipment.
Yes. If the work is done by a state-licensed electrician, then a drawing is recommended, but not required. For all other contractors or home owners, a drawing is required. Please see the electrical service requirements on the forms page.
If the square footage of the shed is 200 square feet or greater or the shed is placed on a frost protected foundation (36” minimum), then a permit is required. Dimensions are taken from the outside edges of the structure. Please refer to the Residential Accessory Building Plan Requirements.
If motor vehicles are to be used in the structure for any reason, then a non-combustible floor is required. A non-combustible floor can of asphalt or concrete. The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway. Please refer to the Residential Accessory Building Plan Requirements.
A concrete footing, six (6) inches thick minimum is required under the posts. For decks only, a concrete footing, eight (8) inches thick minimum is required under the posts. Pre-cast concrete blocks are allowed. All sack-type concrete must be properly wet-mixed, placed, and set prior to placing posts in holes. A footing inspection is required prior to placing concrete or footings.
This would require an interior alterations permit. Drawings sealed by a Registered Design Professional (an architect or engineer registered with the State of Ohio) are required to be submitted. For specific requirements, please see the Commercial Building Plan Requirements and Existing Structures Occupancy Packet on the Forms Page.
- If you are not making any alterations to the interior, then a Change of Occupancy permit is required. For specific requirements, please see the Existing Structures Occupancy Packet on the forms page. Minor alterations, including but not limited to painting and new floor covering are typically reviewed and allowed under a Change of Occupancy approval. Please be aware that alterations may be required for the new use/occupancy to be in compliance with the Ohio Building Code requirements.
- If you are making any interior alterations, including but not limited to new walls, changing wall configuration, demolishing walls and electrical work, then an Interior Alterations permit is required. For specific requirements, please see the Existing Structures Occupancy Packet on the forms page.
Type A Family Daycare homes are inspected only for compliance with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Daycare Inspection Checklist. This checklist must be provided by the Owner. For other day care occupancies, if the daycare operation is existing or functioning in a current daycare operation, an updated Certificate of Occupancy must be issued with a Request for Certificate of Occupancy. Please see our Request for Certificate of Occupancy Summary sheet for details.
If the daycare is being built in a new structure or is going in to a structure that was previously not a daycare, then a Commercial Interior Alterations permits are required.
Please call our office with any questions at (419) 774-5517.
Please submit your construction documents and request a phased approval. Typical phases include, foundation, structural steel, shell, architectural, electrical, mechanical, and full approval phases. Depending upon the scope of the project, certain phases may or may not apply. Be user to note which phases are included with a submittal. Additional fees may apply based on the review time and total number of phases.
A Partial Certificate of Occupancy may be issued depending on the amount of work that is complete. Please call our office and speak with an inspector or a plans examiner.
Complete an application for Partial Certificate of Occupancy and submit the application with supporting documentation and fees as found on our fee schedule. An inspection and report by the local fire authority is required to be submitted with the application for Partial Occupancy. We will review the request and contact the appropriate party to schedule an inspection prior to occupying the areas. Life Safety Features must be in place and a Partial Occupancy Inspection must be made before a Partial Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
