General building work permit checklist — Columbus, Ohio
Assembled from Columbus’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Columbus requires a permit for general building work.
No permit is required to install flooring, paint the interior or exterior, install cabinets or countertops, replace an overhead garage door, install a patio, or build a pergola with an open roof that is not attached to a structure. A permit and plan review are required for a kitchen or bath remodel, drywall replacement of more than 32 square feet, finishing a basement or attic, a room addition, creating a new window opening, building a porch, installing or replacing a swimming pool or hot tub, and building a garage or carport.
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Sources
- building — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Columbus publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Columbus before you build.