Columbus permits ADUs by-right in all residential and apartment residential zoning districts under the Title 33 ADU Pilot Program ordinance effective December 24, 2025. Permits are issued by the Department of Building and Zoning Services under the Ohio Building Code and the Residential Code of Ohio. ADUs may not exceed 65% of the principal building's floor area or 1,000 sq ft (whichever is greater) and may not exceed the principal building's height or 25 ft.
On October 27, 2025 Columbus City Council adopted the Housing For All ADU Pilot Program amending Columbus City Code Title 33 (Zoning Code) to permit accessory dwelling units by right in all residential (R, R-1, R-2, R-2F, R-3, R-4) and apartment residential (AR-1, AR-2, AR-3, AR-4) zoning districts citywide. The ordinance became effective December 24, 2025. Permits are filed through the Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services online at https://columbus.gov/bzs/ and reviewed for both zoning compliance and building-code compliance (Ohio Building Code / Residential Code of Ohio). Zoning review is preliminary and verifies setbacks, lot coverage, height, size cap (65% of principal building floor area or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is greater), and maximum height (the principal building's height or 25 ft, whichever is less). A building permit, electrical permit (Columbus electrical inspections handled by Building and Zoning), plumbing permit, and HVAC permit may all be required depending on the project scope. Properties in Historic District overlays (German Village, Italian Village, Brewery District, etc.) require Historic Preservation Office approval (Certificate of Appropriateness) before building permits issue. No off-street parking is required for the ADU.
Unpermitted construction violates Title 41 (Building Code) and Title 33 (Zoning Code), enforced by Code Enforcement and Building and Zoning Services. Stop-work orders, doubled permit fees, daily civil penalties, and required removal are standard remedies. Failure to obtain Certificate of Occupancy prevents legal use.
Columbus, OH
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Columbus, OH
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