Columbus, IN Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 15.04.080 of the Columbus Municipal Code sets the trigger: a permit is required before construction, alteration or repair of any building or structure when the cost exceeds $300. Applicants use forms furnished by the chief code enforcement officer, and every fee the building code requires is paid to the office of the Department of Code Enforcement.

Section 15.04.090 spells out what a complete application holds. The department provides the forms, and no permit issues unless the application comes with the appropriate fees and with plans and specifications showing the construction to be accomplished. For a new structure or an extension to an existing one, the applicant also supplies a plot plan showing the new work, all other existing improvements and the lot boundaries. An applicant can ask for a waiver of the plot plan for good cause or undue hardship, and the chief code enforcement officer decides in his or her sole and absolute discretion. Where a design release from the State Building Commissioner and the State Fire Marshal applies under Indiana Code 22-15-3-1, a copy goes to the chief code enforcement officer before the permit issues.

The building code also incorporates the Indiana building rules in Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code, including Article 13 (Building Code), Article 14 (One- and Two-Family Dwelling Codes), Article 16 (Plumbing Codes), Article 17 (Electrical Codes), Article 18 (Mechanical Codes), Article 19 (Energy Conservation Codes) and Article 20 (Swimming Pool Codes) under Section 15.04.060. Section 15.04.070 adds that all construction must comply with the other pertinent ordinances and codes of the city, with their fees timely paid.

A permit does not last forever. Under Section 15.04.120 it is void after six months if the work has not begun or does not proceed at a reasonable rate, unless the chief code enforcement officer grants an extension applied for before the six months end. Section 15.04.150 requires the permit to be posted prominently on the construction site, and construction commences only after the applicant receives it. The fee schedule in Section 15.04.100, amended by Ord. 99-43 of the Common Council, sets a one-year renewal at fifty percent of the original fee, with the original permit good for two years.