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Building Safety in Ohio (2026)

109 rules on the books across Ohio, 25 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.

Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions

Lead Paint

Local lead-paint rules for older housing, hazard abatement orders, inspection triggers, and how local requirements sit alongside the federal disclosure and RRP rules.

Akron

Heavy Restrictions

Akron's Lead Poisoning Hazards article flatly bans applying lead-based coatings on any exposed dwelling surface…

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Dublin

Heavy Restrictions

Dublin follows federal EPA RRP Rule and Ohio Department of Health lead regulations for properties built before 1978…

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Euclid

Heavy Restrictions

Euclid enforces federal RRP Rule (EPA 40 CFR 745) for renovations of pre-1978 housing. Ohio Department of Health lead…

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Cincinnati

Significant Restrictions

Cincinnati's Board of Health bans selling, giving away, or using paint with more than nine-thousandths of one percent…

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Toledo

Significant Restrictions

Toledo Municipal Code § 1759.02 makes it illegal to apply lead-based paint anywhere in a dwelling and requires owners…

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Youngstown

Significant Restrictions

The City of Youngstown, Ohio requires every residential rental unit and Family Child Care Home built before January 1…

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Canal Winchester

Some Restrictions

Lead-paint rules in Canal Winchester follow federal EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule and Ohio Department…

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Canton

Some Restrictions

In the City of Canton, Ohio, firms renovating pre-1978 target housing or child-occupied facilities must be…

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Cleveland

Some Restrictions

Anyone selling or leasing Cleveland housing built before 1978 must hand over an EPA lead hazard pamphlet, disclose in…

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Columbus

Some Restrictions

Columbus's Health Division inspects dwellings for lead paint above 0.3 milligrams per square centimeter, declares…

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Elevator Maintenance

Inspection schedules, maintenance requirements, and safety certifications for residential and commercial elevators and escalators.

Columbus

Heavy Restrictions

Ohio requires annual elevator inspections under Ohio Building Code and ORC Chapter 4105. The Ohio Department of…

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Dublin

Heavy Restrictions

Elevators in Dublin residential and commercial buildings are regulated by the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of…

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Franklin County

Heavy Restrictions

Franklin County elevators are inspected and licensed by the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Industrial…

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Grove City

Heavy Restrictions

Elevators in Grove City commercial and multi-family buildings are regulated by the Ohio Department of Commerce Division…

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Lakewood

Heavy Restrictions

Elevators in Lakewood multi-family and commercial buildings must be inspected and certified annually by the Ohio…

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Parma

Heavy Restrictions

Ohio Department of Commerce regulates elevators under ORC Chapter 4105 and OAC 4101:5. Annual inspections required by…

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Pickerington

Heavy Restrictions

Elevators in Pickerington multi-family and commercial buildings are regulated by the Ohio Department of Commerce…

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Westerville

Heavy Restrictions

Elevators in Westerville multi-family, commercial, and public buildings are regulated by the Ohio Department of…

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Cincinnati

Some Restrictions

Cincinnati's mandatory tenant notice under Municipal Code Section 871-11 spells out a landlord's duty to 'maintain in…

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Cleveland

Some Restrictions

Elevators in Cleveland are regulated under the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Industrial Compliance and ASME…

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Medina

Some Restrictions

Medina's Fire Prevention Code sets minimum size, door, and emergency-communication standards for every elevator in the…

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Oregon

Some Restrictions

The City of Oregon, Ohio requires interior vertical shafts, including elevator hoistways, stairways and utility shafts…

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Youngstown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Youngstown, Ohio, elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators must be kept safe and operable with a displayed…

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Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed

When scaffolding or sidewalk sheds are required on building facades, how long they can remain, and maintenance and lighting requirements.

Building Permits

When a building permit is required, new work, renovations, reroofing, decks, the small-project exemptions, and what unpermitted work costs when it surfaces at sale or inspection.

Cleveland

Significant Restrictions

Cleveland requires every vacant building to be registered and inspected, producing a report of known code violations. A…

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Akron

Some Restrictions

Akron requires a building permit before starting sitework, demolition, storage tank work, swimming pool installation…

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Canton

Some Restrictions

The City of Canton, Ohio requires a permit from the Chief Building Official before any building construction, erection…

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Cincinnati

Some Restrictions

Cincinnati's Director of Buildings and Inspections must inspect any permitted construction, alteration, repair or…

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Columbus

Some Restrictions

Columbus requires a permit from the building official before any construction, alteration, repair, or demolition, and…

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Dayton

Some Restrictions

Dayton makes it unlawful to build, alter, remove or demolish any building or structure, or change its use, without…

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Elyria

Some Restrictions

In the City of Elyria, Ohio, a building permit issued by the Building Department expires twelve months after issuance…

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Marion

Some Restrictions

In the City of Marion, Ohio, the building permit is officially the zoning permit, issued by the Safety/Service Director…

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Medina

Some Restrictions

Medina requires a permit before any construction, enlargement, alteration, repair or removal of a residential building…

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Middletown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Middletown, Ohio, the property owner or an agent must pay the fee set by Middletown Code of Ordinances §…

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Newark

Some Restrictions

In the City of Newark, Ohio, Section 1232.03 makes it unlawful to begin excavation or construction until the Zoning…

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Oregon

Some Restrictions

Oregon, Ohio requires a building permit for any new structure or addition, including porches over six inches off the…

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Parma

Some Restrictions

Parma requires a permit from the Building Commissioner before erecting, altering, repairing or removing any wall…

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Springfield

Some Restrictions

Springfield, Ohio requires a formal permit from the Chief Building Official before any construction, alteration…

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Summit County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Summit County, no building or structure may be constructed, altered, removed or demolished, and no…

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Toledo

Some Restrictions

Toledo requires a building permit before any construction, alteration, removal, or demolition of a building or…

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Youngstown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Youngstown, Ohio, Chapter 1311 requires a building permit for any project valued above $500…

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Electrical Permits

Which electrical work (panel upgrades, EV chargers, solar inverters, sub-panels) requires a licensed-electrician permit vs. an owner-builder permit.

Canton

Some Restrictions

In the City of Canton, Ohio, the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) governs all residential and commercial wiring under…

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Cincinnati

Some Restrictions

Cincinnati requires a separate electrical permit before any wiring or electrical equipment is installed, extended, or…

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Cleveland

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 3137.05 requires a permit from the Commissioner of Building and Housing before any…

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Columbus

Some Restrictions

Columbus requires an electrical permit before any wiring, alteration, or repair in a building, obtained by an…

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Dayton

Some Restrictions

Dayton requires anyone acting as an electrical contractor within the city to first register with the city, obtain a…

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Elyria

Some Restrictions

In the City of Elyria, Ohio, Section 1361.09 bars anyone from maintaining, altering or repairing electrical wiring…

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Medina

Some Restrictions

Medina has adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code as its Electrical Code under Codified Ordinance 1333.01, and every…

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Middletown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Middletown, Ohio, § 1420.01 of the Codified Ordinances adopts the current edition of the National…

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Oregon

Some Restrictions

In the City of Oregon, Ohio, no one may perform electrical construction work or alterations in any building without…

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Parma

Some Restrictions

Parma requires a permit from the Chief Electrical Inspector before any electrical wiring, heating or power installation…

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Springfield

Some Restrictions

Springfield, Ohio adopts the 2017 National Electrical Code by ordinance and requires a formal electrical permit from…

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Summit County

Some Restrictions

Summit County adopts Ohio's current Building, Mechanical, Plumbing and Residential Codes by reference, and any…

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Toledo

Some Restrictions

Electrical work in Toledo, installation, alteration, removal, replacement or repair, needs a separate permit from the…

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Youngstown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Youngstown, Ohio, all electrical work needs an electric permit from the Building Inspection Division…

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Plumbing Permits

Which plumbing work (water heaters, sewer-line replacement, repipe, gas-line) requires a permit, and which minor repairs are typically exempt.

Canton

Some Restrictions

In the City of Canton, Ohio, the State of Ohio Plumbing Code governs residential and commercial plumbing under Codified…

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Cincinnati

Some Restrictions

Cincinnati adopts the Ohio Plumbing Code and requires a separate plumbing permit for plumbing work, issued only to a…

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Cleveland

Some Restrictions

Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 3133.02 requires a permit from the Commissioner of Building and Housing before any…

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Columbus

Some Restrictions

Columbus requires a permit from the Department of Building and Zoning Services before any plumbing work, issued only to…

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Dayton

Some Restrictions

Dayton requires plumbing contractors to hold a city registration before the Department of Building Services will issue…

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Elyria

Some Restrictions

In the City of Elyria, Ohio, Section 1331.01 adopts the Ohio Plumbing Code with two local exceptions for one, two and…

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Medina

Some Restrictions

Medina enforces the 2024 Ohio Plumbing Code under Codified Ordinance 1345.01, adopted by Ordinance 32-24 in February…

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Middletown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Middletown, Ohio, § 1426.01 of the Codified Ordinances adopts the Ohio Plumbing Code, current edition…

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Oregon

Some Restrictions

The City of Oregon, Ohio requires a separate plumbing permit before any plumbing installation begins, apart from the…

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Parma

Some Restrictions

Parma requires a Building Commissioner permit before any house drainage, plumbing or water supply work, performed only…

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Springfield

Some Restrictions

In the City of Springfield, Ohio, no one may install plumbing, water service, or perform work requiring a permit on any…

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Summit County

Some Restrictions

Plumbing work regulated by Ohio's adopted Plumbing Code needs a permit from the Summit County Building Official before…

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Toledo

Some Restrictions

Any plumbing installation, alteration, removal, replacement or repair in Toledo requires a separate permit from the…

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Youngstown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Youngstown, Ohio, plumbing work requires a permit under Section 1311.05(c), priced per fixture with a…

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Building Inspections

Required inspection types (rough framing, electrical, plumbing, final), how to schedule, what inspectors look for, and how to handle a failed inspection.

Akron

Some Restrictions

Akron's Superintendent of Building Inspection enforces every stage of construction through mandatory field inspections…

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Canton

Some Restrictions

The City of Canton, Ohio empowers the Chief Building Official to order the removal or repair of any structure or…

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Cincinnati

Some Restrictions

Cincinnati's Department of Buildings and Inspections inspects permitted work under CMC § 1101-43 to confirm it matches…

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Cleveland

Some Restrictions

Cleveland's Commissioner of Building and Housing inspects existing premises before permits issue, inspects work at the…

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Columbus

Some Restrictions

Columbus requires a sequence of building-official inspections for permitted work, from foundation through final, before…

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Dayton

Some Restrictions

Dayton's Building Official runs preliminary, staged, and final inspections on every permitted project, and covering…

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Elyria

Some Restrictions

In the City of Elyria, Ohio, Chapter 1347 governs inspection of heating and cooling installations. The Building…

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Marion

Some Restrictions

In the City of Marion, Ohio, § 1360.03 directs the Safety/Service Director and assistants to inspect any building in…

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Medina

Some Restrictions

Medina's Chief Building Official requires six named inspections during construction, footer, foundation, framing, rough…

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Middletown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Middletown, Ohio, the Division of Building Inspection performs required building inspections during…

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Newark

Some Restrictions

In the City of Newark, Ohio, the inspection sequence that the Codified Ordinances print in full covers construction in…

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Oregon

Some Restrictions

Oregon, Ohio's Building Code lets the Commissioner of Building and Zoning Inspection enter property at any reasonable…

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Parma

Some Restrictions

Parma requires a final inspection and approved occupancy permit before any newly built, reconstructed, or added-to…

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Springfield

Some Restrictions

The Chief Building Official reviews every Springfield building permit application, approves or rejects it in writing…

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Summit County

Some Restrictions

Summit County's Building Official inspects work at specific points during construction to confirm Building Code…

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Toledo

Some Restrictions

Certified inspections under Toledo's Building Code are made by the Chief Building Official or state-certified City…

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Youngstown

Some Restrictions

In the City of Youngstown, Ohio, a Mayor-appointed Code Official enforces the Property Maintenance Code under Chapter…

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