Building Dept FAQ

On January 21, 2018, as a result of House Bill 49, the Ohio Manufactured Homes Commission (OMHC) was abolished, and the Manufactured Homes Program officially became part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. In overseeing the Manufactured Homes Program, the Ohio Department of Commerce has jurisdiction over the installation of manufactured homes; the licensing and regulation of manufactured home park operators, installers, dealers, brokers, and salespersons; and the certification and regulation of inspectors and inspection agencies.

Please visit the Manufactured Homes Program (MHP) website for information regarding permitting, installation, and inspections. Please verify separately any plumbing or zoning requirements.

No, only work not requiring a permit or emergency repairs may proceed.

Demolition permits are needed when residential and commercial structures will be removed in its entirety. If the structure will not be completely removed the work is considered an alteration and will require a permit & plan submittal.

Please review our policy for Demolition Permits for the requirements to obtain a demolition permit.

Construction work may begin after the permit is issued. If construction begins prior to a permit being issued, additional permit fees may be assessed along with Adjudication Orders necessitating removal of completed work.

A permit is a license that allows work to be performed on your house or building. A permit may be issued to the owner or the owner's agent, such as the architect, contractor, subcontractor or other person responsible for the work being completed. The Union County Building Department will review construction documents ensuring the proposed work conforms to the adopted building codes. Union County will issue a plan approval when these requirements have been confirmed.

To obtain a building permit for your project, you will need to complete the following steps:

• Complete the applicable online permit application
• Obtain plan approval
• Obtain zoning approval from applicable township / municipality as required
• Obtain approval from the Union County Health Department as required
• Pay all applicable plan review & permit fees

In accordance with Section 105 of the Ohio Building Code/Residential Code of Ohio, a permit/plan approval is invalid if construction, erection, alteration or other work upon the building has not commenced within 12 months of the approval of the permit/plan approval OR if during the course of construction, work is delayed or suspended for a period of more than 6 months. Any request for an extension must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of the expiration of the permit/plan approval.

Complete the appropriate application form through the Online Services portal and submit to the Union County Building Department along with any required construction drawings and specifications. There are currently two methods to submit your plans.

1. Digital submittal - Upload the complete set of drawings to the attachments of your application. Please review the Digital Plan Review Application Checklist located on our website.
2. Traditional submittal - provide complete and stapled sets of drawings to the permit team. Please be aware, the digital plan review process will be come mandatory on January 1st, 2025.

Simple permits for items such as furnace replacements do not require any drawings. Applications and drawings are reviewed for completeness and conformance with the codes.

Applicants will be notified when the review is complete.

Permits which require construction drawings to be submitted are required by state law to be reviewed within 30 days. Permits that do not require drawings are issued typically within one week.

You will be notified through our online permitting system when your plan review has been completed.

Residential:  Application and plan review fees are due upon submittal to our office. The balance of the permit fees (as outlined in the fee schedule) are due when the permit is issued.

Commercial:  Plan review fees are due when permit applications and plans are submitted to our office. Deferred drawings such as sprinkler and fire alarm plan review fees are collected when drawings are submitted. The balance of the permit fees as outlined in the fee schedule are due when the permit is issued. Building permits are based on square footage (as are electrical and HVAC) so the costs fluctuate depending upon the size of the project. Please review our fee schedule for further information.

You may pay by cash, check, e-check, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, or Discover). An additional bank processing fee is assessed if a credit card or e-check is used.

Yes, we do issue Phased Approvals for both residential and commercial construction provided that adequate information and detailed statements have been filed complying with applicable requirements of this code. The holder of such approval for the foundation or other parts of a building or structure may proceed at the holder's own risk with the building operation and without assurance that an approval for the entire structure will be granted. Such approvals may be issued for various stages in the sequence of construction provided that all information and data required by the code for that portion of the building or structure has been submitted. The holder of a phased plan approval may proceed only to the point for which approval has been given. Additional plan sets will need to be resubmitted for subsequent phases of construction.

There are currently two ways to schedule an inspection:

1. Directly through OpenGov. This allows for a 7 AM cutoff time for same business day inspections.
2. Call our inspection line at 937-645-3019. You will need to know the permit number, address and type of inspection needed. Please note, this method can take two business days for inspection scheduling. If the timing of your inspection is critical, please use the inspection option with OpenGov.

Please review our policy for Time Requests prior to requesting specific appointment times.

Please review our policy for Time Requests to see if your project qualifies for specific appointment times.

If your project does not qualify but you still desire an approximate timeframe, please contact the inspector between 7:30AM – 8:00AM at 937-645-3018. Please note that we may not be able to provide an approximate time due to current workloads or scheduling demands.

Yes, the field inspectors need the approved plans to complete their inspection. Failure to have the approved plans on site may also result in additional inspection fees.

Yes, the building address needs to be posted throughout the building process. Not only to facilitate the inspection process but to assist first responders during emergency situations.

Deck:  Yes, unless exempt from approval as outlined in RCO 102.1: less than 30” above grade, not connected to house structure, less than 200 sq. ft. and not located at the required egress door.

Fence:  Only where needed for a swimming pool barrier or if over 6 ft. in height. A Zoning Permit may be required for other types of fence permits.

Shed:  Residential sheds are exempt if 200 sq. ft. or less and commercial sheds are exempt if 120 sq. ft. or less. A Zoning Permit may be required.

Patio:  No, however a Zoning Permit may be required.