Delaware County, Ohio Building Permit Guide

Delaware County Building Safety, 1610 State Route 521, PO Box 8006, Delaware, Ohio 43015 ((740) 833-2200), issues building permits. It is open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm and opens at 8:30am on the 2nd Wednesday of every month. Plumbing permits and inspections are not issued by Building Safety: the Delaware General Health Department handles them.

This guide covers Building Safety, the health district’s plumbing program and the drainage review that comes first. The City of Delaware’s own website could not be checked, so contact its Building Department (740-203-1600) directly.

What requires a building permit in Delaware County?

Ohio’s building codes are statewide; what changes in Delaware County is which office handles the address and what that office asks for on top.

Under the Delaware County Building Code (DC 400), a building application must also include a certified address certificate, a driveway permit, a zoning certificate and zoning permit, and where applicable a DESC permit, a Soil and Water drainage permit and the septic permit.

Permits in Delaware County are governed by Ohio’s statewide codes: the Ohio Building Code for commercial and other nonresidential buildings, and the Residential Code of Ohio for detached one-, two- and three-family dwellings. The Ohio Building, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes in force since 1 March 2024 are based on the 2021 International Codes; the Residential Code of Ohio is the 2019 edition, based on the 2018 International Residential Code; both use the 2023 National Electrical Code. Only departments certified by the Ohio Board of Building Standards may approve plans, and residential rules are uniform statewide. How Ohio’s statewide code works

Who handles permitting in Delaware County?

Plumbing: the Delaware General Health Department (740-368-1700) issues plumbing permits and does plumbing inspections for Delaware County, including Ashley, Galena, Ostrander, Powell and Shawnee Hills. Its Plumbing Unit covers the county except the cities of Columbus, Dublin and Westerville.

Zoning: Building Safety is the zoning office for Marlboro, Radnor and Thompson townships; other townships and villages have their own zoning inspectors.

The Ohio Board of Building Standards certifies which departments may enforce the code, and for which buildings; the certified department’s political subdivision sets fees, and zoning is a separate approval. Where no certified department has jurisdiction, nonresidential plans go to the state, while houses need no plan submission. The Board’s building-department look-up shows which department has authority over an address. Who has authority in Ohio

Approvals around the county permit

Drainage review

Under DC 401, no building permit application is accepted until a drainage review has been done by the Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District. The review must be completed within thirty (30) days of filing the Drainage Protection Review Application unless the applicant agrees in writing to extend it.

Sewer and septic

Connections to a public sewer need a sewer permit from the Sanitary Engineer for the jurisdiction (DC 404); elsewhere, private sewage systems follow the Delaware County General Health District’s regulations.

Commercial plumbing plans

Health district plumbing plan reviews (commercial only) must be submitted electronically and generally need a PE stamp; after approval, inspections are booked through the Plumbing Inspection Schedule on the district’s plumbing page.

Local design criteria

The county code sets frost line depth at 36 inches, roof snow load at 20 lbs. per square foot and wind speed at 115 MPH, and requires ice shield underlayment.

Common rejections

The county’s list includes missing construction cost or square footage, missing truss drawings and a missing floodplain application; on plans it flags missing I-joist or truss layouts and wrong or missing frost depth.

Appeals

The Board of Building Appeals for one, two and three family structures has five citizens of the unincorporated county or a contracted municipality. An appeal of a Building Official’s decision must be filed within thirty (30) days.

Delaware County permit costs and fees

• Residential building (effective January 1, 2017): new 1, 2 and 3 family residence $60 plus $8.50 per 100 sq. ft.; addition $100 plus $6 per 100 sq. ft.; alteration $100 plus $5 per 100 sq. ft.; deck $75 plus $2 per 100 sq. ft.
• Other residential: plan examination $35 plus $1 per 100 sq. ft. (non refundable); application fee $25; re-inspections $75; temporary occupancy $125; Board of Building Appeals filing $200.
• Zoning certificates (Marlboro, Radnor, Thompson): single family home $150, garage or addition $75, pool or deck $50, variance $350.
• After-hours inspections: $75.00 per hour per inspector, 2 hour minimum.

Fee schedules are revised on each jurisdiction’s own cycle, so ask the issuing department for the schedule in force on your filing date, and ask separately about plan review, trade, re-inspection and revision charges. A Board of Building Standards assessment of 3 percent (nonresidential) or 1 percent (residential) is added to local fees. How Ohio permit fees work

How to get a building permit in Delaware County

Approved plans become invalid if work has not started within twelve months, with one twelve-month extension available. Before filing, confirm the department has authority over the address for the work, whether the Ohio Building Code or the Residential Code of Ohio governs, and which approvals must be in hand first. Review and corrections in Ohio

Inspections in Delaware County

Inspections are scheduled through the Building Safety Public Portal. Check the portal or the daily inspection schedule the morning of the inspection; an inspection showing 8am or no time can happen at any point during the day. Approved documents must be printed to scale and kept on site.

Inspections after 3:00pm on a typical workday count as after-hours and need 48-hour notice. The department also runs a voluntary virtual inspection program at its discretion. Plumbing inspections are booked with the health district, not Building Safety.

No building may be occupied until a certificate of occupancy or completion is issued, and a change of occupancy needs approved construction documents even without other work. Address correction notices before requesting a re-inspection, and do not cover work before it has been inspected and approved. Inspections and occupancy in Ohio

Official Delaware County permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Delaware County Building Safety
• How to apply for a permit
• Inspections
• Other jurisdictions table
• Residential fee schedule
• Delaware Public Health District plumbing

Frequently asked questions

Who issues plumbing permits in Delaware County?

The Delaware General Health Department (740-368-1700), not Building Safety; its Plumbing Unit covers the county except Columbus, Dublin and Westerville.

Can I file Delaware County plans in person?

Plans go by email: residential@co.delaware.oh.us or commercial@co.delaware.oh.us, in PDF format with each required item as a separate PDF.

What has to happen before the county accepts a building application?

A drainage review by the Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District, under DC 401.

Simplify Delaware County permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Confirm which certified building department, health district and zoning office have the address
• Prepare the building application and plans, plus the zoning, drainage and plumbing filings that go with them
• Submit through the right portal or inbox and track plan review, inspections and the certificate of occupancy

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Ohio. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Delaware County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.