Building permits in Newark are issued by the Licking County Building Code Department, which the Board of Building Standards lists as the department for both residential and commercial work in the city. It is in the lower east wing of 675 Price Road, Newark. The city’s Division of Engineering, at City Hall, 40 West Main Street, handles zoning, the flood ordinance, demolition, right-of-way and driveway permits. Newark is the seat of Licking County, with 51,473 people in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
This guide covers the department and how to reach it, the local conditions that shape a filing here, what permits cost and who may pull them, and how inspections are booked. Rules that apply everywhere in Ohio are summarized in each section, with a link to the full statewide explanation.
This guide covers work inside the City of Newark. The Licking County Building Code Department also serves most of the rest of Licking County.
Get the city zoning permit before applying to the county. The Licking County Building Code Department requires a zoning certificate from the local zoning inspector before it approves a project; inside Newark that comes from the city’s Division of Engineering. The county application needs a completed application form, a copy of the zoning certificate and two complete sets of construction plans and specifications.
What requires a building permit in Newark?
Under the Ohio Building Code and the Residential Code of Ohio, a permit is required for most construction activity.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions, alterations and conversions
- Structural and load-bearing work, foundations, decks, porches, ramps and stairs
- Finishing basements and attics, and any change of occupancy or use
- Electrical service changes, panel work, new circuits, solar and EV charging equipment
- Plumbing alterations, repipes, water heaters, backflow and sewer or gas connections
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork and venting; reroofing, siding, windows, pools and signs
Typically exempt
- Painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting and cabinet installation
- Minor repairs that do not cut away walls, touch structural supports or change the means of egress
- Fences up to 6 feet at houses (7 feet under the Ohio Building Code) and retaining walls up to 4 feet that support no surcharge
- One-story detached sheds and playhouses up to 200 square feet at houses (120 square feet under the Ohio Building Code)
The exempt list is set statewide in Section 102.10 of the Ohio Building Code and the Residential Code of Ohio, and an exemption from a building permit is not an exemption from zoning, setbacks, floodplain rules, utility approval or a fire authority review. Confirm scope with the department before work starts rather than after.
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Get a free quote →Which code edition applies
In Newark the statewide Ohio codes are enforced by the Licking County Building Code Department, under the county’s fee schedule and procedures. The city adds its zoning code, flood ordinance and engineering standards.
Permits in Newark 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 Newark?
The Licking County Building Code Department reviews plans, issues building permits and enforces the building codes on residential and commercial projects in Newark. Zoning is administered by the city, and the county needs the zoning certificate before it approves a project.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Licking County Building Code Department (residential and commercial) |
| County department | Licking County Building Code Department, lower east wing, 675 Price Road, Newark 43055 · (740) 349-6671 · Monday to Friday 7:00am to 4:00pm |
| City offices | Division of Engineering, City Hall, 40 West Main Street, 2nd floor · engineering (740) 670-7727, zoning (740) 670-7729 · Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm |
| First step | A zoning certificate from the city, then the county application |
| City permits | Zoning, sign, accessory structure, demolition, right-of-way and driveway permits |
| Confirm the department | Use the BBS building-department lookup before filing |
| Code | Ohio Building Code on the 2021 International Codes (since 1 March 2024); Residential Code of Ohio, 2019 edition on the 2018 IRC; 2023 NEC |
| Contractor credentials | OCILB licence for commercial electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and refrigeration work; any local licence or registration the department requires |
One point applies across every Ohio jurisdiction and is worth confirming here rather than assuming. Residential rules are uniform statewide: a local code may differ from the Residential Code of Ohio only on subject matter the state code does not address, or after review by the Board of Building Standards (ORC 3781.10, 3781.01). Municipalities may add nonresidential regulations that do not conflict with the state rules. Ask the issuing department whether any local regulation affects your project type.
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Get a free quote →Zoning comes from the city first
Inside Newark the city’s Division of Engineering is the contact for the zoning code and the flood ordinance. It takes zoning permits online for new dwellings, room additions, roofed porches and changes of occupancy, and accessory structure permits for fences, sheds, detached garages, pools and decks. The county will not approve a project until it has the zoning certificate.
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
Permit types
Residential permits
One-, two- and three-family dwellings follow the Residential Code of Ohio, and the Licking County Building Code Department issues those permits in Newark. The county publishes a summary of residential work that does or does not require approval.
Commercial permits
Commercial buildings follow the Ohio Building Code and go to the county for plan review. Some fire departments require their own set of construction documents for commercial projects, so check with the fire department for the project location.
Two statewide topics shape most Ohio submittals: energy compliance (the 2021 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2019 for commercial buildings, Chapter 11 of the Residential Code of Ohio for houses) and work on existing buildings, where alteration, repair, addition and change of occupancy each carry their own requirements. Energy and existing buildings in Ohio
Newark permit costs and fees
Building permit fees in Newark are set by the Licking County Building Code Department’s fee schedule. The city charges its own zoning, planning and Board of Zoning Appeals fees. A Board of Building Standards assessment of 3 percent of nonresidential and 1 percent of residential fees is added (ORC 3781.102).
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Plan review | Charged under the issuing department’s adopted schedule |
| Building permit | Charged under the Licking County Building Code Department’s fee schedule |
| Trade permits | Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is charged under the issuing department’s schedule |
| State BBS assessment | Collected on top of local fees for the Board of Building Standards: 3% of nonresidential and 1% of residential fees (ORC 3781.102) |
| Certificate of Occupancy | A separate fee where applicable |
| Work without a permit | Orders, including stop-work orders, and prosecution (OBC and RCO Section 109) |
Need a real number for a specific Newark project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the filing path, the reviews it will trigger and the fee categories that will apply.
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
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heater change-outs, fixtures, backflow and gas piping
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork, venting and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm work under the OBC fire-protection provisions
Typically exempt
- Replacing lamps, reinstalling plug receptacles and replacing circuit breakers of the same capacity and type in the same location
- Clearing stoppages and repairing leaks, where no more than one fixture is replaced and no pipes are rearranged
- Replacing a mechanical-equipment part that does not alter the equipment’s approval or make it unsafe
- Replacing a minor gas-appliance part that does not alter the equipment’s approval or make it unsafe
Ohio licenses five commercial trades statewide through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board: electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and refrigeration. The state does not license general or residential contractors, so those are licensed or registered locally, if at all. Home construction contracts of $25,000 or more must be in writing under ORC 4722. Contractor licensing in Ohio
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Newark building permit
The county requires the zoning certificate first.
Application form, zoning certificate and two sets of plans.
The county has warned of slower commercial responses.
Some fire departments want commercial construction documents.
Ohio’s residential code reaches three-family dwellings.
The state half and the local half are separate, and neither substitutes for the other.
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 Newark
Inspections are booked with the Licking County Building Code Department, which issues the permit. The building official lists the required inspections when the plans are approved (OBC and RCO 108.2); they include foundation, framing, rough-in trades, insulation and energy, and final, with a Certificate of Occupancy required before legal occupancy of new or changed-use space.
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
Newark permit search and official resources
Permit records sit with the department that issued them, which in Ohio makes record research a certification question first. A property may have records with a municipal department, a county department, a township department or the state, depending on who held authority at the time the work was done — and that can have changed if a department gained or gave up certification, or if the property was annexed. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, ask the Licking County Building Code Department what it holds for the parcel.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →The Board's building-department lookup helps here too: it establishes who has authority today, which is the right starting point even when the history is more complicated.
Confirm two things before you file: the code, and the department. The Ohio Building Code has been based on the 2021 International Codes since 1 March 2024, the Residential Code of Ohio is the 2019 edition based on the 2018 International Residential Code, and both use the 2023 National Electrical Code — but the department with authority over your address, and the scope of its certification, is the answer that changes from parcel to parcel. Use the Board's building-department lookup, then confirm fees, submittal requirements and review turnaround with that department for your filing date.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change. Confirm the position for your filing date.
- Licking County Building Code Department
- City of Newark Engineering & Zoning
- Ohio Board of Building Standards
- BBS — find the building department for your address
- Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board
- ORC Chapter 4722, home construction service contracts
Frequently asked questions
Does the city or the county issue my permit?
The county. The Board of Building Standards lists the Licking County Building Code Department, at 675 Price Road, as the department for both residential and commercial work in Newark. The city issues the zoning permit, which the county needs first.
How do I know which department issues my permit?
Use the Board of Building Standards building-department lookup, which maps an address to the department with authority over it. Only a BBS-certified department, or the state, may approve plans and issue permits, and certification does not follow automatically from being a city, county or township.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does my project fall under the OBC or the RCO?
Commercial, industrial and public buildings follow the Ohio Building Code. One-, two- and three-family dwellings follow the Residential Code of Ohio. Ohio’s residential code reaches three-family dwellings, where the International Residential Code stops at two.
What if no certified department serves the area?
The Division of Industrial Compliance performs commercial plan review and inspection where no certified department serves. Residential code enforcement, however, is carried out only by certified local departments, so the fallback is commercial-only.
Does my general contractor need an Ohio licence?
There is no statewide general-contractor licence in Ohio. The state licenses five commercial trades through the OCILB — electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and refrigeration — while general contractors, and trade contractors on residential work, are licensed or registered only where a local government requires it. Home construction and improvement contracts of $25,000 or more on one-, two- and three-family dwellings must be in writing under ORC 4722, and the supplier must carry at least $250,000 of general liability insurance.
How long is my approval good for?
Approved construction documents are valid where work commences within 12 months, with one 12-month extension available under Section 105 of the Ohio Building Code and the Residential Code of Ohio. Confirm the position with the issuing department before an approval is allowed to age.
Simplify Newark permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Newark the zoning permit comes from the city and the building permit from Licking County, and the county needs the zoning certificate first. We file both.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Newark because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We file with the Licking County Building Code Department and the City of Newark.
- We confirm current county response times before a programme is fixed.
- We clear zoning ahead of the building application.
- We keep records attributed to the correct issuing authority.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Ohio. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the building department 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.
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More Ohio permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Newark permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.