It depends on where your parcel sits. Cities like Columbus, Dublin and Hilliard run their own permitting. In unincorporated Franklin County, the County Building Department issues residential building permits, while zoning comes from either the county or your township. Seven townships handle their own zoning, and you need their letter before applying for the county permit.
A mailing address will not tell you. Plenty of homes with a Columbus, Hilliard, Gahanna or Grove City address sit in a township. Confirm your jurisdiction from your parcel record before you plan around setbacks or fees.
Zoning by Township
From the Franklin County Building Department’s published list. All of these use the county for the residential building permit. Villages also handle their own zoning.
| Township | Who handles zoning |
|---|---|
| Brown, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton | Franklin County Economic Development & Planning |
| Madison, Mifflin, Norwich | Franklin County Economic Development & Planning |
| Pleasant, Sharon, Truro | Franklin County Economic Development & Planning |
| Blendon, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry | The township. Get a zoning compliance letter first |
| Plain, Prairie, Washington | The township. Get a zoning compliance letter first |
The Order to Do It In
- Confirm your jurisdiction from the parcel record: city, village or township
- Zoning: the township’s compliance letter, or the county’s zoning compliance application filed with the permit
- Building permit from the Franklin County Building Department, 142 S. Front St., Columbus, (614) 525-3166
- Plumbing through Franklin County Public Health in townships and villages
- Call Ohio811 at least two working days before digging
- Inspections as the permit requires
If You Are Inside a City
None of this applies inside a city with its own building department. Each of our service area pages lists the office and number for that city, and which nearby townships go to the county instead.
This Is a Guide, Not a Ruling
Township boundaries and zoning rules change, and setbacks and lot coverage vary by district. The office with jurisdiction over your parcel makes the final call. We confirm it for your address before we price a project.
Questions, Answered
Does Franklin County issue residential building permits?
Yes, for one-, two- and three-family homes in the unincorporated county. Inside a city with its own building department, that city issues the permit instead.
Which Franklin County townships have their own zoning?
Blendon, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Plain, Prairie and Washington. Get a zoning compliance letter from the township, then apply to the county for the building permit. Brown, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, Mifflin, Norwich, Pleasant, Sharon and Truro are zoned by the county.
How long does a Franklin County building permit take?
The county says permits are issued 7 to 10 days after full plan approval, for properties on public water and sewer. If you are on a well or septic, ask Franklin County Public Health what applies first.
What is the difference between a zoning permit and a building permit?
Zoning covers where and what you can build on the lot: use, setbacks, height. A building permit covers how it is built: structure, safety and code. Most additions and decks need both, and zoning usually comes first.
Planning an addition in Franklin County?
See how we build them, with real project photos and reviews, on our Home Additions page, or request a free written estimate.