City of Columbus

BZS UPDATE: Please Read Carefully

To our customers, 

As we all continue to contend with COVID-19 and its variants, the Department of Building and Zoning Services (BZS) will follow CDC and Mayoral recommendations and guidelines designed to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

Currently our front counter is open to the public, although masks are required to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.  In the interest of efficiency we have left our online options in place.  Many customers have found the online options to be more convenient than traveling to our office.

In addition to our front counter re-opening, all BZS boards and commissions will now meet face to face at times and locations listed on our web site. (www.Columbus.gov/BZS) Masks will be mandatory for board members as well as members of the public. In the interest of safety we will adhere to the CDC recommendations regarding cleaning and social distancing.

The following services and activities have been modified to protect our staff and customers:

• The permit intake counter, at 111 N. Front St., is open to receive your plans with social distancing protocols in place.
• The residential and zoning review rooms are open for in-person consultations, albeit with limited capacity and social distancing protocols in place
• New building permits can still be shipped by US Mail, UPS, FedEx or other courier service to our office (FYI, no receipt signature is available) 
• New site plans can still be shipped by US Mail, UPS, FedEx or other courier service to our office (FYI, no receipt signature is available), or submitted online through the “Citizen Access Portal”
• Zoning applications can be dropped off at our front counter or emailed to [email protected]
• Variance and rezoning applications may be submitted by email and will be processed.
• BZS licenses or registrations must be renewed on or before the expiration date listed on the license or registration
• License or registration holders will be notified as the expiration date approaches and a renewal is necessary

 

The following services and activities are open and available:

• All online services, including building permits, Final Site Compliance Plans, scheduling inspections, and inspection trip purchases
• All permit inspection services
• Inspections can be scheduled online by clicking the “Citizen Access Portal” button or by phone at (614) 645-8235
• Zoning Code Update information can be found here. 

 

Thank you for your past patience and understanding as we ramp back up for in person operation.

Director Scott Messer

---

Building A Better City

The Department of Building and Zoning Services supports the safety and quality of life for City of Columbus residents and visitors alike.

The processes of plan reviews, permitting, inspections, zoning and engineering ensures proper land development and promotes high-quality design standards through the enforcement of state and local building and zoning codes.

We've organized this site into the following sections to help you quickly find information and resources that are relevant to your project or line of work. To view and download the fee schedule visit Columbus.gov/bzsdocs

For more information about the online portal permit process, please click here. Individual FSCP flow charts can be found in the Training and Documentation section of our Document Library.