Franklin County's building and zoning authority is primarily limited to unincorporated townships, while incorporated cities like Columbus, Dublin, and Westerville maintain their own independent building departments. Unincorporated areas are subject to specific zoning resolutions and flood plain management regulations administered by the county planning department.
Franklin County enforces specific stormwater management and erosion control regulations for all land-disturbing activities exceeding one acre in unincorporated areas.
How this fits with the state
The state authority here is Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board; local building departments. The county file does not replace that — it adds the permit office, local overlays, and the actual filing path.
Source · City-by-city; Columbus and other municipalities operate their own building departments, while the Franklin County Economic Development and Planning Department handles unincorporated areas.Last verified · 05 / 2026