What do these permits involve in Delaware County?

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Commercial Plumbing Permit and Plan Review

New plumbing in a commercial building in most of Delaware County is permitted and inspected by the Delaware Public Health District, not by the Department of Building Safety. DPHD's Plumbing page states that its Plumbing Unit 'inspects new plumbing in residential, commercial buildings and medical gas installations in Delaware County except in the cities of Columbus, Dublin, and Westerville.' The amounts are the commercial and medical gas lines of DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026), which shows no state fee on any plumbing line. The fixture count drives both the permit and the plan review, so a restaurant, salon, veterinary clinic or child care fit-out with many fixtures pays more. DPHD's Food Safety page notes that plumbing plans for a food facility go to the plumbing department separately from the food plan review. Work installed before a permit is issued is charged double fees under the same schedule.

Commercial Building Permit and Plan Examination

A new commercial building, addition, alteration or tenant finish permitted by the Delaware County Department of Building Safety is priced on the department's Commercial Fee Schedule, which prints 'Effective January 1, 2017' and is the schedule the current Commercial Information page links under 'Fees'. The schedule charges a $25 non-refundable application fee, the building permit ($150 + $7 per 100 sq ft for a new building; $125 + $6 per 100 sq ft for an addition or alteration) and plan examination ($50 + $4 per 100 sq ft), and notes that Building Safety 'is required to collect on behalf of the Ohio Board of Building Standards an assessment equal to 3% of fees' and that fees 'will not be refunded on permits that have expired.' The Delaware County Building Code was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners under ORC 307.37 (effective July 27, 2006, revised October 2, 2023); its DC 407 provides that 'fees shall be doubled for work that is started without the required permits.' The code's permit-validity section makes a permit invalid if work has not commenced within twelve months and provides that 'one extension shall be granted for an additional twelve-month period if requested by the owner at least ten days in advance of the expiration of the permit and upon payment of any required fee(s).' Trade permits (electric, HVAC, gas, fire protection) are separate lines of the same schedule.

Commercial Electrical, HVAC, Gas Piping and Fire Protection Permits

A commercial fit-out normally needs trade permits from the Delaware County Department of Building Safety alongside the building permit, each priced on its own line of the department's Commercial Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2017, which the current Commercial Information page links under 'Fees'. Restaurants and coffee shops meet the kitchen lines in particular: a kitchen exhaust hood is $150 on the HVAC schedule and a fire hood suppression system is $200 on the fire suppression schedule, with a separate $100 plan examination for the hood suppression system. Electric and HVAC work in new space, additions and alterations is $75 + $6 per 100 sq ft each; gas piping is $50 + $1 per 100 sq ft; fire suppression and fire alarm systems are each $75 + $3 per 100 sq ft; refrigeration is $125 per unit. The schedule's note that Building Safety collects a 3% assessment for the Ohio Board of Building Standards applies to these permits too, and DC 407 of the Delaware County Building Code doubles fees for work started without the required permits. Plumbing is permitted separately by the Delaware Public Health District.

Certificate of Use and Occupancy

Before a commercial space is occupied, the Delaware County Department of Building Safety issues a certificate of use and occupancy. Its Certificate of Use and Occupancy Instructions (posted April 2026) quote Ohio Building Code Section 111.1, that 'no building or structure, in whole or in part, shall be used or occupied until the building official has issued an approval in the form of a certificate of occupancy.' For new construction the certificate issues at the end of the required inspections without a separate application. For an existing building, the owner may request one in writing under Section 111.2, 'the local fire jurisdiction will be included in the inspection and investigation process,' and 'this category includes occupancy certificate requirements for daycares in existing buildings'; a day care application adds a scaled floor plan showing each room's name, the ages of children, exits and toilet fixtures. The amounts are from the department's Commercial Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2017: $60 for a permitted building, $100 plus $75 per inspection for a non-permitted building and $150 for a temporary occupancy certificate.

County Zoning Certificate (Marlboro, Radnor and Thompson Townships)

This record applies only to a site in Marlboro, Radnor or Thompson Township. The Delaware County Zoning Resolution, prepared by the Delaware County Zoning Commission (effective October 11, 2000, amended July 17, 2023), names those three townships on its cover, and the department's Zoning Fee Schedule is headed 'Marlboro, Radnor & Thompson Townships'. A business building, adding to, changing the use of or putting a sign on a property there obtains a county zoning certificate from the Delaware County Department of Building Safety. The amounts are from that Zoning Fee Schedule, 'Effective 9/1/2013', which the department's current Zoning & Floodplain page links as 'Zoning Fees'. The county's Zoning Inspectors list, updated 9/18/26, gives Greg Miller at 1610 State Route 521 as the zoning inspector for Marlboro, Radnor and Thompson and lists other zoning inspectors for other townships and villages.

Vendor's License (filed with the Delaware County Auditor)

A business making taxable retail sales from a place of business in Delaware County holds a vendor's license issued in the county auditor's name. The Delaware County Auditor's Forms page links the '(ST1) Vendor Application'. The fee is set by statute: ORC 5739.17(A) requires 'a license fee in the sum of fifty dollars for each fixed place of business in the county that will be the situs of retail sales,' paid into the county treasury, and the county auditor transmits $25 of each fee to the state organized crime commission fund, with the other $25 going to the county general fund. ORC 5739.17(C) lets the Tax Commissioner issue the license on behalf of the county auditor through the state registration system. For a food truck or other vendor with no fixed place of business that sells from a vehicle, the statute provides that 'each vehicle intended to be used within a county constitutes a place of business,' so each vehicle needs its own license.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Commercial Plumbing Permit and Plan Review	Delaware Public Health District	2026 schedule, commercial: application (includes 1st fixture) $160 plus $30 per additional fixture; re-inspection $200; permit transfer $160; commercial water heater replacement $75 (no application fee). Commercial plan review (includes one revision): 1-20 fixtures $55, 21-40 $110, 41-60 $165, 61+ $275; expedited plan review (3 business days) $1,000 plus fixture fees. Medical gas: application (includes 1st fixture) $150, $21 per outlet, $75 per system, permit transfer $150. Installation without permits: double fees. Late fee: 25% of the permit fee.	per project	2026-10-20
Commercial Building Permit and Plan Examination	Delaware County Department of Building Safety	Commercial Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2017). Building permit: new building $150 + $7/100 sq ft; addition or alteration $125 + $6/100 sq ft; shell only building $75 + $4/100 sq ft; sign $150 (plus an electric permit if applicable). Plan examination: new, addition, alteration, tenant finish or change of use $50 + $4/100 sq ft; resubmittal $100. Application (non refundable) $25; re-inspection $75. Building Safety also collects for the Ohio Board of Building Standards an assessment equal to 3% of fees, a state pass-through. Fees are doubled for work started without the required permits (Building Code DC 407).	a permit is invalid if work has not commenced within twelve months of issuance; one twelve-month extension is granted if the owner requests it at least ten days before expiration and pays any required fee	2026-10-20
Commercial Electrical, HVAC, Gas Piping and Fire Protection Permitsonly if it applies to you	Delaware County Department of Building Safety	Commercial Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2017). Electric: new installation, addition or alteration $75 + $6/100 sq ft. HVAC: new installation, addition or alteration $75 + $6/100 sq ft; kitchen exhaust hood $150; refrigeration $125/unit. Gas piping: new installation, addition or alteration $50 + $1/100 sq ft. Fire suppression $75 + $3/100 sq ft; fire hood suppression $200, with fire hood suppression plan examination $100; fire alarm system $75 + $3/100 sq ft. Plus the $25 non-refundable application fee and the 3% Ohio Board of Building Standards assessment.	per project; the Building Code's twelve-month permit validity and single twelve-month extension apply	2026-10-20
Certificate of Use and Occupancy	Delaware County Department of Building Safety	Commercial Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2017): occupancy certificate for a permitted building $60; for a non-permitted building $100 + $75 per inspection; temporary occupancy certificate $150.	issued once all required inspections are approved; a temporary or time-limited certificate runs for the period the building official sets	2026-10-20
County Zoning Certificate (Marlboro, Radnor and Thompson Townships)only if it applies to you	Delaware County Department of Building Safety	Delaware County Zoning Fee Schedule (Effective 9/1/2013). Commercial, industrial, institutional, recreational: new construction $300; addition $250; temporary office/storage trailer $150. Other: change of use $100; signs requiring a zoning certificate $100; variance $350; conditional use $350; rezoning/zoning amendment $350 + $50/acre (minimum $400).	per project	2026-10-20
Vendor's License (filed with the Delaware County Auditor)	Delaware County Auditor	$50 for each fixed place of business in Delaware County, combined: $25 to the state organized crime commission fund and $25 to the county general fund	issued for the place of business with no expiry date in ORC 5739.17; a change in the vendor requires a new license	2026-10-20

Business licenses and permits in Delaware County, Ohio

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Delaware County