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18 permits · verified 2026-09-30

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Montgomery County Oh?

In short

A contractor or trade in Montgomery County Oh, OH has 1 permit that applies to every business of this type, plus 17 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Montgomery County Auditor, Licensing Division charges $50 one-time, for each fixed place of business in the county — a combined state and county amount, of which the Auditor transmits $25 to the state Organized Crime Commission Fund and credits $25 to the Montgomery County general fund for the county vendor's license. 8 of the 18 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-30 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Montgomery County Oh

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Demolition Permitonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building Regulations$350 per permit, including two inspections (line B.11), for complete removal including slabs, foundations and footingsper permit, per project2026-09-30
Commercial Footing and Foundation Permitonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building Regulations$500 per permit, including three inspections (line B.9); the schedule states that it 'Does not include slabs'per permit, per project2026-09-30
Annual Air Maintenance Fee (RAPCA)only if it applies to youRegional Air Pollution Control Agency (a bureau of PHDMC's Office of Environmental Health)Per RAPCA's Montgomery County fee schedule, headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019: 'Each facility shall be subject to a fee of $125 per air emissions unit.' 'Facilities that are only subject to OAC rule 3745-31-03 Permit by Rule regulations shall be subject to a fee of $100 per facility.' Late payment adds a penalty 'equal to twenty-five (25%) per cent of the applicable fee'. The same schedule adds surcharges for larger facilities: $1,500 for a Title V facility, $500 for a FEPTIO facility, and $500 or $250 for facilities subject to 40 CFR Part 60 or Part 63.annual; the schedule states that fees 'shall be assessed based on the facility status as of December 31 and invoiced annually for the previous calendar year'2026-09-30
Asbestos and Demolition Notification Fee (RAPCA)only if it applies to youRegional Air Pollution Control Agency (a bureau of PHDMC's Office of Environmental Health)Per RAPCA's Montgomery County fee schedule, headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019: a demolition-only notification is $75; a notification covering less than 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of regulated asbestos-containing material is $75; at or above that threshold and under 5,000 feet it is $200; and at or above 5,000 feet it is $350. Late payment adds a penalty equal to 25 per cent of the applicable fee.per notification, filed before the demolition or asbestos work begins2026-09-30
Commercial Trade Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youOhio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Industrial Compliance$25 application, per trade; a further $25 on issue and $60 a year to renew1 or 3 years, licensee's choice2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Montgomery County Oh

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Vendor's LicenseMontgomery County Auditor, Licensing Division$50 one-time, for each fixed place of business in the county — a combined state and county amount, of which the Auditor transmits $25 to the state Organized Crime Commission Fund and credits $25 to the Montgomery County general fundone-time registration; the Auditor's vendor page describes the $50 as a one-time fee as long as the business stays within the county, and under ORC 5739.17(B) a move within the county needs a new license or a transfer authorised by the Tax Commissioner, while a move to another county needs a license from that county's auditor2026-09-30
Commercial Plumbing Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youPublic Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, Office of Environmental HealthNo feeone review per commercial project, completed before the plumbing permit is issued2026-09-30
Commercial Building Permit (Schedule 1, by floor area)only if it applies to youMontgomery County Building RegulationsVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Oh pageper project; the schedule charges $100 plus $125 per inspection to renew a permit expired less than a year, and a zoning permit from the township, city or village should be obtained before the county building permit2026-09-30
Plumbing Permit and Inspectiononly if it applies to youPublic Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, Office of Environmental HealthVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Oh pageper permit, per project; inspections are booked through the plumbing office, open Monday to Friday 8:00-11:30am and 12:30-4:00pm2026-09-30
Commercial Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building Regulations$325 per certificate, including one inspection (line B.4 of the Montgomery County Building Regulations fee schedule adopted 28 October 2025, effective 1 January 2026); the schedule limits this line to certificates 'for valid continuing use of an existing space with no changes in use or occupancy'the FAQ states that certificates of occupancy 'are issued for a specific use of a building or space, not a specific tenant, and do not expire if the use does not change'2026-09-30
Commercial Sprinkler, Alarm, Mechanical and Electrical Permit (Schedule 1)only if it applies to youMontgomery County Building RegulationsVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Oh pageper project, alongside the general construction permit for the same build-out2026-09-30
Floodplain Compliance Reviewonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building Regulations$150 per review where floodplain compliance is the only item (line B.14); the schedule states 'No charge if part of a building permit application'per review, per project2026-09-30
Additional, Re-inspection, Missed and After-Hours Inspection Feesonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building RegulationsVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Oh pagecharged per occurrence during the life of a permit2026-09-30
Inspection Cancellation Feeonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building Regulations$125 per occurrence (line A.15), for any inspection not cancelled by 2:00pm on the business day before the scheduled inspection datecharged per occurrence, in force since 1 July 20262026-09-30
Work Without a Permit Penaltyonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building RegulationsVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Oh pagecharged per occurrence, when work has been carried out before the permit was obtained2026-09-30
Commercial Deficient Submittal and Major Revision Reviewonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Building RegulationsVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Oh pagecharged per resubmittal during plan review2026-09-30

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

OH registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youOhio Secretary of State, Business Services Division$99 one-time filingno expiry — Ohio requires no annual report2026-09-03
Initial Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youOhio Secretary of State, Business Services Division$99 one-time filing, minimum — see notes on authorised sharesno expiry — Ohio requires no annual report2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Montgomery County Oh?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 18 records listed for a contractor or trade in Montgomery County Oh, OH, 1 apply to every business of this type and 17 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 1 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 18 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Annual Air Maintenance Fee (RAPCA): Per RAPCA's Montgomery County fee schedule, headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019: 'Each facility shall be subject to a fee of $125 per air emissions unit.' 'Facilities that are only subject to OAC rule 3745-31-03 Permit by Rule regulations shall be subject to a fee of $100 per facility.' Late payment adds a penalty 'equal to twenty-five (25%) per cent of the applicable fee'. The same schedule adds surcharges for larger facilities: $1,500 for a Title V facility, $500 for a FEPTIO facility, and $500 or $250 for facilities subject to 40 CFR Part 60 or Part 63.

Asbestos and Demolition Notification Fee (RAPCA): Per RAPCA's Montgomery County fee schedule, headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019: a demolition-only notification is $75; a notification covering less than 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of regulated asbestos-containing material is $75; at or above that threshold and under 5,000 feet it is $200; and at or above 5,000 feet it is $350. Late payment adds a penalty equal to 25 per cent of the applicable fee.

The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Montgomery County Oh permits page and the OH state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County Oh?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Montgomery County Oh, OH come from 6 separate offices: Montgomery County Auditor, Licensing Division, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, Office of Environmental Health, Montgomery County Building Regulations, Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (a bureau of PHDMC's Office of Environmental Health), Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Industrial Compliance. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Montgomery County Oh that other businesses do not?

2 of the 5 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Montgomery County Oh: Asbestos and Demolition Notification Fee (RAPCA) and Commercial Trade Contractor License.

Asbestos and Demolition Notification Fee (RAPCA)

A contractor demolishing a commercial building in Montgomery County, or stripping asbestos-containing material out of one, files a notification with RAPCA and pays a banded fee: $75 for a demolition with no asbestos work and for small quantities of regulated asbestos-containing material, $200 in the middle band, and $350 where 5,000 feet or more is involved. This is separate from, and additional to, the county's $350 commercial demolition building permit, and the two agencies have different filing timetables, so a demolition budget needs both lines. RAPCA is a bureau of Public Health's Office of Environmental Health and handles this work for the six-county Metropolitan Dayton region, but the schedule used here is its Montgomery County one. The date on that schedule matters: it is headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019, it is the schedule RAPCA links today from its industrial-permitting page, and no successor is published — so these are 2019 amounts still being published rather than amounts set this year, and a contractor should confirm the current figure with RAPCA at 937-225-4435 before filing. The schedule also states that permit, environmental sampling and emissions testing fees are invoiced quarterly, while facility maintenance fees are invoiced annually.

Commercial Trade Contractor License

Ohio does not license general contractors. The state board covers five commercial trades only — electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and refrigeration — and everything else, including residential and general contracting, is regulated by the local building department, which may nonetheless insist on this state license for residential work. The license is a master license held by a person, not a company: it must be assigned to one contracting company, cannot be used under a trading name, and requires $500,000 of liability cover plus five years' trade experience and a passing exam. Fees are per trade, so a contractor holding two pays twice. Continuing education is eight hours a year, or twenty-four across a three-year cycle, and half the electrical hours must be code courses. Let it lapse more than a year and you reapply and retest.

Shared with other businesses in Montgomery County Oh

  • Commercial Demolition Permit — Montgomery County Building Regulations, $350 per permit, including two inspections (line B.11), for complete removal including slabs, foundations and footings, per permit, per project. Also required for retail stores, restaurants and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
  • Commercial Footing and Foundation Permit — Montgomery County Building Regulations, $500 per permit, including three inspections (line B.9); the schedule states that it 'Does not include slabs', per permit, per project. Also required for retail stores and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
  • Annual Air Maintenance Fee (RAPCA) — Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (a bureau of PHDMC's Office of Environmental Health), Per RAPCA's Montgomery County fee schedule, headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019: 'Each facility shall be subject to a fee of $125 per air emissions unit.' 'Facilities that are only subject to OAC rule 3745-31-03 Permit by Rule regulations shall be subject to a fee of $100 per facility.' Late payment adds a penalty 'equal to twenty-five (25%) per cent of the applicable fee'. The same schedule adds surcharges for larger facilities: $1,500 for a Title V facility, $500 for a FEPTIO facility, and $500 or $250 for facilities subject to 40 CFR Part 60 or Part 63., annual; the schedule states that fees 'shall be assessed based on the facility status as of December 31 and invoiced annually for the previous calendar year'. Also required for auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.

The other 11 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Montgomery County Oh, OH; what each one involves is set out on the Montgomery County Oh permits page. The 2 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across OH and are covered on the OH state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Montgomery County Oh?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Commercial Footing and Foundation Permit, Asbestos and Demolition Notification Fee (RAPCA) and Commercial Trade Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Type I Exhaust Hood / Paint Spray Booth Permit (mechanical), Hood Suppression System Permit (kitchen hood, paint booth) and Vendor's License, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Montgomery County Oh, OH, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops5233
Retail stores142312
Restaurants182316
Childcare centres6056
Coffee shops160516
Fitness studios6056
Food trucks9059
Salons and barbers3053
Veterinary clinics2052

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the auto repair shops page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Montgomery County Oh permits page and the OH state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Montgomery County Fee Schedule - Final, headed 'SCHEDULE A - MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM' and dated 1 June 2019 — $125 per air emissions unit, $100 per permit-by-rule-only facility, asbestos notification fees and the 25 per cent late penaltyRegional Air Pollution Control Agency · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  2. Industrial Permitting — RAPCA's own page: it reviews air pollution permit applications and prepares permits that are issued by Ohio EPA, and links the Montgomery County fee scheduleRegional Air Pollution Control Agency · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  3. Regional Air Pollution Control Agency — PHDMC's own page describing RAPCA as a bureau of its Office of Environmental Health, contracting with Ohio EPA and covering the six-county Metropolitan Dayton regionPublic Health - Dayton & Montgomery County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  4. Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board — contractors and contracting companiesOhio Department of Commerce · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.