BUILDING COMMISSION

Columbus City Codes tit. 41, ch. 4107

in effect

Columbus City Codes § 4107.01 Organization; composition; term.

4107.01 - Organization; composition; term. In order to determine the suitability of alternate materials and types of construction and to provide for reasonable interpretations of the provisions of this Building Code, there is hereby created a building commission, consisting of seven voting members, who are qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to building construction. One member shall be a practicing architect, one a general building contractor, one a house builder, one a structural engineer, one a mechanical engineer, one a representative of building labor, and one a representative of building material supplies, each of whom have ample experience in their respective fields, all of such members to be appointed by the mayor. The building inspector shall be a nonvoting ex-officio member and shall act as secretary to the commission. The commission members shall be appointed by the mayor for a term of three years and shall be residents of Franklin county or a county abutting Franklin county. The majority of commission members shall be residents of the city of Columbus. The term of each commissioner shall continue until a successor is appointed. The mayor may remove any member of the commission, except the secretary, for incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misconduct in office. Vacancies caused by death, resignation or otherwise shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments are made. Each member (except the secretary) shall be paid in accordance with the administrative salary ordinance. The building commission shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations for its procedure not inconsistent with the provisions of this Building Code. (Ord. 2134-92; Ord. No. 0127-2019, § 5, 2-4-2019)

Columbus City Codes § 4107.02 Duties and Powers of the Columbus Building Commission.

4107.02 - Duties and Powers of the Columbus Building Commission. The duties and powers of the Columbus Building Commission shall only apply to buildings or structures not regulated by the Ohio Building Code or the more restrictive ordinances to the Ohio Building Code as provided for in the Columbus Building Code and as specifically indicated in subsection (B) below: (A) The Columbus Building Commission shall have the following general duties and powers: (1) To make, adopt, and from time to time, alter its own rules or procedures for the conduct of its meetings and proceedings; (2) To select its own officers in accordance with the by-laws adopted by the board; (3) To perform other related duties required either by this Building Code or as directed by the building official or the department; (4) In any case where the provisions of this Building Code do not specifically cover a proposed erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, removal, demolition, conversion, or equipment of a building or structure or where the application of a specific requirement of this Building Code to any of the enumerated proposed operations will work an unreasonable hardship or is impracticable, the building commission may after a hearing authorize the conduct of any such operation in such a manner as to relieve against such hardship or impracticability, provided, however, that any authorization so granted by the building commission will not endanger the safety of the persons or property. (a) Any person seeking such an authorization as herein provided shall do so by filing a written application with the building commission setting forth fully the basis upon which such authorization is sought and a copy shall be served upon the building inspector. (b) A majority vote of all the members of the building commission is necessary before any such authorization may be permitted. (B) Specific Duties and Powers. The Columbus Building Commission shall have the additional specific duties and powers as hereinafter indicated in this subsection: (1) The Columbus Building Commission is authorized and empowered to review the qualifications of all applicants who have filed a complete application for action and review to obtain a special inspector registration from the department. For those applicants who the board has found to meet all such qualifications, the board shall certify their names to the department for the issuance of a special inspector registration. (2) The Columbus Building Commission shall adjudicate matters pertaining to a department-registered special inspector. (3) The Columbus Building Commission may suspend or revoke the relevant department-issued registration who, after notification and hearing: (a) Shall have been found to have violated the terms of this chapter, or (b) Shall have failed to obtain a registration certificate, or (c) Shall have failed to ensure compliance with the approved documents or provided notification to the building official of discrepancies as required by the Ohio Building Code relating to the inspection and approval of such work, within the city; or (d) Shall have been shown to be persistent and habitual violators of the laws of the state, the provisions of this Building Code or other ordinances of the city relating to special inspections within the City of Columbus. (Ord. 1696-80; Ord. No. 1207-2022, § 2, 5-16-2022)

Columbus City Codes § 4107.03 Suspension of license, permit or registration.

4107.03 - Suspension of license, permit or registration. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Building Code, the building commission, after notice and hearing, may suspend, for any period not exceeding six months, or revoke any license, permit or registration issued under the provisions of this Building Code for the following reasons: (1) incompetency; unfair, unjust, inequitable, or fraudulent practices, or for violation of the laws of the state, or ordinances of the city, relative to building. (2) shall have failed to obtain a license, permit or registration certificate. (3) Shall have been shown to be persistent and habitual violators of the laws of the state, the provisions of this Building Code or other ordinances of the city relating to special inspections within the City of Columbus. (Sec. 10; Ord. 1295-55; Ord. No. 1207-2022, § 3, 5-16-2022)

Columbus City Codes § 4107.04 Board of Appeals; revision of Building Code.

4107.04 - Board of Appeals; revision of Building Code. The building commission shall serve as a board of appeals from rulings or procedures of the various examining boards for the licensing of plumbers, warm air heating contractors, steam and hot water heating contractors, refrigeration contractors, electrical contractors and home improvement contractors. It shall also be the duty of the building commission to recommend revisions to and reprinting of the Building Code from time to time as may be required, but at intervals not to exceed four years. (Ord. 1501-81.)

Columbus City Codes § 4107.05 Appeals.

4107.05 - Appeals. (a) In the event the building inspector orders work stopped or finds that changes required in the building inspector's written order to stop work are not complied with or if the building inspector refuses to grant any permit required by this Building Code, or if an order is written to correct violations of the Building Code, or if an owner, or purchaser under a land contract fails to comply with an order or notice to repair or demolish an unsafe building, then the persons affected by such action may appeal to the building commission within 30 days from the date the affected person receives notice of the action of the building inspector by filing a written notice with such commission and the building inspector. (b) The building commission shall hear such appeal within 30 days from the date the notice is received unless the person appealing agrees to a later hearing. (c) After hearing such appeal, the building commission shall render its decision in writing. Such decision shall specifically set forth the reason and facts upon which it is based. The decision of the building commission may reverse, modify or affirm the order and action of the building inspector. (d) Any appeal, for any of the reasons listed above, for any building work regulated under the Ohio Basic Building Code shall be to the Ohio Board of Building Appeals. All decisions of that appeals board shall be binding on the building inspector and the building work. (e) The building commission shall hear and make decisions related to the more restrictive requirements to the Ohio Basic Building Code that have been enacted by city ordinances. Such actions of the building commission shall only grant variances to the more restrictive ordinances and the building commission shall not approve variances below the minimum standards of the Ohio Basic Building Code. (f) The building commission shall hear and resolve any appeal of the more restrictive requirements prior to any appeal to the State Board of Building Appeals for a variance to the Ohio Basic Building Code. (g) Appeals to the building commission pursuant to Section 4111.90 shall be governed by the procedures set forth in that section. (h) The fees for any application for a variance and for an appeal are prescribed in the fee schedule. (Ord. 2483-87; Ord. No. 2714-2014, § 1, 12-15-2014; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)

Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT41BUCO_CH4107BUCOFetched: 10/27/2026