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Building Department
The Building Department, located at City Hall, serves to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public and to enhance the general quality of life through interpretation and enforcement of the Westlake building codes as well as other applicable regulations governing construction and land uses.
Attention Contractors, Permit Holders:
During the COVID-19 crisis, everyone’s needs must be taken very seriously. Currently, the City of Westlake Building Department is still offering on-site inspections at our discretion to help keep projects moving. If an inspector comes on site for an inspection, for everyone's safety, follow the CDC guidelines and practice social distancing by staying 6-feet away at all times, wash your hands with soap and water every two hours, and for at least 20 seconds each time, and avoid contact with sick people. Practicing the 6-foot social distancing rule and not shaking hands is absolutely crucial at this point in time.
Sincerely,
Westlake Building Department
Responsibilities
The department provides supervision of construction activities, acceptance of building applications, issuance of all building and mechanical permits and the registration of contractors. They plan verification of compliance with the Ohio Building Code, Residential Code of Ohio (RCO) (PDF) and Westlake Zoning Code. The department maintains existing properties through the use of the Westlake Property Maintenance Code and the licensing of existing apartment buildings and all 1, 2 and 3 family structures used as rentals, excluding condominiums.
State of Ohio Board of Building Standards
The State of Ohio Board of Building Standards has adopted the 2019 update to the Residential Code of Ohio (RCO) based on the 2018 International Residential Code effective July 1, 2019. A free view of the electronic version of 2019 RCO is now available on Ohio’s bookshelf on the International Code Council’s website: https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/collections/OH
The 2019 RCO in rule form with a detailed summary is also available on the Board’s website: Residential Code of Ohio Effective July 1, 2019
If you have questions regarding the new residential code, please contact the Board Office at (614) 644-2613 or bbs@com.state.oh.us.
Registered Contractors
About the Database
The registrations are valid for one year. Due to the volume of registrations received at the beginning of each year, the majority of the contractors may not be visible in the database until March.
Contractors' Responsibility for Permits and Inspections
As noted above, contractors are responsible for obtaining permits and scheduling inspections. Permits are required for hot water heater, furnace, and air conditioning replacements, remodels, additions, sheds, fences, decks, roofs, etc.
Permits and Contractor Information