Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 3791 | Building Standards - Offenses and Penalties
Section 3791.04 | Submission of Plan - Approvals - Prohibition - Fine.

Effective: September 10, 2012
Latest Legislation: House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly
(A)(1) Before beginning the construction, erection, or manufacture of any building to which section 3781.06 of the Revised Code applies, including all industrialized units, the owner of that building, in addition to any other submission required by law, shall submit plans or drawings, specifications, and data prepared for the construction, erection, equipment, alteration, or addition that indicate the portions that have been approved pursuant to section 3781.12 of the Revised Code and for which no further approval is required, to the municipal, township, or county building department having jurisdiction unless one of the following applies:
(a) If no municipal, township, or county building department certified for nonresidential buildings pursuant to division (E) of section 3781.10 of the Revised Code has jurisdiction, the owner shall make the submissions described in division (A)(1) of this section to the superintendent of industrial compliance.
(b) If no certified municipal, township, or county building department certified for residential buildings pursuant to division (E) of section 3781.10 of the Revised Code has jurisdiction, the owner is not required to make the submissions described in division (A)(1) of this section.
(2)(a) The seal of an architect registered under Chapter 4703. of the Revised Code or an engineer registered under Chapter 4733. of the Revised Code is required for any plans, drawings, specifications, or data submitted for approval, unless the plans, drawings, specifications, or data are permitted to be prepared by persons other than registered architects pursuant to division (C) or (D) of section 4703.18 of the Revised Code, or by persons other than registered engineers pursuant to division (C) or (D) of section 4733.18 of the Revised Code.
(b) No seal is required for any plans, drawings, specifications, or data submitted for approval for any residential buildings, as defined in section 3781.06 of the Revised Code, or erected as industrialized one-, two-, or three-family units or structures within the meaning of "industrialized unit" as defined in section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(c) No seal is required for approval of the installation of replacement equipment or systems that are similar in type or capacity to the equipment or systems being replaced. No seal is required for approval for any new construction, improvement, alteration, repair, painting, decorating, or other modification of any buildings or structures subject to sections 3781.06 to 3781.18 and 3791.04 of the Revised Code if the proposed work does not involve technical design analysis, as defined by rule adopted by the board of building standards.
(B) No owner shall proceed with the construction, erection, alteration, or equipment of any building until the plans or drawings, specifications, and data have been approved as this section requires, or the industrialized unit inspected at the point of origin. No plans or specifications shall be approved or inspection approval given unless the building represented would, if constructed, repaired, erected, or equipped, comply with Chapters 3781. and 3791. of the Revised Code and any rule made under those chapters.
(C) The approval of plans or drawings and specifications or data pursuant to this section is invalid if construction, erection, alteration, or other work upon the building has not commenced within twelve months of the approval of the plans or drawings and specifications. One extension shall be granted for an additional twelve-month period if the owner requests at least ten days in advance of the expiration of the permit and upon payment of a fee not to exceed one hundred dollars. If in the course of construction, work is delayed or suspended for more than six months, the approval of plans or drawings and specifications or data is invalid. Two extensions shall be granted for six months each if the owner requests at least ten days in advance of the expiration of the permit and upon payment of a fee for each extension of not more than one hundred dollars. Before any work may continue on the construction, erection, alteration, or equipment of any building for which the approval is invalid, the owner of the building shall resubmit the plans or drawings and specifications for approval pursuant to this section.
(D) Subject to section 3791.042 of the Revised Code, the board of building standards or the legislative authority of a municipal corporation, township, or county, by rule, may regulate the requirements for the submission of plans and specifications to the respective enforcing departments and for processing by those departments. The board of building standards or the legislative authority of a municipal corporation, township, or county may adopt rules to provide for the approval, subject to section 3791.042 of the Revised Code, by the department having jurisdiction of the plans for construction of a foundation or any other part of a building or structure before the complete plans and specifications for the entire building or structure are submitted. When any plans are approved by the department having jurisdiction, the structure and every particular represented by and disclosed in those plans shall, in the absence of fraud or a serious safety or sanitation hazard, be conclusively presumed to comply with Chapters 3781. and 3791. of the Revised Code and any rule issued pursuant to those chapters, if constructed, altered, or repaired in accordance with those plans and any rule in effect at the time of approval.
(E) The approval of plans and specifications, including inspection of industrialized units, under this section is a "license" and the failure to approve plans or specifications as submitted or to inspect the unit at the point of origin within thirty days after the plans or specifications are filed or the request to inspect the industrialized unit is made, the disapproval of plans and specifications, or the refusal to approve an industrialized unit following inspection at the point of origin is "an adjudication order denying the issuance of a license" requiring an "adjudication hearing" as provided by sections 119.07 to 119.13 of the Revised Code and as modified by sections 3781.031 and 3781.19 of the Revised Code. An adjudication order denying the issuance of a license shall specify the reasons for that denial.
(F) The board of building standards shall not require the submission of site preparation plans or plot plans to the division of industrial compliance when industrialized units are used exclusively as one-, two-, or three-family dwellings.
(G) Notwithstanding any procedures the board establishes, if the agency having jurisdiction objects to any portion of the plans or specifications, the owner or the owner's representative may request the agency to issue conditional approval to proceed with construction up to the point of the objection. Approval shall be issued only when the objection results from conflicting interpretations of the rules of the board of building standards rather than the application of specific technical requirements of the rules. Approval shall not be issued where the correction of the objection would cause extensive changes in the building design or construction. The giving of conditional approval is a "conditional license" to proceed with construction up to the point where the construction or materials objected to by the agency are to be incorporated into the building. No construction shall proceed beyond that point without the prior approval of the agency or another agency that conducts an adjudication hearing relative to the objection. The agency having jurisdiction shall specify its objections to the plans or specifications, which is an "adjudication order denying the issuance of a license" and may be appealed pursuant to sections 119.07 to 119.13 of the Revised Code and as modified by sections 3781.031 and 3781.19 of the Revised Code.
(H) A certified municipal, township, or county building department having jurisdiction, or the superintendent, as appropriate, shall review any plans, drawings, specifications, or data described in this section that are submitted to it or to the superintendent.
(I) No owner or persons having control as an officer, or as a member of a board or committee, or otherwise, of a building to which section 3781.06 of the Revised Code is applicable, and no architect, designer, engineer, builder, contractor, subcontractor, or any officer or employee of a municipal, township, or county building department shall violate this section.
(J) Whoever violates this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.