Springfield

1. Pre-application zoning consult with Planning Division (~5d)
   Email Vaidehe Agwan (vagwan@springfieldohio.gov) or Isabel Travis (itravis@springfieldohio.gov) at 76 E. High St 2nd floor; Planning will pull the parcel on the Clark County GIS viewer (https://clarkcounty.maps.arcgis.com) and confirm Chapter 1107 lot-coverage and accessory-feature compliance.
2. Register and submit on the CityWorks online portal (~1d)
   Submit zoning application and building permit application through https://app05.cityworksonline.com/CLIENT_SpringfieldOH-Public/login - paper intake is no longer accepted. Upload site plan, floor plan, elevations, energy compliance worksheet (REScheck for IECC 2018), and contractor's Ohio license info.
3. Zoning certificate review (Planning) (~14d)
   Planning issues zoning certificate for compliant Chapter 1107 accessory-feature applications administratively; non-conforming applications referred to Springfield Planning Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals.
4. Building plan review (Building Regulations division) (~21d)
   Michael Reffitt (Chief Building Official) and inspectors Mike Trabert / Matthew Laird review against the OBBS-adopted Ohio Residential Code (IRC 2018 with state amendments). Plan-check cycle typical for residential.
5. Fee invoice and permit issuance (~3d)
   CityWorks invoices fees once both tracks clear; payment online; permit emailed.
6. Construction inspections via CityWorks
   Foundation, framing, plumbing/electrical/mechanical rough, insulation, drywall, final - inspections requested through CityWorks; called in to (937) 324-7389.
7. Certificate of occupancy (~5d)
   CO issued after final inspection pass; ADU eligible for occupancy and rental.

• Long-term rental: yes (Springfield Chapter 1107 accessory dwelling provisions) 30+day rental of an ADU is a permitted accessory residential use under Chapter 1107. Landlord-tenant law (ORC 5321) governs.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Springfield Codified Ordinances rental-registration provisions) Springfield does not run a separate STR licensing scheme as of Apr 2026 but requires landlord rental registration and lodging-tax remittance to Clark County for stays under 30 days. ADU may serve as STR if rental registration is current.
• Office rental: no Chapter 1107 limits accessory dwellings to dwelling-unit use; commercial office tenant not permitted in residentially-zoned ADU.
• Home office: yes Home occupation is a permitted accessory use citywide subject to traffic, signage, and customer-volume limits.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist/workshop use is a permitted accessory residential use; Wittenberg-faculty studio sheds are common in the University area.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions Backyard chickens/bees allowed by permit citywide; no livestock; the ADU itself remains residential.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted; common Springfield use is multigenerational housing on older South Fountain blocks.

• Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) tax abatement — Springfield's CRA program offers up to 100% tax abatement on new-construction residential improvements (including detached ADUs counted as new residential value) for 10-15 years on qualifying parcels in designated CRAs. Coverage spans much of the older grid (downtown, South Fountain, Wittenberg-area).

Staff: Michael Reffitt (Chief Building Official, Building Regulations) mreffitt@springfieldohio.gov, Vaidehe Agwan (City Planner, Planning & Zoning Division) vagwan@springfieldohio.gov, Isabel Travis (Planning and Zoning Technician) itravis@springfieldohio.gov, Logan Cobbs (Director, Community Development)

• Water: City of Springfield Water - drawn from the Mad River buried-valley aquifer · 28d connect · $3,800
• Sewer: City of Springfield Wastewater Treatment Plant · 30d connect · $4,200
• Electric: AES Ohio (formerly Dayton Power & Light) - investor-owned utility serving most of Springfield · 21d connect · $1,650
• Gas: CenterPoint Energy Ohio (formerly Vectren) · 28d connect · $1,450

Realistic total: best 6mo · typical 9mo · worst 14mo

Springfield has a thinner GC bench than Columbus or Dayton; many ADU jobs use Greene/Montgomery County builders willing to commute to I-70. Mad River buried-valley aquifer requires careful sewer-lateral coordination.

Modular pathway Ohio Industrialized Unit Program (OBBS) · inspectors are rare with modular · 1 modular permits (last 24mo)

I-70 access is straightforward; older grid lots in South Fountain have narrow alleys and overhead power that limit module width to ~14 ft.

Tornado-alley exposure (Clark County is in the southwestern Ohio severe-weather corridor) modestly inflates premium quotes; hail and wind are the primary loss drivers, not seismic or wildfire.

Springfield is mostly fee-simple older grid lots with limited HOA presence; HOA covenants concentrate in newer subdivisions north and west of the city. Where covenants prohibit accessory dwellings or secondary kitchens, those covenants remain enforceable - Ohio has no AB 670-style override.

• historic-district — South Fountain Avenue Historic District (NRHP-listed); Old Reid Park / Wittenberg-adjacent contributing structures; downtown Heritage District · +21d · +8% cost
  Historic Design Guidelines govern infill/accessory features in the South Fountain district; Architectural Review Board sign-off needed. (map)
• flood-zone — Mad River and Buck Creek FEMA Zone AE corridor running through Springfield (downtown to North Hampton) · +14d · +5% cost
  Finished-floor elevation 1 ft above BFE in Zone AE; flood vents on enclosed below-base areas; carriage-house parcels in the Buck Creek floodway need engineering review. (map)
• other — National Trail (Old US 40) corridor cultural-resource sensitivity; Wittenberg University environs · +7d · +2% cost
  National Trail (the original National Road) bisects Springfield; SHPO consultation may be triggered for ADUs adjoining Trail-listed structures. (map)