Franklin

1. Pre-application 'Do I Need a Permit?' check (~3d)
   Use the City's 'Do I Need a Permit?' page (departments/safety_department/do_i_need_a_permit.php) and Fee Schedules to confirm review track. Call Building & Zoning at (937) 746-9921 ext. 1001 or (937) 993-0842 to discuss UDO accessory-dwelling treatment for the parcel.
2. File via Franklin Applications & Permits Portal (~1d)
   Submit through the iWorq portal at franklinoh.portal.iworq.net/portalhome/franklinoh. Upload site plan (showing principal dwelling, proposed ADU, all setbacks, and Great Miami River SFHA boundary if applicable), floor plans, elevations, structural and MEP plans per RCO 2019.
3. UDO completeness and zoning compliance review (~10d)
   Building & Zoning verifies UDO accessory-structure compliance: lot coverage, setbacks (front, side, rear), height, separation from principal dwelling, parking. Property Maintenance Code (Title Seven) compliance for any conversion of existing space.
4. Building plan review (~21d)
   In-house plan review covers structural, MEP, energy (R-49 attic, R-20 wall), egress, smoke/CO alarms, ceiling height per RCO 2019. One correction cycle is typical.
5. Variance / Conditional Use hearing if needed (~30d)
   If the proposal exceeds UDO setback or lot-coverage standards, file a Variance with the Board of Zoning Appeals (franklinohio.org/government/city_council_/boards_and_commissions/board_of_zoning_appeals/index.php). Hearings typically monthly.
6. Permit issuance (~3d)
   Permit issues after corrections cleared and fees paid via the iWorq portal. The Building Division also processes plumbing and electrical permits as separate trades on the same project.
7. Construction inspections
   Foundation, framing, plumbing rough, electrical rough, mechanical rough, insulation, drywall, final. All inspections through the Franklin Building Division - in-house team with no county BD coordination.
8. Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
   Final inspection issues CO; ADU eligible for occupancy. Long-term rental allowed; STR subject to any Franklin or Warren County lodging-tax registration in force at time of CO.

• Long-term rental: yes (Franklin UDO (residential uses by-right post-permit)) 30-day-or-longer lease unrestricted once ADU has CO. Ohio Landlord-Tenant Act (ORC 5321) governs.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Franklin Codified Ordinances (no comprehensive STR ordinance as of 2026-04)) Franklin has not adopted a dedicated STR ordinance; verify with Building & Zoning before listing on platforms.
  • Warren County lodging excise tax may apply
  • Property Maintenance Code (Title Seven) compliance
  • Great Miami River SFHA flood-insurance requirement
• Office rental: no UDO prohibits non-residential tenancy in residentially-zoned ADUs.
• Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with limits on signage, employees, and customer traffic.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist/workshop accessory use is permitted alongside residential.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions Backyard chickens and gardens permitted in residential zones; livestock requires the appropriate UDO district at the city edge.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU is the dominant use case in Franklin - aging-in-place suites and adult-child returns.

• Ohio Homestead Exemption — Eligible homeowners 65+ or permanently disabled receive a property-tax reduction on the principal dwelling.
• Warren County CRA (Community Reinvestment Area) - check parcel eligibility — Some parts of Warren County have CRAs that abate part of the property-tax increase from new construction. Confirm Franklin parcel is in an active CRA before relying on this.

Staff: Amber Copenhaver (Administrative Assistant - Building & Zoning), Building & Zoning Division (alternate line) (Permits and inspections), Warren County Combined Health District (septic/well outside city sewer) (Septic and well permits)

• Water: City of Franklin Water Department · 21d connect · $2,200
• Sewer: City of Franklin Wastewater (sanitary sewer) · 21d connect · $2,600
• Electric: Duke Energy Ohio · 30d connect · $1,500
• Gas: Duke Energy Ohio (Natural Gas) · 30d connect · $1,400

Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 15mo

Cincinnati-Dayton corridor labor pool is healthy. Franklin's single-jurisdiction permit process is the fastest of the four-city Ohio set covered here. Great Miami River frontage adds floodplain steps on a minority of parcels.

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

I-75 is the practical truck corridor (Franklin sits on I-75). Downtown street-grid load limits restrict module size on infill lots in older Franklin neighborhoods.

Tornado / hail exposure is moderate. Great Miami River frontage parcels carry separate NFIP premium ($600-1100 typical). Carrier appetite is normal.

Warren County has higher HOA prevalence than the small-village Ohio comparable set because of the heavy I-75-corridor master-planned subdivision activity. Franklin city core is mostly fee-simple older platting; newer subdivisions on the city edge carry HOA covenants.

• flood-zone — FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area along the Great Miami River corridor through Franklin (the city straddles both river banks) · +14d · +8% cost
  Floodplain Development Permit required in 100-year flood zone. Miami Conservancy District levee system protects part of the corridor; verify levee-protected status with the City Floodplain Administrator. (map)
• other — Cincinnati-Dayton I-75 corridor stormwater management overlay (Warren County NPDES MS4) · +7d · +3% cost
  Soil-disturbance limits and post-construction stormwater requirements apply on parcels above thresholds; ADUs typically below the trigger but check site grading. (map)