On July 1, 2025, Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 6 (SB 6) into law, which revises Ohio’s building inspection laws, particularly how appeals of inspection decisions are handled. This legislation is intended to make the appeal process more efficient, streamlined, better defined, and in some cases, faster expedited appeal options. These changes amend sections 3781.19 and 3781.20 of the Ohio Revised Code and enacts a new section 3781.21.
Jurisdiction of Appeals
A key change is that certified local boards, those approved by the State Board of Building Standards, will now have exclusive jurisdiction over appeals of decisions made by local building officials. If a municipality or county does not have a certified local board of building appeals, the state board will continue to hear those cases. It is important for applicants to understand where these appeals will go when reviewing local decisions. Additionally, municipality and county governments will need to determine whether they seek to retain this jurisdiction through additional certification and staffing, or if they will cede these review rights to the state.
Board Composition
SB 6 also clarifies requirements for those who may serve on both state and local appeal boards which may include attorneys, architects, engineers, fire prevention officers, and plumbing or pipefitting professionals. The intent is to ensure that each board has the technical and legal expertise needed to fairly evaluate appeals.
Expedited Appeals
Granted in the new Section 3781.21 is an expedited appeal under certain circumstances:
- Hearings must begin within one day of the request being made
- The full hearing must be held within five days of the request being made (excluding weekends and legal holidays)
- Even if an expedited appeal is not requested initially, an applicant can later request one if the board issues a continuance
Fees for Expedited Appeals
Expedited appeals come with additional fees. These fees can be set by both the State Board and certified local boards, capped at $500 per day while the appeal is pending, with a maximum of $1000 per appeal.
With these increases in fees for expedited appeals, some applicants may choose the standard appeal track to avoid additional costs, while others may find the expedited options worthwhile to avoid costly construction delays. Expedited hearings may also be conducted by teleconference or video conference as well, although these rules may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Implementation Timeline
While the new law goes into effect on September 30th, 2025, it will take some time for the various boards across the state to get certified and update their rules and fee tables. Once in place, these changes are expected to provide applicants with more flexibility and understanding of the appeals process.
Our Real Estate attorneys are available to help you evaluate how SB 6 may impact your projects and to guide you through Ohio’s updated appeals process.
