Remodeling in Columbus

More of Franklin County's housing predates 1980 than follows it: 51%¹ of homes were built before then, from the bungalows and foursquares of Clintonville to the brick ranches of the postwar suburbs. Columbus runs its own permit office and licenses home improvement contractors, and its water comes from three treatment plants with slightly different hardness.

Illustration of a Clintonville street of foursquare houses with deep front porches under tall maples. — Illustration

Guides for Columbus

Bathroom remodelingMidrange bathroom remodel: $24,448²
What a bathroom remodel costs in Columbus, how older bungalows and postwar ranches change the job, when you need plan review, and how hard each plant's water is.
Kitchen remodelingMinor kitchen remodel: $25,895²
What a kitchen remodel costs in Columbus, how much of it comes back at resale, how older ranches and doubles change the plan, and what Columbus requires for permits.
Whole-home remodelingMajor kitchen remodel: $76,846²
What the big rooms in a Columbus whole-house renovation cost, what older homes hide behind the plaster, how historic commissions and plan review fit in, and trade wages.
Accessible bathroomsUniversal-design bathroom remodel: $40,896²
What a universal-design bath costs in Columbus, how many local homes are headed by older owners, county and city repair programs that may help, and the permit rules.
Basement finishingBasement remodel: $46,815²
What finishing a basement costs in Columbus, radon in Franklin County, the city's sewer backup program, Ohio's ceiling and escape-window rules, and permits.
Rental conversionsAccessory dwelling unit (new detached build): $153,691²
Adding a rental unit in Columbus: the city's new ADU rules, converting a house to a two-family, the rental registry starting with 2027, short-term licenses and lead.

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Sources

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. Franklin County, Ohio.
Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, Columbus, OH. Released 2025. Columbus, OH (Cost vs. Value market). Industry source.