Blueprint Printing for Columbus, Ohio: Paper Sets From the PDF the City Reviewed
Columbus Building and Zoning Services reviews building permits electronically. Its submission standards (BA 3/26) are mostly about building a PDF that reads well: it must be flattened and landscape, with a sheet index on the first sheet. Each sheet carries a north arrow and scale bar, the design firm’s name and the design professional’s seal. Those same traits make a file print well. Once the City approves it, your crews, owners and trades still need it on paper, so upload the approved PDF and we print it at full size. Black and white is $1.95 a sheet and color is $3.75. Orders placed by 3 PM ET ship the same day, to all 50 states.
Prices (flat, 18×24 to 36×48)
| Per sheet | |
|---|---|
| Black & white | $1.95 |
| Color | $3.75 |
Columbus jobs we ship to
We print for renovations in German Village, Victorian Village and Clintonville, mixed-use and apartment work in the Short North and Franklinton, and offices and labs around the Ohio State campus. We also print for distribution and data-center buildings on the city’s edges toward New Albany and Groveport. Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington and Grove City run their own building departments; the rules below are the City of Columbus’s. For the rest of the state, see blueprint printing in Ohio.
What Columbus asks of the PDF
From Building and Zoning Services’ “Electronic Review for Building Permits: Submission Standards” (BA 3/26) and the City’s Street Construction (E-Plan) Requirements for commercial sites:
| Rule | What the City says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flattened | “PDF must be flattened” | Submission Standards |
| Landscape | “Orientation must be Landscape” | Same |
| Index first | “Sheet Index should appear on the first sheet (sheet title and sheet number should match index)” | Same |
| On every sheet | A north arrow and scale bar, the design firm name and design professional seal, the project name, the file name and the original drawing date. | Same |
| Big sets | Plan sets over 100 MB “should be divided into smaller files by sub-discipline”. | Same |
| Page = sheet | “The PDF page number shall exactly match the sheet number printed on the plan set.” | Street Construction (E-Plan) Requirements, Commercial Site |
Printing a Columbus set
- The index is your order check. Because the City wants the sheet index on sheet one and matching sheet titles, count the index lines against the pages in your file before you order. A missing page shows up right away.
- The scale bar survives any size. Every Columbus sheet carries a scale bar, so it still reads correctly if you print a reference copy smaller than drawn. For field use, print at full size and 100%.
- Split files, one order. If you divided a 100 MB-plus set by sub-discipline, upload each file in the same order. They’re priced per sheet across all files.
Columbus Building and Zoning Services and your design professional decide what’s approved. We print the PDF you upload and don’t contact the City for you, so check with them first.
Who we print for in Columbus
- Architects and engineers handing printed copies of the approved set to the owner and contractor. See plan printing for architects.
- Site and civil contractors who need field copies of the engineering sheets.
- Commercial and data-center contractors with sets split by discipline. See plan printing for contractors.
- Homeowners renovating in the older neighborhoods near downtown.
Price examples (prints only; shipping is chosen at checkout)
| Job | Sheets | Print total |
|---|---|---|
| German Village rear addition, 24×36 B&W | 10 | $19.50 |
| Short North mixed-use, split into 4 discipline files, 24×36 B&W | 96 | $187.20 |
| Color rendering and finish sheets | 6 | $22.50 |
Frequently asked questions
What does Columbus require of an electronic building plan PDF?
Its submission standards say the PDF must be flattened and in landscape orientation, with the sheet index on the first sheet and the sheet titles and numbers matching it.
What has to appear on every Columbus sheet?
A north arrow and scale bar, the design firm name and design professional seal, the project name, the file name and the original date of the drawings.
What if my Columbus plan set is over 100 MB?
The City says to divide it into smaller files by sub-discipline. More than one sheet per discipline file is allowed.
Does the PDF page number have to match the sheet number in Columbus?
For commercial-site street-construction e-plans, yes. The City’s requirements say the PDF page number shall exactly match the sheet number printed on the plan set.
When does a Columbus order ship?
Orders placed by 3 PM ET ship the same day.
