Cincinnati

Facade Ordinance

On October 19, 2016, the City of Cincinnati passed Ordinance 329-2016, which requires that the facades of tall buildings of advanced age are maintained in a safe condition and do not pose public safety hazards. Ordinance 329-2016 also ordained the Cincinnati Municipal Code to include a new chapter entitled “Chapter 1127, General Inspection Programs.”

Ordinance Administration

The Department of Buildings administers the facade ordinance for the City of Cincinnati. The department is located at 805 Central Avenue, Suite 500, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; telephone: 513.352.3271.

Buildings Requiring Inspection

The Ordinance applies to all buildings that have an age since completed construction of fifteen years or more and all, or a portion of which, is at least five stories or at least sixty feet above established grade, whichever is less. For more information, see Sec. 1127-03. - Facades of Tall Buildings.

Inspection and Reporting

The owner or person in control of a building subject to the ordinance shall cause an examination of the building’s facade to be performed by a professional who is a registered architect or engineer authorized to practice in the State of Ohio. Each professional conducting a facade examination shall prepare a written inspection report to document the findings of the examination. Each report shall be prepared with the understanding that, because of the physical properties of the many materials commonly used for constructing facades, and the limitations on detecting concealed internal wall distress, the report might not document all "unsafe and imminently hazardous" conditions in facades that are not visible from the exterior. Therefore, an inspection report shall not constitute a representation that all "unsafe and imminently hazardous" conditions in the facade that is the subject of the report have been identified.

Inspection Schedule by Building Category

Category	DESCRIPTION	Schedule
category I	Wall constructed in contact with non-corroding metal	Every 12 years
category II	Wall constructed in contact with corrosion resistant metal	Every 8 years
category III	Wall secured with adhesive bond or masonry headers	Every 8 years
category IV	Walls in contact with corrodible metal	Every 5 years

CONTACTS

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Phone: (317) 510-3940
E-mail: facadeordinance@wje.com

City of Cincinnati Department of Buildings
805 Central Avenue, Suite 500, Cincinnati, OH, 45202
Phone: (513) 352-3271