The Ohio legislature first authorized construction regulation in 1911 through legislative action, and although very limited, it covered various aspects of construction, repair, sanitation, and fire protection. In 1955 the legislature authorized adoption of a state building code by administrative, rather than legislative, procedure and designated the Board of Building Standards as the responsible administrative agency. Ohio wrote and maintained its own building code, the Ohio Building Code, using the Board of Building Standards, the Board’s staff, and a few outside consultants. The state legislature specifically exempted 1-, 2-, 3-family dwellings and agricultural buildings.
