Case Study: Franklin County achieves a 2X increase in permits and streamlined online permitting with Brightly Software

Franklin County - Customer Case Study

Franklin County, Ohio — home to Columbus and more than 1.3 million residents — manages residential building permits for unincorporated areas and zoning permits for 10 surrounding townships. When their on-premises permitting software became obsolete, residents had to apply in person or by mail and pay by check or money order, while staff spent excessive time correcting incomplete or inaccurate records. The county used the vendor change as an opportunity to reimagine the entire permitting process.

Franklin County implemented Brightly SmartGov to create a self-service customer portal where citizens can submit applications, upload drawings, and pay online; staff now use automated reports and a mobile app for inspections. The result: permits more than doubled (from 1,831 in 2018 to 4,091 in 2021), faster processing, higher citizen satisfaction, uninterrupted service during COVID-19 remote work, and a scalable foundation for future growth.

Franklin County

Jonathan Lee

GIS Manager