By Curtis Teets, owner and operator, iDry Columbus · Last reviewed .
Drywall Repair After Water Damage in Columbus, OH: Save vs. Replace Decision Guide
Wet drywall in Columbus? Here is the rule. Save the panel only when all four conditions are met: Cat 1 clean water, under 48 hours wet, under 12 square feet, and no behind-wall mold. Anything outside that bracket and the panel comes out under IICRC S500 protocol. We work directly with your adjuster.
Real Columbus drywall repair guidance from Curtis Teets, owner and operator of iDry Columbus — 30+ years across Bexley, Dublin, Westerville, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Worthington, and surrounding Franklin County. All work performed to IICRC S500 (water damage) and S520 (mold remediation) industry standards. Call 614-810-0000.
Save vs. Replace — The Decision Tree
Drywall after water damage gets saved when four conditions are met at the same time. Miss any one and the panel comes out. The four conditions are anchored to the IICRC S500 industry standard for water damage restoration — the framework competitors gloss over.
Run the four checks in this order. If you can answer YES to all four, the panel is a candidate to dry in place and patch. If any answer is NO or unknown, plan on cut-and-replace.
Save Condition 1 — Cat 1 Clean Water
YES = candidate
Clean potable supply-line water only. A burst copper line or pinhole drip from a Dublin laundry room qualifies. Cat 2 (gray) appliance water and Cat 3 (black) sewage do not — the contamination crosses paper-faced gypsum into the cavity per IICRC S500.
Save Condition 2 — Under 48 Hours Wet
YES = candidate
The panel was wet less than 48 continuous hours. A pipe that ran overnight and was caught at breakfast in a Hilliard kitchen passes. A leak found weeks later behind a finished Worthington basement wall does not — mold colonization on paper backing starts inside that 24 to 48 hour window.
Save Condition 3 — Under 12 Square Feet
YES = candidate
The wet area covers less than roughly 12 square feet of panel. A small ceiling stain in a Powell hallway passes. A whole basement wall that wicked moisture along its bottom 18 inches does not — structural saturation forces a cut-and-replace per IICRC S500.
Save Condition 4 — No Behind-Wall Mold
YES = candidate
A behind-wall borescope and moisture meter check shows no mold colonization in the cavity. Insulation is dry. Stud faces show no visible growth. The paper backing on the cavity side is intact. If anything in the cavity reads positive, the IICRC S520 protocol takes over.
One quick sanity check: if you cannot honestly answer YES to all four, treat the panel as REPLACE. Drywall is cheap. The repeat call in 6 months when mold blooms behind the patched section is not.
The Paper-Faced Gypsum Bright Line
Standard 1/2-inch drywall has paper facing on both sides of the gypsum core. That paper is mold food. When the cavity-side paper takes on water and stays wet, Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium colonize the substrate within the 24 to 48 hour window. This is the rule competitor pages skip.
Once paper-side colonization is established, killing the surface mold does not save the panel. The hyphae have penetrated the cellulose backing. The drywall has to come out, get bagged for disposal, and the cavity gets remediated under IICRC S520 protocol with HEPA filtration and antimicrobial treatment.
Two practical exceptions in newer Columbus construction. Paperless gypsum (often used in Dublin, New Albany, and Powell new builds) is fiberglass-faced and resists colonization. Greenboard moisture-resistant drywall in bathrooms slows colonization but does not stop it. Both still get cut and replaced once they cross the 48-hour or Cat 2/3 thresholds.
The bright line: if the cavity-side paper has been wet more than 48 hours, treat the panel as compromised. Penetrating moisture meter readings on the cavity face confirm. See our moisture meter reading chart for the threshold values that drive a Columbus scope of loss.
IICRC S500 Categories — What Cat 1, Cat 2, and Cat 3 Mean for Your Drywall
The IICRC S500 standard sorts every water event into Category 1, 2, or 3. Category dictates the demo, drying, and reconstruction scope — the single biggest cost lever on any Columbus drywall job. Get this classification right and the repair vs. replace decision falls into place.
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Category 1 — Clean Water
Sanitary potable water from a supply line, ice maker, or roof leak. Examples: a burst copper line in a Westerville basement or an ice-maker line failure in a Bexley kitchen. Drywall under Cat 1 — if all four save conditions hold — can dry in place. Cat 1 sitting more than 48 hours degrades to Cat 2 by S500 definition.
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Category 2 — Gray Water
Gray water carries microbiological or chemical contamination. Examples: dishwasher discharge, washing machine overflow, sump-pump backup, aquarium failure. Cat 2 wet drywall is contaminated by paper backing exposure — cut and replace under IICRC S500 with antimicrobial treatment to the cavity. Cat 2 sitting more than 48 hours degrades to Cat 3.
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Category 3 — Black Water
Sewage backup, storm-surge flooding, river overflow, or any water in extended Cat 2 conditions. Examples: a city-main sewage backup in older Clintonville stock, a flash flood through a Franklinton basement. Cat 3 wet drywall comes out under full containment with PPE, sealed disposal, and IICRC S520 mold remediation. No save outcome on a Cat 3 panel — ever.
Two field rules from 30 years of Columbus callouts. Time degrades category. A Cat 1 leak unchecked for 60 hours is documented Cat 2. A Cat 2 past 48 hours is Cat 3. Source classifies the call. Water type at origin sets the floor — clean supply is not reclassified as Cat 3 unless it crossed contamination en route.
The category determination is what your adjuster reads first on the scope of loss. iDry documents it with source identification, contact-zone photos, moisture meter readings, and the time-since-event estimate — the format Columbus adjusters expect.
The 48-Hour Mold Window
The 48-hour mark is the line where a save outcome usually flips to a replace outcome on paper-faced drywall. Before 48 hours, dry-in-place is on the table for Cat 1 events. After 48 hours, structural microbial growth becomes likely on the cavity-side paper, and the IICRC S520 protocol enters the scope.
Three things are happening inside that window:
- Hours 0 to 24 — absorption. Paper backing wicks water across the panel. Insulation begins holding moisture. Penetrating moisture readings climb above the 17 percent equilibrium dry standard for gypsum.
- Hours 24 to 48 — mold germination. Spores already present on the paper backing germinate when humidity stays above 80 percent in the cavity. Visible colonization is not always there yet, but the substrate has been compromised.
- Hours 48 plus — established colonization. Hyphae penetrate the cellulose. Visible growth becomes likely. The save outcome is off the table for that panel.
Two practical Columbus implications. Catch a Cat 1 event fast and you keep the small-job cost. A pipe burst caught fast in a Hilliard hallway often stays inside Tier 1 cosmetic pricing. Hidden leaks rarely qualify for save. A slow leak behind a Bexley wall discovered weeks later has crossed every threshold — the scope is replacement and remediation.
Drywall Repair Cost After Water Damage in Columbus
Save outcomes typically run a few hundred to about a thousand dollars in Columbus — often below the standard homeowners deductible. Replace outcomes start at low four figures and scale by panel count, water category, and behind-wall scope. The cost driver is severity, not square footage alone.
Two cost paths from real iDry Columbus callouts:
- Save path (dry-in-place). Setup, equipment for 3 to 5 days, monitoring visits, surface paint touch-up. Lands in the low hundreds to low thousand-dollar range. Typically below the $1,000 deductible — often a self-pay job.
- Replace path (cut and rebuild). Containment, demo, disposal, drying, paperless or standard drywall reinstall, mud, prime, paint. Starts at low four figures for a single panel. Scales sharply with multiple panels, framing involvement, or behind-wall mold.
- Cat 2 contamination handling. Adds 15 to 30 percent to the base scope — PPE, full containment, antimicrobial treatment, contaminated-waste protocol per IICRC S500.
- Cat 3 reconstruction. Sealed entry chamber, vapor barrier, framing replacement, IICRC S520 mold remediation inside cavities. Top of the range — mid four figures and up.
- Behind-wall mold remediation. Adds a separate IICRC S520 line item — containment, HEPA filtration, antimicrobial treatment. See our mold remediation cost guide for the standalone framework.
- Texture and paint matching. Older Columbus stock with original texture or custom paint adds a finish-matching line item — often the difference between "you can see the patch" and "invisible."
For the broader whole-home cost framework, see our Columbus water damage restoration cost guide. For wall-only square-foot pricing detail, see wall water damage repair cost. For sump-pump-driven basement drywall damage, see sump pump failure water damage.
Want a Columbus-specific number? Send a photo of the wall to 614-810-0000 and we will give you a save vs. replace tier estimate over the phone.
Insurance — When Ohio Carriers Pay for Drywall Repair
Sudden and accidental wet drywall is typically covered by Ohio homeowners insurance. Gradual leaks, deferred maintenance, and flood (which needs a separate NFIP policy) are excluded. Major Columbus-area carriers — State Farm, Allstate, Erie, Nationwide, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Safeco, and Westfield — all use the sudden-vs-gradual distinction.
The adjuster reviews cause of loss, date of event, scope of loss, and the IICRC S500 category. Documentation that moves the claim: photos before any disturbance, a moisture-mapping report, the IICRC S500 / S520 scope, the schedule of loss for contents, and (when needed) a Post-Remediation Verification report.
Coverage by Carrier — State Farm, Allstate, Erie, Nationwide, USAA, Westfield
The general-market position by major Columbus-area carrier on wet drywall claims:
- State Farm. Covers sudden/accidental drywall water damage. ACV by default in Ohio policy forms; replacement cost value (RCV) with HO-3 endorsement. Standard $1,000 deductible varies by policy.
- Allstate. Covers sudden/accidental. ACV or RCV depending on the policy form selected at binding. Standard deductible runs $500 to $2,500 across Franklin County.
- Erie Insurance. Covers sudden/accidental. RCV common in Ohio Erie policies. Standard $1,000 deductible. Strong claim-handling reputation in Central Ohio.
- Nationwide. Covers sudden/accidental. ACV default; RCV available with the right rider. Standard $500 to $2,500 deductible. Columbus is Nationwide’s home market.
- USAA. Covers sudden/accidental. RCV more common (military families). Standard $1,000 deductible. Subrogation pursued aggressively when a third party caused the loss.
- Liberty Mutual. Covers sudden/accidental. ACV default; RCV available with rider. Standard $1,000 deductible.
- Progressive. Covers sudden/accidental. Coverage type varies by policy form. Standard $500 to $2,500 deductible.
- Safeco. Covers sudden/accidental. Coverage type varies by policy. Standard $1,000 deductible.
- Westfield Insurance. Ohio-based carrier. Covers sudden/accidental. Often RCV in Ohio policies. Standard $1,000 deductible. Local adjuster relationships matter on Cat 3 jobs.
All nine carriers exclude gradual leaks (long-term hidden seepage) and neglected maintenance. Flood from rising surface water is excluded across the board — that is a separate NFIP policy or excess flood line. Mold cleanup is typically capped at a sub-limit (commonly $5,000 to $10,000) even when the underlying water claim is fully covered.
ACV vs. Replacement Cost on a Drywall Claim
Actual Cash Value (ACV) is replacement cost minus depreciation. Replacement Cost Value (RCV) is what the work actually costs today. The ACV/RCV gap matters most on older Columbus stock where original drywall, plaster, and finishes have lost most of their useful life.
Worked example: a Bexley bathroom wall built in 1958. Drywall and tile have lost 70 percent of their useful life. Replacement cost (RCV) at $4,500. ACV pays roughly $1,350; RCV pays the full $4,500 once work is done. The deductible (commonly $1,000) applies on top. Ask the adjuster which form applies before signing the scope of loss.
Claim Number, Deductible, Scope of Loss, Subrogation
Four insurance terms that drive how a Columbus drywall claim flows:
- Claim number. Issued by the carrier when you file. iDry documents every report with your claim number so the adjuster reconciles the file in one pass.
- Deductible. Standard Ohio deductible runs $500 to $2,500. Applied to the overall claim, not separately to the mold sub-limit. Tier 1 save jobs often land below the deductible — sometimes the right move is self-pay, not a claim.
- Scope of loss. The written list of every line item the adjuster recognizes for payment — demo, drying, materials, labor, contents (schedule of loss). The IICRC S500 / S520 scope iDry delivers is built in the format Columbus adjusters expect.
- Subrogation. If a third party caused the loss — a contractor’s failed plumbing, a neighbor’s overflow, a manufactured-product failure — your carrier pays your claim, then pursues recovery. Done right, subrogation can preserve the no-claims discount and reset the deductible.
For the broader insurance coordination workflow, see our water damage insurance claim guide for Columbus. When the drywall scope pairs with mold growth, route through water damage and mold for the combined-scope pricing. For sewage-driven Cat 3 jobs, see sewage backup cleanup in Columbus.
Adjuster wants an IICRC S500 scope? Call 614-810-0000 — we deliver the scope of loss in the format Columbus adjusters expect.
Drywall Repair Across Columbus Neighborhoods
The same drywall scope can land in different cost tiers depending on the neighborhood’s housing era and assembly type. The patterns below are not zip-code price tables — they are the substrate and access realities that decide which tier a typical job in each area falls into.
Older Home Wall Repairs — Bexley, Clintonville, Upper Arlington
Bexley, Clintonville, Upper Arlington, German Village, Worthington, and Grandview Heights carry pre-1970 housing stock. Original 3/8-inch paper-faced drywall over plaster, knob-and-tube in some runs, and tighter wall cavities are common.
Two practical effects on the call. First, older paper-faced gypsum colonizes faster — the 48-hour window often closes inside 24 to 36 hours in a humid August basement. Second, plaster substrate behind a drywall remodel adds a separate cut-and-patch line once the panel comes off. Most jobs here land in the replace path by the time scope is fully documented.
Finished Basement Drywall Repairs — Worthington, Reynoldsburg, Hilliard
Worthington, Reynoldsburg, Hilliard, Pickerington, Gahanna, and Grove City carry a lot of 1970s through 2000s finished-basement assemblies. Sump-pump-dependent. Vapor management often dated. Drywall typically runs to within an inch of the finished slab — a setup that wicks moisture along the bottom 12 to 24 inches when the sump fails.
The pattern: a sump failure or slow foundation leak wets multiple wall sections at once. By the time discovery happens, the cavity has carried moisture for days or weeks — replace path, often with IICRC S520 mold remediation inside the cavity. The fix is usually paired with a sump pump and discharge review.
New-Build Drywall Repairs — Dublin, New Albany, Powell
Dublin, New Albany, Powell, and the newer Westerville build-outs carry post-2010 construction. Engineered framing, paperless gypsum in moisture-prone areas, modern vapor barriers, and code-compliant ventilation.
The save outcome is more often available on these jobs — the assembly is built to dry. Most callouts here are supply-line failures (washing machine, ice maker, dishwasher) that get caught fast. If the four save conditions hold, dry-in-place is on the table. If the leak ran overnight or hit a paper-faced panel, the scope still flips to replace.
For city-by-city service area detail, jump to the service area block. For pillar context across the silo, see our Columbus water damage restoration overview. Crawl-space-driven wall moisture routes through crawl space water damage. Storm-event drywall damage routes through storm water damage restoration.
The window before mold colonizes paper-faced gypsum. After that point, a Columbus drywall job moves from the save path to the replace path with IICRC S520 mold remediation inside the wall cavity.
The iDry Process on a Drywall Repair Callout
Every Columbus drywall water damage callout walks the same five-step path. The path is built on IICRC S500 for the water work and IICRC S520 for any mold scope. The steps below are what actually happens on site — not a marketing brochure.
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Step 1 — On-Site Assessment
Free Columbus assessment, same-day in most cases. Penetrating moisture meter readings on the suspect wall, thermal imaging across the suspected cavity, source identification, and a Cat 1/2/3 classification call. Photos are documented before any disturbance — the adjuster needs that record.
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Step 2 — Decision Tree Against the Four Save Conditions
The four save conditions get checked on site — water category, time wet, area affected, behind-wall mold check via borescope. If all four hold, the save path is on the table. If any one fails, the panel comes out.
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Step 3 — Containment and Demolition (or Dry-in-Place)
On the replace path: 6-mil poly containment, negative air with HEPA filtration on Cat 2/3 or any mold, drywall cut at least 4 inches above the visible damage line, bagged disposal. On the save path: LGR dehumidifier and axial air movers set per IICRC S500 drying targets.
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Step 4 — Cavity Drying and Verification
3 to 5 days of monitored drying with daily moisture readings against the 17 percent equilibrium standard for gypsum. Dry standard is verified with a penetrating moisture meter at multiple cavity points. The reading is what releases the rebuild — not a calendar date.
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Step 5 — Rebuild, Finish, and Adjuster Handoff
Insulation reinstall (paperless gypsum or moisture-resistant board where called for), mud, prime, paint, texture-match. Final scope of loss delivered in the format Columbus adjusters expect — with the claim number, IICRC S500/S520 references, and itemized labor and materials.
Two field rules from the iDry crew. Document before disturbance. Photos and moisture readings before the first cut protect the claim and the homeowner. Verify dry by reading, not by calendar. A panel that "feels dry" can still be 22 percent moisture content on the cavity face — mold-ready territory for paper-faced gypsum.
What Columbus Homeowners Say About iDry
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Kendra Turner ★★★★★
iDry Columbus went above and beyond for my family when we had a water emergency. They responded quickly, communicated clearly through the whole process, and left our home in great shape. Curtis and the team treated us like family — not just another job.
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David Warner ★★★★★
The way Curtis and his crew handled our situation was old school in the best way — honest, respectful, and thorough. They cleaned out years of buildup without judgment and left the property ready for renovation. Communication was clear from start to finish.
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Stacy Connelly ★★★★★
We had a mold problem in our basement that two other companies failed to fix properly. iDry came in, identified the source of moisture, and remediated everything correctly. The musty smell is completely gone and the basement is dry. Professional, on time, and fair pricing.
Related Drywall and Water Damage Resources
Drywall repair after water damage rarely lives alone. Use these companion guides for adjacent scope, locations, and insurance coordination — or call 614-810-0000 for direct help now.
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Pillar
Columbus Water Damage Restoration
The full residential and commercial overview — assessment, extraction, drying, and reconstruction. The pillar this page belongs to.
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Cost
Wall Water Damage Repair Cost
Per-square-foot wall pricing, IICRC S500 cost tier table, and 5 cost drivers — the wall-only deep dive.
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Sibling
Flooded Basement Cleanup
Cat 2 and Cat 3 basement scope — standing water, sewage backup, finished-wall demo, and full reconstruction.
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Cost
Columbus Mold Remediation Cost
Behind-wall mold pricing detail — what changes the band when the cavity has gone past the 48-hour window.
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Insurance
Water Damage Insurance Claim Guide
Adjuster coordination, scope-of-loss documentation, ACV vs. RCV worked examples, and subrogation in plain English.
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Cause
Burst Pipe Water Damage
The most common cause-of-loss for sudden Cat 1 wet drywall in Columbus — supply lines, copper failures, and how the scope flows into drywall repair.
Frequently Asked Questions — Drywall Repair After Water Damage
Real questions Columbus homeowners ask about wet drywall, save vs. replace, and insurance. Answered directly — no filler.
Can water damaged drywall be repaired or does it have to be replaced?
Honest answer: it can be repaired only when four conditions all hold — Cat 1 clean water, under 48 hours wet, under 12 square feet, and no behind-wall mold. Miss any one and the panel comes out. I see this rule break Columbus homeowners trying to dry a panel that should have been cut. Call 614-810-0000.
Is drywall ruined once it gets wet?
Not always. A small Cat 1 supply-line drip caught fast in a Dublin or Powell home can dry in place. Once the panel passes 48 hours wet, or the water is Cat 2 gray water or Cat 3 sewage, the paper backing is mold food and the panel comes out per IICRC S500. Time and category drive the call.
How much does drywall repair after water damage cost in Columbus?
What I tell folks: a save outcome (dry-in-place) lands in the low hundreds to about a thousand dollars in Columbus — often below the deductible. A replace outcome starts at low four figures and scales by panel count, water category, and behind-wall scope. We will not quote sight-unseen — send a photo for triage.
When should I replace drywall after water damage instead of trying to save it?
Replace when any of these hit: Cat 2 gray or Cat 3 black water, more than 48 hours wet, more than roughly 12 square feet damaged, or any behind-wall mold. In older Columbus stock — Bexley, Clintonville, Worthington — the 48-hour window often closes faster because original paper-faced gypsum colonizes quickly in humid cavities.
How long does it take to repair water damaged drywall?
Honest answer: a save-path dry-in-place runs 3 to 5 days plus a paint touch-up day. A small replace job in Hilliard or Dublin runs 4 to 7 days. A Cat 2/3 replace with framing and behind-wall mold remediation in older Bexley or Clintonville stock can run 2 to 3 weeks pending permits and adjuster sign-off on the scope.
How do I repair a drywall ceiling after water damage?
Same four-condition rule applies, with one extra Columbus consideration. Ceiling panels carry the weight of any retained water — a sagging or bulging ceiling is already past save and at risk of collapse. Cut at least 4 inches beyond the visible damage line, dry the cavity, and reinstall. Insulation above almost always comes out on a ceiling job.
Will my homeowners insurance cover drywall repair after water damage in Ohio?
Yes — when the damage is sudden and accidental. State Farm, Allstate, Erie, Nationwide, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Safeco, and Westfield all cover that pattern in Columbus. Insurance does not cover gradual leaks, neglected maintenance, or flood (separate NFIP policy). We work directly with your adjuster on the IICRC S500 scope of loss.
Can I just paint over water damaged drywall to save money?
No — one of the most expensive shortcuts in Columbus restoration. Paint does not stop moisture, kill mold, or repair compromised gypsum. Damage progresses behind paint, mold colonizes the cavity, and a small patch becomes a full tear-out 6 months later. I have torn into more "painted over" walls in this town than I can count.
How do I check for mold behind a wet drywall panel before repair?
The proper Columbus check is a borescope inspection through a small access hole, paired with penetrating moisture meter readings on the cavity face. iDry runs both on every assessment when the panel has been wet more than 24 hours. A clean borescope view plus dry readings is what releases a save outcome on paper-faced gypsum.
What is the difference between ACV and replacement cost on a drywall claim?
Actual Cash Value (ACV) is replacement cost minus depreciation. Replacement Cost Value (RCV) is what the work actually costs to put the wall back today. On older Columbus stock — Bexley, Clintonville, parts of Worthington — the ACV and RCV gap can be huge. Ask the adjuster which form your policy carries before signing the scope of loss.
Request a Columbus Drywall Water Damage Assessment
Tell us what you found and where. We will call back to schedule an on-site assessment, walk the four save conditions with you, document the IICRC S500 scope of loss for your adjuster, and give you a written estimate. Same-day availability in most cases. For immediate help, call 614-810-0000.
Drywall Repair After Water Damage Service Area — Columbus and Suburbs
Drywall repair after water damage runs across Columbus and the surrounding Franklin County suburbs. Same-day scheduling is available within the Columbus metro. 30+ years of restoration work across every Columbus neighborhood — the construction eras, the moisture patterns, and which save vs. replace path most jobs land in are familiar territory.
Also serving: Lewis Center, Delaware, Johnstown, Whitehall, Canal Winchester, Pataskala, Sunbury, Marysville, Lancaster — all of Franklin County and surrounding Central Ohio communities.