Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Salem, Ohio

Salem’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Salem city limits

  • Source is the city's codified ordinances hosted by American Legal Publishing; Part Eleven is the Planning and Zoning Code.

  “part eleven - planning and zoning code title one - subdivision regulations title three - zoning administration title five - zoning regulations chapter 1161 districts; district map”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Salem city

  • Districts listed in the code: RS-1, RS-1A, RS-2, RS-3, RD, RA, RA-0, C-1 to C-4, M-1 to M-3.

  “chapter 1169 rd residential district chapter 1171 ra residential district chapter 1172 ra-0 residential district chapter 1173 c-1 neighborhood commercial district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  RS-2 and RS-3 residential districts inside Salem city (single-family)

  • RS-1, RS-1A, RD and RA districts not reviewed.

  RS-2 lot area: >= 10000 sq ft · RS-3 lot area: >= 8000 sq ft · RS-2 lot width: >= 75 ft · RS-3 lot width: >= 65 ft

  “(a) lot area in square feet 10,000 8,000 (b) lot width in feet 75 65 (c) lot area per family in square feet(single-family dwellings) 10,000 8,000”

• SetbacksSpecified

  RS-2 and RS-3 residential districts inside Salem city

  • When a lot abuts a public alley, one-half of the alley width may count toward the required yard.
  • Accessory buildings are governed by sections 1193.01 to 1193.05.

  front yard: >= 30 ft · side yard: >= 10 ft · rear yard: >= 30 ft (alley credit)

  “(a) the following minimum yards, measured in feet, shall be provided in these districts. (1) front, 30 (2) side, 10 (3) rear, 30 (b) whenever a lot abuts upon a public alley, one-half of the alley width may be considered as a portion of the required yard.”

• Building heightSpecified

  RS-2 and RS-3 residential districts inside Salem city

  • Only the closing words of section 1167.03 were captured; the full text of the section (including any exceptions) was not read.

  maximum height: <= 35 ft

  “1167.03 height regulations. maximum height limit for buildings and structures in these districts shall be thirty-five feet.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Salem or Columbiana County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Salem city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Salem city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Salem city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Salem city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Salem city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.