Bolthole Index

Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Broadview Heights, Ohio

Broadview Heights, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County, has its own zoning code, and a new house in its Class A districts needs a lot of at least 30,000 square feet12. The city's Building Department is the office for building permits3. Septic permits come from a board of health, not the city; we could not confirm which district covers every address, so ask the Cuyahoga County Board of Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, Broadview Heights adopts its own zoning code1
Minimum lot (Class A)
30,000 sq ft, 125 ft wide at the setback line2
Minimum house size (Class A)
1,500 sq ft with a basement, 1,600 sq ft without5
Setbacks (Class A)
Front 50 ft, side 10 ft, rear 60 ft6
Building permits
City Building Department3
Septic
A board of health permits it; ask the Cuyahoga County Board of Health74
Driveways
New driveways need a permit and sit at least 3 ft from the property line8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Broadview Heights Building Department

Building permits and inspections inside the city; adopted building codes are listed on this page

440-526-6864

9543 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights, OH 44147

Septic permits

Cuyahoga County Board of Health

Household sewage treatment system permitting and oversight in communities within the Board's jurisdiction

216.201.2000

5550 Venture Drive, Parma, OH 44130

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Broadview Heights means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Broadview Heights, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Broadview Heights adopts its own zoning code, Title Six of its codified ordinances1. Cuyahoga County does not zone for the city; zoning questions go to the local municipality9.

In Class A districts, each lot for a dwelling needs at least 30,000 square feet2. Lots platted before November 2000 may be built on with 20,000 square feet where public water is available and the lot has 100 feet of frontage2. A one-family dwelling must have at least 1,500 square feet of gross floor area with a basement or 1,600 without one, excluding garages and basements5. Height tops out at 35 feet10.

For a single-family or two-family dwelling, the front yard is at least 50 feet (or as shown on the subdivision plat), the side yard at least 10 feet and the rear yard at least 60 feet6. Those figures are for Class A districts; other districts have their own tables, so confirm the district with the Building Department3.

Do you need a building permit in Broadview Heights, and who issues it?

Broadview Heights runs a city Building Department at 9543 Broadview Road, and the city's page lists the building codes it has adopted3. Ohio law requires plans to be approved by the building department having jurisdiction before an owner begins construction11. We did not confirm the city's own permit rules, so call the Building Department before you break ground3.

Permit fees inside the city follow the city's own fee schedule, set in local code12. The Cuyahoga County Division of Building Standards says it has jurisdiction only in partner communities and does not handle zoning13; we could not confirm that Broadview Heights is one of them.

New driveways and turnarounds in Class A districts also require a permit and must sit at least 3 feet from the property line8.

How do septic permits work in Broadview Heights?

Septic permits are not issued by the city. Ohio requires an installation or alteration permit from the board of health before a new or replacement sewage treatment system is installed7. In Cuyahoga County that program is run by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, which says 48 communities in its jurisdiction use household sewage treatment systems14.

We could not confirm whether every Broadview Heights address is on public sewer or which health district covers a given lot, so ask the Board of Health at 216.201.2000 before you plan a septic system4. Where a public sewer is accessible and available, Ohio rules generally require connecting to it15. Wells are also permitted by the board of health, not the city16.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Broadview Heights?

We could not confirm what Broadview Heights allows for RV living or temporary camping, so ask the Building Department before parking an RV as a residence3.

Tiny homes face a practical hurdle in Class A districts: a one-family dwelling must have at least 1,500 square feet of gross floor area with a basement or 1,600 without one5. Ohio's campground rules for RVs apply to licensed campgrounds, not to a private lot17.

Building a home in Broadview Heights: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, size and setback rules with the Building Department23.
  2. Check whether public sewer reaches the lot; if not, ask the Cuyahoga County Board of Health about a site review and septic permit74.
  3. Submit plans for approval to the city building department before starting work11.
  4. Get a driveway permit before paving8.
  5. Notify the department when work is ready for inspection18.
  6. Do not occupy the new house until a certificate of occupancy is issued19.

What stays with Cuyahoga County, and what to check before you buy in Broadview Heights?

Septic and well permits stay with the board of health, not the city716. Cuyahoga County's county page covers rules for unincorporated land, which do not apply inside the city.

Before you buy, confirm the zoning district and minimum lot size, whether the parcel is in a mapped flood zone, where a sewer connection ends and a septic system would begin, and the property tax picture: Cuyahoga County's effective property tax rate is 2.1%20 and the median property tax bill is $3,819 a year21.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Broadview Heights' own building permit rules, fee schedule or RV rules; call the Building Department at 440-526-6864 before you buy or build3.
  • The setback, lot and floor-area numbers above apply to Class A districts only; other zoning districts in the city differ6.
  • Cuyahoga County's Division of Building Standards is new and its partner communities were not yet announced when we checked; a fee schedule is due by December 1, 202622.

Sources

  1. Broadview Heights Codified Ordinances, Chapter 1268 Class A Districts (Broadview Heights), quoted and re-checked
  2. Broadview Heights Codified Ordinances, Chapter 1268 Class A Districts (Broadview Heights), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Broadview Heights Building Department (broadview-heights.org)
  4. Cuyahoga County Board of Health (ccbh.net)
  5. Broadview Heights Codified Ordinances, Chapter 1268 Class A Districts (Broadview Heights), quoted and re-checked
  6. Broadview Heights Codified Ordinances, Chapter 1268 Class A Districts (Broadview Heights), quoted and re-checked
  7. Rule 3701-29-09 | Site review and permits for STS installation and operation (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Broadview Heights Codified Ordinances, Chapter 1268 Class A Districts (Broadview Heights), quoted and re-checked
  9. Cuyahoga County Division of Building Standards, quoted and re-checked
  10. Broadview Heights Codified Ordinances, Chapter 1268 Class A Districts (Broadview Heights), quoted and re-checked
  11. Section 3791.04 | Submission of plan - approvals - prohibition - fine (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 4101:7-7 | Fees (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Cuyahoga County Division of Building Standards, quoted and re-checked
  14. Household Sewage, quoted and re-checked
  15. Rule 3745-42-07 | Best available technology for connection into sanitary sewers and centralized collection and treatment (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Chapter 3701-28 | Private water systems (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Rule 3701-26-04 | Campground requirements (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Residential Code of Ohio, quoted and re-checked
  19. Residential Code of Ohio, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Cuyahoga County Division of Building Standards, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Broadview Heights

Broadview Heights’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Broadview Heights city

    “title six: zoning chapter 1260: general provisions and definitions chapter 1262: administration, enforcement and penalty chapter 1264: districts generally and zone map”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    One-family dwellings in Class A districts, Broadview Heights city

    • Gross floor area excludes garages and basements
    • Portions of rooms with sloping ceilings under five feet do not count

    minimum gross floor area with basement: >= 1500 sq ft · minimum gross floor area without basement: >= 1600 sq ft

    “the minimum gross floor area of a one-family dwelling shall be not less than 1,500 square feet in the case of a dwelling with a basement and 1,600 square feet in the case of a dwelling without a basement.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots for dwellings in Class A districts, Broadview Heights city

    • Lots of record before ordinance 70-00 (Nov. 6, 2000) may be built on with at least 20,000 sq ft where public water is available and 100 ft frontage
    • Minimum lot width 125 ft at the setback line for lots of 30,000 sq ft or more

    minimum lot area: >= 30000 sq ft (previously platted lots: 20,000 sq ft with public water) · minimum lot width: >= 125 ft

    “each lot upon which a dwelling is to be constructed shall have a minimum of 30,000 square feet of land area.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family and two-family dwellings in Class A districts, Broadview Heights city

    • Front yard may instead be as shown on the subdivision plat
    • Detached garage: 10 ft from side lot line, 5 ft from rear lot line, 25 ft from main dwelling
    • Driveways and turnarounds at least 3 ft from property line
    • Pools not closer than 10 ft to side or rear property line

    front yard: >= 50 ft (or as shown on subdivision plat) · side yard: >= 10 ft · rear yard: >= 60 ft

    “for a single-family or two-family dwelling, each lot shall have a front yard not less in depth than 50 feet, measured at right angles from the street (property) lot line to the nearest foundation wall, or as shown on the subdivision plat.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    One-family dwellings in Class A districts, Broadview Heights city

    • Measured from the first floor line

    maximum height: <= 35 ft (and 2.5 stories above grade)

    “the maximum height of a one-family dwelling shall not exceed more than two and one-half stories above grade, as defined, nor more than 35 feet measured from the first floor line.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New driveways and turnarounds in Class A districts, Broadview Heights city

    • Minimum three feet from the property line

    driveway distance from property line: >= 3 ft

    “driveways and turnarounds shall be a minimum of three feet from the property line. all new driveways and turnarounds shall require a permit.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Broadview Heights or Cuyahoga County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits in Broadview Heights city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Broadview Heights city
  • Building code adopted — Building code in Broadview Heights city
  • Inspections — Building inspections in Broadview Heights city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Broadview Heights city
18 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Broadview Heights publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cuyahoga County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Cuyahoga County: county rules, score and offices