Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hambden Township, Ohio

Hambden Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New-home construction inside Hambden Township, Geauga County, Ohio; the building permit is issued by the Geauga County Building Department.

  • The County's township new-home guide says all four local county and township approval pieces are required before construction begins.
  • The guide states that the township will not issue the zoning certificate until the sewage permit and Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District approval, when applicable, are obtained.
  • A building permit alone is not sufficient to begin construction.
  • Other projects may require fewer or other approvals; this claim is limited to a new home.

  “The Building Permit, issued by the Geauga County Building Department, is approval for how the building or structure must be physically constructed.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in the unincorporated territory of Hambden Township, Geauga County, Ohio.

  “This resolution shall apply to all the unincorporated territory of Hambden Township, Geauga County, Ohio.”

Rules another office applies inside Hambden Township

Hambden Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private household sewage treatment systems serving homes inside Hambden Township, Geauga County, Ohio.

  • This applies to homes served by an individual household sewage treatment system; the county guide says homes in Geauga County townships are primarily served by such systems.
  • A lot evaluation, soil report, calculations, and plans are described for a proposed septic system; capacity is based on the number of bedrooms proposed.
  • The approval is based on regulations adopted by the Ohio Department of Health.
  • Where public sanitary sewer is provided, the County owns the system and the Geauga County Department of Water Resources operates and maintains it; construction plans must be submitted to the County Sanitary Engineer before a sewer permit is issued.

  “Homes located within the townships of Geauga County are primarily served by household sewage treatment systems, AKA a "septic system" and private water wells, both of which require review and approval by Geauga Public Health ("GPH") based upon regulations adopted by the Ohio Department of Health.”

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.