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

Thompson Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

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

  • All four listed county and township approvals are required before construction begins.
  • The Township will not issue a zoning certificate until the applicant has the sewage permit and Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District approval when applicable.
  • Other projects may require fewer or other approvals; applicants should check with each office.

  “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)

  Unincorporated territory of Thompson Township, Geauga County, Ohio.

  • The resolution applies to all unincorporated territory of Thompson Township.

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

Rules another office applies inside Thompson Township

Thompson 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 and private water wells for homes inside Thompson Township, Geauga County, Ohio.

  • This finding concerns homes served by private septic systems and water wells.
  • A lot evaluation, soil-scientist and septic-designer materials are required for the described new-home process.
  • Where public sanitary sewer or drinking water is provided in a township, 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.
  • Private subdivision systems and municipal infrastructure are exceptions described by the source.

  “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.