Forest, OH Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

The Village of Forest, Ohio, in Hardin County, has its own zoning code that applies to all land inside village limits¹. Septic permits for Forest addresses are handled by the Kenton-Hardin Health Department, not the village². We could not confirm which office issues building permits inside the village, so ask the village before you plan a build.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, village zoning covers all incorporated land in Forest¹
Zoning districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MHP, C-1, C-2, P-1, P-2, P-3 and UL³
Manufactured homes: Excluded from R-1 and R-3; allowed in R-2 and R-MHP with minimum size⁴
Septic permit: Required; issued by the Kenton-Hardin Health Department⁵²
Septic permit fee: $424, plus a $320 site evaluation fee⁶
Building permit: Not confirmed for the village; Ohio law requires plan approval from the department with jurisdiction⁷

Who to call

Health department

Kenton-Hardin County Health Department

Household sewage treatment system site evaluations, permits and follow-up inspections, including inside Forest

419-673-6230

[email protected]

175 W. Franklin St., Suite 120 Kenton OH 43326

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 Village of Forest means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Forest, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for manufactured homes?

Yes. The Village of Forest, Hardin County, Ohio applies its zoning code to the entire incorporated land area of the village¹. Land may only be used as its district permits, or as a conditional use approved by the zoning enforcement officer¹.

The village is divided into R-1 low density residential, R-2 medium density residential, R-3 high density residential, R-MHP mobile home park, C-1 central commercial, C-2 general commercial and industrial, P-1, P-2 and P-3 public districts, and UL undeveloped land³.

Manufactured and mobile homes are excluded from R-1 and R-3, and are permitted in R-2 at a minimum of 750 sq ft and 14 ft width, and in R-MHP at a minimum of 648 sq ft and 12 ft width⁴. Lot size, setback and height limits by district were not confirmed, so ask the village zoning enforcement officer for the rules in the district you are buying in.

Do you need a building permit in Forest, Ohio, and who issues it?

We could not confirm which office issues building permits inside the Village of Forest. Ohio law requires plans for covered buildings to be submitted to the municipal, township or county building department that has jurisdiction before work begins⁷. An owner-builder follows the same plan-approval step⁸.

Because village zoning applies to every parcel in Forest¹, start with the village's zoning enforcement officer, who can say whether a zoning approval and a building permit are both needed and which department reviews the plans. Permit fees are set by each certified building department's own fee schedule⁹.

How do septic permits work inside Forest, Ohio?

Septic permits for Forest addresses come from the Kenton-Hardin Health Department, which permits and inspects household sewage systems in Hardin County². Whether a given lot in the village can tie into public sewer instead was not confirmed; ask the village.

For a new system, a homeowner submits a Site Inspection Application with the $320 site evaluation fee⁶. After the installer's scaled drawing is approved and the $424 fee is paid, the health department issues the installation permit⁵. A follow-up inspection happens within 12 months of installation¹⁰.

The county packet also says installation is suspended from December 1 through March 1 by Board of Health order⁵. Fees in the packet date from 2022, so confirm current amounts with the health department¹¹.

Building a home in Forest, Ohio: the steps, in order

Ask the village zoning enforcement officer which district the parcel is in and whether your use is permitted or conditional³.
Confirm which building department reviews plans inside the village¹².
Contact the Kenton-Hardin Health Department for a site evaluation if the lot is not on public sewer⁵.
Submit plans and wait for approval before construction begins¹².
Complete the septic follow-up inspection within 12 months of installation¹⁰.

What stays with Hardin County, and what to check before you buy in Forest

Septic permits and inspections stay with the Kenton-Hardin Health Department². For land outside village limits in Hardin County, zoning is set by individual townships rather than a single county ordinance¹³; see the Hardin County page for those answers.

Before you buy, confirm the district, the building-permit office and sewer availability. Well permits, RV occupancy, tiny homes and floodplain rules inside Forest were not confirmed, so ask the village and the health department. Hardin County's median property tax bill is $1,513 a year¹⁴.

Watch-outs

Mobile and manufactured homes are excluded from the R-1 and R-3 districts, so check the district before buying a lot for one⁴.
We could not confirm who issues building permits in Forest, or the village's RV, tiny-home, setback and lot-size rules; ask the village zoning enforcement officer before you buy³.
The Kenton-Hardin septic packet is dated January 2022, so confirm current fees with the health department⁶.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Forest publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Hardin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Forest, Ohio