Building permits, zoning and land rules in Harrison County, Ohio

Harrison County's building permit instructions state that permits are required for residential new construction and additions¹. Unlike most counties around it in Ohio, Harrison County requires a county building permit¹⁰. The instructions do not say which parcels the county department covers or address incorporated places, so confirm coverage for a specific parcel with the Harrison County Commissioners before starting work^1,7. Ohio's residential code applies where a certified municipal, township or county building department has jurisdiction; without one, the code's construction-document, approval, inspection and occupancy-certificate steps do not apply⁶. An owner-builder is not universally exempt: where a certified department has jurisdiction, the owner must submit plans and get approval before work begins¹¹. A qualifying agricultural building may follow a separate route after a county or township zoning inspector issues an agricultural-use certificate¹².

The Harrison County Commissioners are the published contact for building permit questions, at 740-942-4623⁷. The county schedule lists a $360 base fee plus $4 per 100 square feet for residential new construction and additions, and $150 for a reinspection; the source does not state its geographic scope¹. Covered residential work needs three inspections (footer, rough-in before interior wall coverings, and final), and all must be approved before a certificate of occupancy is issued¹. The permit holder is responsible for inspections, should allow 24 to 48 hours, and must keep the permit at the building site¹. Inside the Village of Cadiz, the village's housing inspector issues construction certificates for primary residences, and a separate village zoning permit is also required⁴. The county's rules apply to land outside the village; septic permits stay with the Health Department either way³.

Harrison County's zoning page lists local zoning in Archer Township, Cadiz Village, Freeport Township, Moorefield Township and North Township; it does not present a single county zoning authority². The page does not publish those local regulations or their dimensional standards, so lot size, setbacks and RV or tiny-home rules must come from the township or village itself². The Village of Cadiz administers its own zoning, and a zoning permit is required there before work⁵. Ohio law lets county commissioners zone unincorporated land by resolution and separately regulate residential building; zoning and building permits are different questions^13,14. We could not confirm a countywide minimum lot size, setback or height limit for parcels outside those five jurisdictions.

The Harrison County Health Department reviews plans, issues installation permits and inspects residential septic systems under Ohio Department of Health rules, for city and country addresses alike³. Where public sewer is not available, a new or altered system needs a soil evaluation, design blueprint, application and fee, and work cannot begin until the Permit to Install or Alter is issued³. A Registered Sewage System Installer must build it, and Health Department inspectors inspect before the system is covered with soil³. Soils are the main constraint: only 0.4% of Harrison County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system⁹. In the Freeport sanitary-sewer service area, residents and businesses were required to connect by September 2026, so confirm sewer status before planning onsite treatment there¹⁵.

We could not confirm a countywide Harrison County rule on living in an RV, camping, tiny homes or accessory dwellings on private land. Ask the zoning contact if the parcel lies in Archer Township, Cadiz Village, Freeport Township, Moorefield Township or North Township, and ask the Harrison County Commissioners whether a building permit applies^2,7. Ohio's campground rule governs RVs in licensed campgrounds and does not answer whether someone may occupy an RV on a private parcel¹⁶. A manufactured home is different: Ohio generally bars occupancy until an inspector issues the inspection seal, subject to a temporary-occupancy exception¹⁷. Any occupied dwelling still needs a lawful wastewater solution through the Health Department³.

1. Identify the township or village, and ask its zoning contact about use, setbacks and lot standards².

1. Ask the Harrison County Commissioners whether the county building department covers the parcel; inside Cadiz, apply to the village instead^1,4,7.

1. Where no public sewer serves the parcel, arrange the soil evaluation and design, then submit the application and fee to the Harrison County Health Department³.

1. Get the Health Department's permit before installing, altering or sealing a private water system⁸.

1. Obtain the residential building permit, keep it at the site and budget the $360 base fee plus $4 per 100 square feet¹.

1. Schedule the footer, rough-in and final inspections, and the septic inspection before the system is covered^1,3.

Start with wastewater: only 0.4% of Harrison County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so get a site-specific evaluation before treating a listing as buildable⁹. Terrain adds to it, because only 26.8% of county land is at a slope of 15% or less and 59.4% is wooded⁹. Development in an identified special flood-hazard area needs a county floodplain permit, which expires if work does not begin within one year¹⁸. The County Engineer's permit list includes driveway county right-of-way permits, but we could not confirm when one is required, so ask the County Engineer¹⁹. Check whether public sewer serves the parcel, particularly in the Freeport service area¹⁵.