Cadiz, OH Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

A new house inside the Village of Cadiz, Ohio needs a village construction certificate from the housing inspector plus a separate zoning permit¹. Cadiz administers its own zoning ordinance through a zoning administrator². Where public sewer is not available, septic permits come from the Harrison County Health Department, not the village³.

At a glance

Building permit: Construction certificate from the village housing inspector, plus a zoning permit¹
Zoning: Village zoning ordinance, administered by the zoning administrator²
R-1 minimum home size: 1,200 sq ft of living area per dwelling unit⁴
R-1 minimum lot: 12,000 sq ft where sewer and public water are available, 80 ft wide⁵
Septic: Harrison County Health Department permits and inspections⁶
Certificate of occupancy: Required before use or occupancy⁷

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Cadiz Municipal Building (zoning and permits)

Zoning permits and village permit applications; permits are picked up and submitted at the municipal building

740-491-7098

128 Court Street

Septic permits

Harrison County Health Department

Household sewage treatment system plan review, installation permits and inspections

(740) 942-2616

538 N Main St, Cadiz, OH 43907

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

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

Yes. The Village of Cadiz has its own zoning ordinance, run by a zoning administrator, and failing to obtain a zoning permit or certificate of occupancy is a violation of it². Harrison County's own zoning page lists Cadiz Village among the few villages and townships in the county that have zoning regulations⁸.

In the R-1 Single Family Residential District, lots need at least 12,000 sq ft where sewer and public water are available, with at least 80 ft of width⁵. Homes need at least 1,200 sq ft of living area per dwelling unit⁴. Front and rear yards are at least 40 ft, with side yards of at least 20 ft accumulated and 8 ft on the narrower side⁹. Principal structures top out at 25 ft or 2.5 stories¹⁰.

Other Cadiz districts may differ from R-1, so confirm your parcel's district with the village before you buy¹¹.

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

Yes. Before anyone builds, places, enlarges or remodels a primary residential structure inside the Village of Cadiz, the owner applies to the village inspector for a construction certificate¹. The certificate is issued within ten days of application and expires 90 days after issuance if work has not started¹. A separate zoning permit is required under the village's zoning ordinance¹.

The village also requires a certificate of occupancy before a building is used or occupied⁷. Permits are picked up and submitted at the municipal building, 128 Court Street¹².

Residential structures in the village must meet the building requirements the village adopted in ordinance 79-3¹³. We did not confirm how inspections work inside the village, so ask the village office what inspections apply.

How do septic permits work in Cadiz, Ohio?

The village does not issue septic permits. Where public sewer is not available, the Harrison County Health Department reviews plans, issues installation permits and inspects residential septic systems⁶¹⁴. Work cannot begin until the Permit to Install or Alter is issued, and a registered sewage system installer must do the work³.

The village's R-1 lot rules tie into this: where sewer and public water are not available, the county health department's lot size requirements prevail over the village minimum⁵. Ohio also requires connection to an accessible public sewer, so a lot near village sewer lines may not be eligible for a septic system at all¹⁵.

Cadiz's rules for private wells are something we could not confirm; the county health department issues well permits in Harrison County¹⁶.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Cadiz, Ohio?

We could not confirm what Cadiz's ordinance says about living in an RV or a tiny home on a lot inside the village, so ask the village zoning office before you plan around either. The village's supplementary zoning regulations are the place to look.

One relevant fact is the R-1 minimum of 1,200 sq ft of living area per dwelling unit, which would rule out most tiny homes in that district⁴. Ohio's statewide campground rules cover licensed campgrounds, not a lot of your own, so they do not answer the question¹⁷.

What stays with Harrison County, and what should you check before buying in Cadiz?

Septic permits and well permits stay with the Harrison County Health Department⁶¹⁶. Harrison County also publishes its own building permit instructions, but they do not say whether they reach incorporated villages, so inside Cadiz start with the village¹⁸. For land outside village limits, see the Harrison County page.

Before you buy, confirm the zoning district of the parcel, whether village sewer and water reach the lot, and whether it lies in a flood hazard area; development there needs a permit under county flood regulations, and the village's flood chapter was not reviewed¹⁹. Harrison County's effective property tax rate is 1%²⁰.

Watch-outs

Only the R-1 district's dimensional rules were reviewed, so a lot in another Cadiz district may have different lot, yard and height rules¹¹.
Chapter 1317 separately states a 5,000 sq ft minimum lot area for principal residential structures, and the R-1 rule says 12,000 sq ft; ask the village zoning office which controls your lot⁵.
A zoning permit and a construction certificate are separate approvals, and a certificate of occupancy is required before use; skipping it can cost double the permit amount⁷.
We could not confirm the village's permit fees, owner-builder provisions or floodplain rules; ask the village office at 128 Court Street¹².

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 Cadiz publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Harrison County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Cadiz, Ohio