Building permits, township zoning and septic rules in Licking County, Ohio

In the Licking County Building Code Department's jurisdiction, new dwellings and additions need permits; detached garages, sheds and carports over 200 square feet also need permits¹. A deck needs a permit when it is attached, exceeds 200 square feet, rises more than 30 inches above grade or serves the main entry¹. The county department covers most, but not necessarily all, of Licking County, so confirm which building department serves the parcel and whether the specific work needs approval². Before county submission, obtain a zoning certificate from the local zoning inspector, or Health Department approval where the township has no zoning². An owner-builder may perform the work, but must submit plans and obtain approval before construction begins⁶. A regulated residential building cannot be used or occupied until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy or completion¹⁰.

The Licking County Building Code Department at 675 Price Road in Newark handles building permits and construction-document review in its jurisdiction². A submission requires the completed application, a zoning certificate or Health Department approval where there is no zoning, and two complete sets of plans and specifications¹¹. The county publishes applications, checklists, procedures and a fee schedule online². The published residential schedule lists a $41.25 structural base fee plus $22 per 100 square feet for new construction, additions and accessory structures, plus applicable charges, but its date is old; request a current calculation before paying¹². The department reviews documents for code compliance². Building permits come from the county department, but zoning approval comes from the township and septic and well permits from the Licking County Health Department^3,13. Planning and Development can direct a landowner to the correct township zoning inspector, but the township handles its own zoning documents and enforcement¹⁴.

In unincorporated Licking County, 19 of 25 townships are zoned and 6 are un-zoned; each township prepares and enforces its own zoning documents³. The county publishes township zoning categories online, but the map service does not replace township resolutions and maps^15,16. Eden, Fallsbury, Hanover, Hopewell, Mary Ann and Perry are listed as un-zoned¹⁶. Reynoldsburg, mainly in Franklin County but extending into Licking County, administers its own city zoning; household septic remains with the Licking County Health Department^13,17.

Licking Township's Residential District requires at least 1,000 square feet of gross ground-floor dwelling area and a minimum 20-foot smaller dimension¹⁸. Single-family lots generally need 1.6 acres with individual sewer or water facilities, or 20,000 square feet with qualifying community sewer and water service; certain older lots have an exception¹⁸. Licking Township residential setbacks generally require 30 feet from the road right-of-way sideline, 10 feet on each side and 15 feet at the rear; corner-lot side-street clearance is at least 20 feet, and accessory structures must be at least 20 feet from a dwelling⁹. Confirm exceptions and the right-of-way boundary with the township inspector; these dimensions do not apply throughout Licking County⁹.

The Licking County Health Department administers permitting and inspections for household and small-flow sewage treatment systems in Licking County⁵. Septic permits for Licking County come from the Health Department, not the township or the Building Code Department¹³. Obtain both an installation permit and an operating permit before installing a system, and note that the permit is valid for 1 year from the date issued⁴. The installer must schedule an inspection before backfilling, and noncompliant items require reinspection for system approval^13,19. New systems receive a follow-up inspection 12 months after completion; off-lot discharging and drip-irrigation systems are inspected annually, while soil-absorption systems are inspected every 5 years¹³. Start with a site evaluation because not every lot can support an on-lot system¹³. Only 3.6% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so do not assume a conventional layout will pass²⁰. A Health Department permit is also required before installing or altering a well, cistern, hauled-water tank or drinking-water pond⁵.

We could not confirm one countywide rule allowing RV or tiny-home occupancy on a private parcel. The practical answer begins with the parcel's township zoning inspector because township zoning varies, and a city or village may have separate municipal zoning³. Ask specifically about using an RV during construction, time limits, utility connections, minimum dwelling size and whether a tiny home is treated as a dwelling, accessory structure or vehicle. Ohio's campground rule regulates vehicle placement, density and sanitation in licensed campgrounds, but it does not answer residential RV occupancy on an individually owned parcel²¹. A manufactured home generally cannot be occupied until an inspector issues its installation seal, subject to the temporary-occupancy exception²². Any private septic or water system still needs the applicable Health Department permits^4,5.

1. Identify the township and ask Planning and Development which zoning inspector serves the parcel¹⁴.
2. Obtain the township zoning certificate, or Health Department approval where there is no zoning¹¹.
3. Arrange the sewage site review early because not every lot can support an on-lot system¹³.
4. Obtain sewage installation and operating permits, plus a private-water permit if the project needs a well or another private supply^5,13.
5. Submit the building application, prior approval and two complete plan sets to the Building Code Department¹¹.
6. Confirm the current local fee and inspection schedule before work begins; Ohio requires inspections of regulated work after plan approval^23,24.
7. Keep the sewage system open for inspection before backfilling, complete later maintenance inspections and obtain final residential occupancy or completion approval before moving in^10,13.

Confirm the parcel's township and incorporated status because zoning jurisdiction changes by location³. Make an offer contingent on acceptable sewage and water results when those systems matter: only 3.6% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, and the Health Department warns that not every lot can support an on-lot system^13,20. Ask whether public sewer is accessible; Ohio can require connection when capacity and distance conditions are met²⁵. Verify legal road access and ask the road authority whether driveway approval applies, because we could not confirm a general county-road rule. Licking County regulates subdivisions and other parcel-creating land divisions in unincorporated areas, with separate procedures for qualifying minor divisions^11,26. Planning and Development administers the county subdivision rules, and the Health Department reviews proposed lots without public water and sewer for sewage feasibility²⁷. For properties abutting classified collectors and arterials, Licking County also reserves future road right-of-way: 6 feet per side for minor collectors, 20 for major collectors and 30 for arterials, based on an existing 60-foot right-of-way; a narrower or absent right-of-way requires additional reservation⁸. These reservations differ from township building-yard setbacks; ask Planning and Development to identify the road classification and applicable reservation before choosing a home site⁸.