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

At a glance

Zoning

Village of Alexandria has its own zoning code and zoning map¹⁴

Building permit

Village lists a building permit form; which work needs one is unconfirmed²

Septic permit

Required from the Licking County Health Department before installation³

Septic authority

Licking County Health Department⁵

Well permit

Health department permit required before installing or altering a private water system⁶

RV, tiny home, lot size, setbacks

Set by the village zoning code; we could not confirm the details⁴

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Does Alexandria, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of Alexandria publishes a zoning code and a zoning map, and its Planning, Zoning & Construction page points to district information and the permitted and conditional uses for each property¹⁴.

The district standards are in the village's zoning code PDF, which we could not read as text. For that reason we could not confirm the rules for living in an RV, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size, setbacks or building height inside the village. Ask the village office which zoning district your parcel is in, then read the permitted and conditional uses for that district before you buy⁷.

Zoning in the village is separate from township zoning. Licking County's own page leaves zoning to each township and municipality, so a neighbor outside village limits may follow different rules⁸.

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

The Village of Alexandria's Forms & Permits page lists a building permit, a zoning permit, a fence permit and a right-of-way permit². The village says some projects need its review before work begins⁷.

We could not confirm which residential work needs a building permit inside the village, who reviews the construction plans, or whether the village has adopted its own building code. Ohio law sends plans to the municipal, township or county building department that has jurisdiction, and the Licking County Building Code Department covers the majority of the county⁹¹⁰. Projects in incorporated places may face different or added requirements¹¹.

Call the village office first and ask which department reviews plans for your project. The county's department asks for a zoning certificate before it will approve a permit¹².

How do septic permits work inside Alexandria, Ohio?

The village does not issue septic permits. Inside Alexandria, an on-lot septic system needs an installation permit and an operating permit from the Licking County Health Department before installation³¹³.

The installer must call for an inspection before backfilling, and the health department does a follow-up inspection 12 months after a new system is finished¹⁴. Soil absorption systems get a recurring inspection every 5 years¹⁴.

Not every lot can take a septic system. Flood plains, saturated soils and steep slopes can make design impossible or impractical¹⁵. Across Licking County only about 3.6% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁶. The health department advises evaluating a lot early, before you buy¹³.

If the village's public sewer reaches your lot, the connection is a village matter. The village offers a sewer tap application².

What about wells and splitting a lot in Alexandria, Ohio?

A private well, cistern or drinking-water pond needs a permit from the health department before it is installed or altered, under Ohio Administrative Code 3701-28⁶.

For lot splits and subdivisions, the health department reviews developments that lack public water and sewer and directs applicants to Licking County Planning¹⁷. The village's own rules for splitting a lot are not something we could confirm, so ask the village office.

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

1. Call the Village of Alexandria office and ask for your parcel's zoning district and the uses it allows²⁷.
2. Ask the village which office reviews building plans for your project, the village or the Licking County Building Code Department¹².
3. If the lot is not on public sewer, ask the Licking County Health Department for a site evaluation before you buy¹³.
4. Apply for the village zoning permit and building permit from the Forms & Permits page².
5. Get the septic installation and operating permits, and any well permit, from the health department³⁶.
6. Schedule the septic inspection before backfilling¹⁴.
7. Ohio's residential code requires an approval from the residential building official before a new dwelling is occupied¹⁸.

What stays with Licking County, and what to check before you buy in Alexandria

Septic and well permits for addresses in the village come from the Licking County Health Department, and county-wide subdivision rules run through Licking County Planning⁵¹⁷. Land outside village limits follows different rules; see the Licking County page for unincorporated land.

Before you buy, confirm the zoning district, whether public sewer and water reach the lot, and whether a septic system can be sited at all. County-level figures give context: the effective property tax rate in Licking County is about 1.3%¹⁹, and the median property tax bill is about $3,150 a year²⁰.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm which work needs a building permit inside Alexandria, who reviews construction plans, or what fees apply; ask the Village of Alexandria office before you plan a project².
• We could not read the village zoning code, so RV living, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, lot size and setbacks are unconfirmed; ask the zoning office for the rules in your parcel's district⁷.
• An on-lot septic system may not be possible on every lot, and the health department recommends a site evaluation before you buy¹⁵.
• Work in village streets, sidewalks, easements or rights-of-way may need a permit before construction starts⁷.

Sources

1. Village of Alexandria Ohio - Planning Zoning & Construction (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
2. Village of Alexandria Office (alexandriaoh.gov)
3. Sewage Treatment Program (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
4. Village of Alexandria Ohio - Planning Zoning & Construction (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
5. Sewage Treatment Program (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
6. lickingcohealth.org (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
7. Village of Alexandria Planning, Zoning & Construction (alexandriaoh.gov)
8. Township & Zoning Info, quoted and re-checked
9. Section 3791.04 | Submission of plan - approvals - prohibition - fine (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Building Code, quoted and re-checked
11. Summary of residential work that does or does not require approval, quoted and re-checked
12. Licking County Building Code Department (lickingcounty.gov)
13. Licking County Health Department (Sewage Treatment Program) (lickingcohealth.org)
14. Sewage Treatment Program (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
15. Sewage Treatment Program (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
16. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
17. lickingcohealth.org (Village of Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
18. Ohio Residential Code, Section 111, quoted and re-checked
19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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.