Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Amherst, Ohio

Amherst’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Amherst city

  • Adopted as amended or replaced by the Ohio Board of Building Standards.
  • City page also lists 2019 Residential Code of Ohio, 2024 Ohio Plumbing Code, 2024 Ohio Mechanical Code, 2023 NEC, 2015 IPMC and others.

  building code: 2024 Ohio Building Code

  “the city adopts and incorporates as part of the amherst codified ordinances, as if fully rewritten herein, that certain code known as the 2024 ohio building code (obc)”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Amherst city, Lorain County, OH

  • Part Eleven Planning and Zoning Code includes Title Five Zoning Code with districts R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, M-1 and a planned development district.
  • Board of zoning appeals under Chapter 1125.

  “in an r-1 residence district, land may be used for, and buildings or structures may be erected, altered or used for, only the following:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Amherst city

  • Per code table of contents; district boundaries/map not reviewed.

  “chapter 1127 districts and boundaries generally chapter 1128 planned development district zoning chapter 1129 r-1 single-family residence district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residence District, Amherst city

  • Other districts not reviewed.

  one-floor dwelling living area: >= 1200 sq ft · two-story dwelling first floor: >= 1000 sq ft

  “minimum home sizes shall be as follows: (a) living area - one floor single family dwelling with or without basement, 1,200 square feet. (b) two story single family dwelling - first floor minimum requirement 1,000 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residence District, Amherst city

  • Except as otherwise provided in chapter 1145.
  • Only one single family residence per lot of this size.
  • Other districts not reviewed.

  lot area: >= 13500 sq ft (chapter 1145) · width at building line: >= 90 ft · width at street line: >= 40 ft

  “every lot or tract of land shall have an area of not less than 13,500 square feet, with a width of not less than ninety feet at the building line and a width of not less than forty feet at the street line, except as otherwise provided in chapter 1145.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residence District, Amherst city

  • Front yard is based on average distance of buildings on the same side of the street; see 1129.03(a) for full text and corner-lot and no-building-in-block rules.
  • Other districts not reviewed.

  minimum side yard: >= 8 ft · sum of side yards: >= 16 ft · minimum rear yard depth: >= 25 ft

  “the minimum side yard shall be not less than eight feet in width. the sum of the widths of the side yards shall be not less than sixteen feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residence District, Amherst city

  • Except as provided in chapter 1145.
  • Other districts not reviewed.

  max height: <= 35 ft (or two and one-half stories)

  “no building shall exceed two and one-half stories or thirty-five feet in height above the grade level, except as provided in chapter 1145.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Amherst or Lorain County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Amherst city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Amherst city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Amherst city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Amherst city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Amherst city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.