Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Ohio

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Riverside, Ohio

Riverside, Ohio requires city zoning approval for a new home, while Montgomery County Building Regulations issues the building permit.1 Riverside prohibits using an RV as a residence, even temporarily.2 Household septic systems remain under Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, with a permit required for installation, replacement or alteration.34

At a glance

Building permits
Montgomery County Building Regulations issues building permits in Riverside1
Zoning approval
City approval required for new homes and many exterior structures1
Septic permits
Public Health handles new, replacement and altered household systems34
RV residence
Temporary and permanent residential use prohibited2
Tiny homes
Occupancy permission unconfirmed; ask Riverside Community Development5
Private wells
Permit required for new, upgraded, altered or abandoned-and-sealed systems6

Who to call

Building permits

Montgomery County Building Regulations Division

Building permits and inspections, including Riverside; city zoning approval is separate.

(937) 225-4622

[email protected]

451 W. Third St., 10th Floor Dayton, OH 45422

Online permits →

Planning & zoning

Riverside Community Development Department

City planning, zoning permits, property maintenance and code enforcement

937-233-1801 option 1

[email protected]

5200 Springfield Street, Suite 100, Riverside, OH 45431

Online permits →

Zoning

Riverside Zoning Permit Information

City zoning applications and guidance on the separate county building permit

Online permits →

Septic permits

Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, Sewage Treatment Systems

Household septic-system permitting, site evaluation guidance and maintenance oversight

937-225-4428

Reibold Building 117 S Main Street Dayton, Ohio 45422

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Riverside means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Riverside, OH?

For a new home in Riverside, obtain city zoning approval and a separate building permit from Montgomery County Building Regulations.1 Riverside has adopted the Ohio Building Code, with detached family dwellings covered by the Residential Code of Ohio within the stated scope.7 Riverside construction must comply with both city zoning and the adopted building code.8

Riverside also recognizes a conditional building-code exception for structures incident to agricultural use of the land, subject to restrictions on retail use.9 Ask Community Development and County Building Regulations to classify a proposed barn before treating the agricultural exception as permission to build; city zoning remains a separate requirement.98

Who handles building permits and zoning applications in Riverside?

Riverside Community Development oversees city zoning permits, planning, property maintenance and code enforcement.5 City zoning applications can be submitted through the online permit portal or delivered on paper to Community Development at the City Administrative Office.1 Montgomery County Building Regulations is the separate building-permit authority for Riverside projects.1

Use the city office to discuss the proposed use and placement of a building, then contact County Building Regulations for the building application.1 Riverside says zoning fees vary by permit and links its Master Fee Schedule; request the fee for your specific project rather than assuming a single flat charge.1

Does Riverside have zoning, and what about lot size and setbacks?

Riverside has its own zoning ordinance, and construction inside city limits must comply with that ordinance.8 Riverside Community Development now announces an adopted Unified Development Ordinance and zoning map.5 Ask the city for the parcel’s current district and the applicable lot-area, setback and dwelling-size standards; we could not confirm those dimensional standards here.5

Riverside requires zoning approval for construction or replacement of residential structures including fences, decks, sheds, pools, homes, garages and additions.1 Riverside lists interior remodeling, unenclosed patios, play structures and driveway resurfacing as exceptions from zoning permits; those exceptions do not establish a building-permit exemption.1

How do septic permits and private wells work inside Riverside?

Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County administers household septic-system permitting and maintenance oversight in Montgomery County, including the household systems serving Riverside properties.3 A septic permit is required to install, replace or alter a household system; tank cleaning and minor repairs do not require that permit.4

For a new septic-served home, Public Health directs buyers to a trained soil scientist’s evaluation and a consulting designer who designs the system from that evaluation.10 The required system type depends on the site’s soils.10 Private water systems also require permits when newly installed, upgraded, altered or abandoned and sealed, while minor repairs are exempt.6 Ask Public Health about the proposed sanitation and water arrangements before committing to an off-grid design.10

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Riverside?

Riverside prohibits temporary or permanent residential use of recreational vehicles, trailers, tents, temporary buildings and garages.2 The Riverside prohibition expressly includes temporary residence, so an RV is not an approved place to live while a home is being built.2

Riverside’s city-park camping provisions concern designated park sites and written camping permission; those provisions do not authorize RV residence on a private lot.112 We could not confirm a separate Riverside tiny-home occupancy rule, manufactured-home placement rule or minimum dwelling size; ask Community Development about the exact dwelling and parcel before buying.5 Any proposed construction still must meet Riverside zoning and the applicable building code.8

What are the steps before building a home in Riverside?

  1. Ask Riverside Community Development to verify the parcel’s zoning and review the proposed home’s use and placement under the city ordinance.58
  2. For a septic-served site, discuss the soil evaluation, system design and septic permit with Public Health; resolve private-water-system permitting there as well.106
  3. Submit the city zoning application through Riverside’s portal or deliver the paper application to Community Development, and obtain the separate county building permit.1
  4. Arrange building plan and inspection approvals for work that complies with Riverside’s adopted code.12

We could not confirm Riverside-specific owner-builder exemptions, driveway-access approval or floodplain-development requirements; ask Community Development to identify the applicable approvals for the parcel.5 For land outside Riverside, use the Montgomery County guide for the county and township authority split: the County Planning Commission’s subdivision authority covers unincorporated township land.13

Watch-outs

  • Riverside’s newly adopted zoning code and map make current parcel zoning worth confirming with Community Development before buying.5
  • Riverside prohibits RV residence temporarily as well as permanently, so do not plan to occupy an RV during construction.2
  • Riverside rental-property compliance includes a valid certificate of occupancy from the Montgomery County Building Department; that requirement does not establish permission for short-term rentals.14

Sources

  1. Riverside Zoning Permit Information (riversideoh.gov)
  2. Building and Property Maintenance Code (Riverside), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Riverside Community Development Department (riversideoh.gov)
  6. Private Water System Program, quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 1301 - Ohio Building Code (Riverside), quoted and re-checked
  8. library.municode.com (Riverside), quoted and re-checked
  9. 1301.03 - Scope (Riverside), quoted and re-checked
  10. Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, Sewage Treatment Systems (phdmc.org)
  11. 933.07 - Camping (Riverside), quoted and re-checked
  12. Part Thirteen - Building Code (Riverside), quoted and re-checked
  13. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
  14. Part Seven - Business Regulation Code (Riverside), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Riverside

Riverside’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction, alteration, repair, use, occupancy, and related work inside Riverside city limits.

    • The adopted Ohio Building Code is identified as effective January 1, 2016 and amended to date.
    • Detached one-, two-, and three-family dwellings are covered by the Residential Code of Ohio to the extent stated in Section 310.
    • Agricultural structures, manufactured homes within the cited federal and state scope, sewerage systems, private water systems, and other listed exceptions are excluded or separately regulated as stated in Section 1301.03.

    adoption effective date: 2016-01-01 (as amended to date)

    “There is hereby adopted by the Municipality, the Ohio Building Code (OBC) and related codes as adopted by the Ohio Board of Building Standards, Department of Industrial Relations, effective January 1, 2016, as amended to date, and as identified and published in Division 4101:1 et seq. of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC).”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Building plan and inspection approval inside Riverside city limits.

    • Plans and specifications cannot receive approval or inspection approval unless the proposed work complies with Ohio Revised Code Chapters 3781 and 3791 and Board rules.
    “As provided in Ohio R.C. 3791.04(B), no plans or specifications shall be approved or inspection approval given unless the building represented by those plans or specifications would, if constructed, repaired, erected or equipped according to those plans or specifications, comply with Ohio R.C. Chs. 3781 and 3791 and any rules adopted by the Board.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Rental properties inside Riverside city limits.

    • The certificate must be issued by the Montgomery County Building Department.
    • The requirement is part of the City's Certificate of Rental Property Compliance process and applies with the other listed registration, inspection, tax, and maintenance requirements.
    “A valid certificate of occupancy from the Montgomery County Building Department;”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Riverside city limits.

    “All construction work on a property must adhere to the City of Riverside Zoning Ordinance and the Ohio Building Code as adopted by the City of Riverside in Chapter 1301 of this Code.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Temporary or permanent residential use of recreational vehicles inside Riverside city limits.

    • The prohibition appears in the City's Building and Property Maintenance Code.
    “No temporary buildings, trailers, recreational vehicles, tents, or garages of any type or size shall be used temporarily or permanently as a residence.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping and temporary lodging in Riverside city parks.

    • Camping must occur in an area or site designated for camping by the Director.
    • A written permit from the Director is required.
    • Establishing or maintaining temporary lodging or sleeping places in a park requires a permit.
    • Group camping also requires a permit.
    “No person in a park shall camp in an area or on a site which is not designated for this purpose by the Director and without a written permit from the Director.”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Buildings or structures incident to agricultural use of the land inside Riverside city limits.

    • The structure must be incident to agricultural use of the land on which it is located.
    • The structure must not be used in the business of retail trade, subject to the code's 50-percent gross-income qualification for sales of products produced or raised on farms owned or operated by the seller.
    • Other listed exceptions and the building code's scope still apply.

    agricultural retail-income threshold: >= 50 percent (gross income from sales of products produced or raised in a normal crop year on farms owned or operated by the seller)

    “Buildings or structures which are incident to the use for agricultural purposes of the land on which said buildings or structures are located, provided such buildings or structures are not used in the business of retail trade; for the purposes of this section, a building or structure is not considered used in the business of retail trade if 50 percent or more of the gross income received from sales of products in the building or structure by the owner or operator is from sales of products produced or raised in a normal crop year on farms owned or operated by the seller (see Ohio R.C. 3781.06 and 3781.061).”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land-division plans inside Riverside city limits.

    • A development review deposit is required for a subdivision involving division of land into more than two parcels, in the amount prescribed by City Council.
    • The same provision also covers site-plan review, PUD plans, rezoning, and plans for buildings over 1,000 square feet.

    building-size threshold: > 1000 square feet (development review deposit provision)

    “Upon the submittal of any plan consisting of a building of more than 1,000 square feet, a subdivision of more than a division of land into two parcels, a site plan review or revision to an existing approved site plan, a proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) or a revision to an approved PUD, a rezoning or like plan, the City Manager or his/her designee shall ensure that a development review deposit has been collected in an amount prescribed by the City Council.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Riverside city limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts and district schedules inside Riverside city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Riverside city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Riverside city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Riverside city limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Riverside publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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