Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Circleville, Ohio

Circleville’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Circleville city limits (Pickaway County)

  • Code adopted by council Ord. #08-48-2022 on 8.2.2022 and amended through Ord. #06-48-2025 (6.3.2025)

  “this ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the zoning code of the city of circleville, ohio.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts in Circleville city

  • Residential: AG, LDR, MDR, HSU, TUR, MUR, MHR
  • Business: NB, GB, DB, CS, IE; planned: PMD, PUD; overlays: floodplain, historic, hunting reserve

  “the purpose of the agriculture district (ag) is to protect and sustain agriculture within the appropriate areas of the city to help promote and maintain the economic viability of the agricultural industry.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the LDR and MDR districts, Circleville city

  • Table lists LDR and MDR only; other districts not stated in the extracted text

  LDR one-story: >= 1800 sq ft · LDR two-story: >= 2000 sq ft · MDR one-story: >= 1200 sq ft · MDR two-story: >= 1600 sq ft

  “minimum floor area (sq. ft.) one story two story ldr 1800 2000 mdr 1200 1600”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on lots in districts permitting one or two dwelling units in Circleville city

  • Parking only: max one RV per dwelling unit
  • Max 30 ft long, 9 ft wide, 10 ft high
  • Must be on paved surface
  • Unless in driveway, not forward of front plane of the dwelling
  • Must have valid Ohio registration when applicable
  • RVs stored in a fully enclosed four-wall structure with roof are not subject to these rules

  max RV length: <= 30 ft

  “in no case, shall a recreational vehicle be utilized for living, sleeping, housekeeping, business or storage purposes.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside Circleville city

  • Applies to zoning permits only; building permit process through the county was not verified
  • Failure to obtain a required permit is a violation punishable under section 1115.01

  “a zoning permit is required prior to: 1. constructing, creating, moving, expanding, converting or structurally altering any portion of a building or structure.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Circleville city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Circleville city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Circleville city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Circleville city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Circleville 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.