Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ravenna, Ohio

Ravenna’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Ravenna city limits (Portage County)

  • Code host disclaims that the online copy may not reflect the most current legislation; local legislation complete to March 2, 2026.

  “this district is established to accommodate single-family residential dwellings at the lowest density.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Ravenna city

  • Districts R-1 through R-6, C-1, Central Business, C-2, I-1, Overlay and RAVE districts are listed in Chapter 1268.

  “1268.01 r-1 residential district. 1268.02 r-2 residential district. 1268.03 r-3 residential district. 1268.04 r-4 residential district. 1268.05 r-5 residential district. 1268.06 r-6 residential district. 1268.07 c-1 local commercial district. 1268.08 central business district. 1268.09 c-2 heavy commercial district. 1268.10 i-1 industrial district. 1268.11 overlay district.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential District inside Ravenna city

  • Exclusive of basement
  • Other districts not reviewed

  minimum living floor area per dwelling unit: >= 2000 sq ft (exclusive of basement)

  “(9) minimum living floor area per dwelling unit, exclusive of basement. 2,000 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential District (single-family, lowest density) inside Ravenna city

  • Depends on whether centralized water and sewer is available
  • Other districts (R-2 to R-6) not reviewed

  minimum lot area with centralized water and sewer: >= 20000 sq ft · minimum lot area without centralized sewer and water: >= 1.5 acres

  “minimum lot area. a. 20,000 square feet with centralized water and sewer. b. one and one-half acres without centralized sewer and water.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Residential District inside Ravenna city

  • Side yard is 15 ft with centralized sewer and water, 20 ft without
  • Other districts not reviewed

  minimum front yard: >= 50 ft · minimum rear yard, dwelling: >= 25 ft (10 ft for accessory use)

  “(6) minimum front yard depth. fifty feet. (7) minimum rear yard depth. a. twenty-five feet for a dwelling unit. b. ten feet for an accessory use. (8) minimum side yard width. a. fifteen feet with centralized sewer and water. b. twenty feet without centralized sewer and water.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Residential District inside Ravenna city

  • Other districts not reviewed

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

  “(10) maximum height. thirty-five feet or two and one-half stories.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Inside Ravenna city
• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Ravenna city
• Building code adopted — Inside Ravenna city
• Inspections — Inside Ravenna city
• Certificate of occupancy — Inside Ravenna 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.