Ravenna Township, OH Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

Ravenna Township, Ohio in Portage County has its own zoning resolution, run by the township's Zoning Department¹². Residential building permits come from the Portage County Building Department, which is certified to review plans and inspect homes³⁴. Septic permits come from the Portage County Health District⁵⁶. The City of Ravenna is separate and has its own rules¹.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, set by Ravenna Township with districts R-L, R-M, R-H, C-R, G-C and G-I¹
Building permit: Required; issued by the Portage County Building Department³
Septic permit: Portage County Health District⁵
Minimum lot (R-L): 1.5 acres, with 100 ft of frontage⁷
Minimum home size (R-L): 1,100 square feet of living floor area⁸
Owner-builder: Homeowners may pull their own residential permit with a homeowner exemption form⁹
RV living: Not confirmed; ask the Zoning Department²

Who to call

Zoning

Ravenna Township Zoning Department

Township zoning applications, variances, conditional uses, the zoning map and the zoning resolution

330-296-9616

6115 S. Spring Street, Ravenna, Ohio 44266

Building permits

Portage County Building Department and Floodplain Administration

Residential and commercial building permits, plan review, inspections, contractor registration and floodplain permits

(330) 297-3530

1st Floor, Portage County Administration Bldg., 449 S. Meridian Street, Ravenna, OH 44266

Online permits →

Septic permits

Portage County Health District - Environmental Public Health

Household sewage treatment system site reviews, permits and inspections

(330) 296-9919

999 East Main Street, Ravenna, Ohio 44266

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Ravenna Township, Ohio have zoning?

Yes. Ravenna Township divides its land into zoning districts, and the district decides what you can build¹. The districts are R-L, R-M, R-H, C-R, G-C and G-I, and the official zoning map is on file with the township fiscal officer and posted on the Zoning Department page¹⁰. These rules cover land inside the township, not the separate City of Ravenna¹.

In the Residential Low Density (R-L) district, a lot needs at least 1.5 acres, 100 feet of frontage and 100 feet of width at the setback line⁷. Setbacks there are 50 feet in front, 25 feet in the rear and 15 feet on each side¹¹. A house may rise 35 feet and an accessory building 18 feet¹². Homes in R-L must have at least 1,100 square feet of living floor area⁸.

What do Ravenna Township's rules mean for lot size, tiny homes and accessory dwellings?

Lot size depends on the district and on sewer. In the Residential Medium Density (R-M) district, a single-family lot can be one-half acre with sewer, but without sewer it needs 1.5 acres¹³. A lot that must use a septic system should therefore be planned around the larger figure.

Accessory dwelling units are a conditionally permitted use in R-L and R-M, subject to the township's conditional-use chapter¹⁴. Manufactured homes must sit on a permanent foundation and be skirted¹⁵. We found no tiny-home provision in the township resolution, and the 1,100 square foot minimum applies in the residential districts⁸, so a very small dwelling would likely need a variance; ask the Zoning Department before you buy².

Do you need a building permit in Ravenna Township, and who issues it?

Residential construction in Portage County, including Ravenna Township, needs a building permit. The Portage County Building Department is certified by the Ohio Board of Building Standards and issues residential permits with plan review and inspections³⁴. The township's own zoning resolution points to Portage County building department resolutions for foundations¹⁵.

A zoning approval from the township is a separate step from the building permit, and the county office does not issue it¹⁶¹. Homeowners who build their own house may pull their own residential permit and are exempt from contractor registration by completing a homeowner exemption form⁹. We could not confirm the details of township-level building review, so call the Building Department at (330) 297-3530 to confirm⁴.

How do septic permits work in Ravenna Township?

The Portage County Health District handles household sewage treatment system permits for homes that are not on public sewer⁵¹⁷. Ohio law requires a permit from the health board for installing, operating or altering a sewage system¹⁸. A new or replacement installation permit totals $660 including the state fee⁶.

The completed system is inspected again within 12 months of installation approval¹⁹. The township's zoning rules tie lot size to sewer service, with R-M lots needing more land without sewer¹³. Portage County's soils are rated poorly for conventional drain fields, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system²⁰. The county figure covers all of Portage County, not this township alone.

Building a home in Ravenna Township: the steps, in order

Call the Ravenna Township Zoning Department and confirm the district, setbacks and lot-size rules for your parcel¹².
Apply for township zoning approval; the application forms and fee schedule are posted on the Zoning Department page²¹. Pay by check or cash in the exact amount²¹.
Apply to the Portage County Health District for a septic permit if no public sewer serves the lot⁵⁶.
Apply to the Portage County Building Department for the residential building permit³⁴.
Pass the required inspections; a residential building may not be occupied until a certificate of occupancy is issued²².

What to check before you buy land in Ravenna Township

Confirm the zoning district first, because minimum lot size, setbacks and home size all depend on it⁷¹³. Agricultural use has a separate path: Ohio law limits what a township can prohibit on agricultural land, though building-code, health and floodplain rules still apply²³. The township posts an agricultural exemption affidavit on its zoning page².

If a parcel touches a mapped flood-hazard area, development there needs a floodplain permit²⁴; the Portage County Building Department also administers floodplain permits⁴. Portage County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%²⁵, and its typical home value is $287,324²⁶. For land outside Ravenna Township, see the Portage County page.

Watch-outs

Ravenna Township and the City of Ravenna are different jurisdictions with different zoning, so confirm which one your parcel is in before relying on any rule here¹.
We could not confirm whether the township has any rule on living in an RV or camping on a lot; ask the Zoning Department at 330-296-9616 before you move one onto your land².
Zoning district standards differ, so the lot-size, setback and height figures above are for R-L or R-M only; check the district for your parcel⁷¹³.
Board of Zoning Appeals applications are due by the 20th of the month before the meeting, and meetings are held only when an application is received²⁷.

Sources

Written October 14, 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.

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

Zoning, building permits and septic in Ravenna Township, Ohio