Bolthole Index

Union County, Ohio

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Marysville, Ohio

Building a new home inside Marysville, Ohio takes two permits: a zoning permit from the city, then a building permit from the Union County Building Department1. Every parcel in the city except City-owned rights-of-way sits in a zoning district2. Septic and well permits, where public sewer or water does not serve a lot, come from the Union County Health Department3.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: all land in the city except City-owned rights-of-way has a zoning district2
Building permit
Required; the city zoning permit comes first, then the Union County building permit1
Building inspections
City and County inspections both required4
Certificate of occupancy
Required from the County after the city's certificate of compliance5
Septic
Union County Health Department, where no public sewage service applies3
Subdivision
Regulated under the City Code inside city limits6

Who to call

Zoning

City of Marysville Zoning Administrator (Planning & Zoning)

Zoning permits and the zoning ordinance for land inside Marysville city limits

(937) 645-7362

209 S. Main St. Marysville, Ohio 43040

Building permits

Union County Building Department (Engineer's Office, Building Regulation)

Building permits, plan review and inspections for construction in Marysville under the county's contract with the city

937-645-3018

[email protected]

233 West 6th Street, Marysville, OH 43040

Septic permits

Union County Health Department (Environmental Health)

Household sewage treatment system (septic) installation permits, operating permits and inspections

937-642-2053

[email protected]

940 London Avenue, Suite 1100, Marysville, Ohio 43040

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Marysville have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. With the exception of City-owned rights-of-way, all of the land in the City of Marysville has a designated zoning district7. The districts and the rules for each one are written in the City of Marysville Zoning Ordinance8. Lot size, setbacks and minimum house size therefore depend on which district a parcel is in, so find the district before you price a lot.

The City Code also covers subdivision regulations for land inside the corporation limits, so splitting a lot inside Marysville goes through the city6.

We could not confirm Marysville's rules on living in an RV, tiny-home occupancy, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes or short-term rentals. Ask the City Zoning Administrator before you buy a lot for any of those uses7.

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

Yes for new residential and commercial construction inside Marysville city limits1. The City adopted a building code that supplements the Ohio Building Code, and Union County provides contracted building-code services for Marysville9. In practice the Union County Building Department issues the building permit and the City issues the zoning permit10.

The order matters: the county's Marysville flow chart says to receive zoning permit approval from the City before receiving approval for the building permit from the County, although the two applications may be filed at the same time11. Union County's own permit guidance also notes that residential sheds of 200 square feet or less are exempt from building approval, though a zoning permit may still be required10. We could not confirm a current city fee schedule, so ask both offices for fees.

How do septic permits work inside Marysville?

Where a public sewage treatment plant or a development's package plant does not serve the property, a lot inside Marysville needs its own household sewage treatment system and a backup location12. The Union County Health Department, not the city, permits and inspects those systems13.

An installation permit and an operating permit must be obtained from the health department before installation14. The application goes in with house plans and a soil report from a registered soil scientist3. The installer schedules an inspection before backfilling, and the department inspects again 12 months after completion15.

Not every lot works: flood plains, saturated soils and steep slopes can make a design impossible or impractical12. We could not confirm Marysville's rules on when a new home must connect to city sewer or water, so ask the City before assuming either way.

Building a home in Marysville: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and what it allows with the City Zoning Administrator7.
  2. Find out whether public sewage service reaches the lot; if not, start with the Union County Health Department's site and design application3.
  3. Apply for the City zoning permit, submitting plot and civil plans to City staff11.
  4. Submit building plans to the Union County Building Department; the application may be concurrent with the zoning permit11.
  5. Build only after approvals are in hand11.
  6. Pass City inspections and the City certificate of compliance, then pass County inspections4.
  7. Schedule the County Certificate of Occupancy inspection and pass it5.

What stays with Union County, and what should you check before you buy?

Inside Marysville the city decides zoning, while the county building department handles building permits and inspections and the county health department handles septic9. For land outside city limits, the answers differ; see the Union County page.

Union County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%16. The typical home value in the county is $419,05617.

We could not confirm the city's rules on private wells, floodplain development or owner-built homes inside Marysville. Ask the Union County Health Department about wells14 and the City Zoning Administrator about floodplain and owner-builder questions7.

Watch-outs

  • Marysville requires two separate approvals for a new home, a City zoning permit and a Union County building permit, and the zoning permit must be approved first11.
  • Septic permits for any lot in Marysville not served by public sewage come from the Union County Health Department, not the city13.
  • We could not confirm Marysville's rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, wells or current permit fees; ask the City Zoning Administrator before you buy7.

Sources

  1. City & County Permit Cheat Sheet: New Constructions: Commercial & Residential (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Zoning | Marysville, OH (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic Systems - Union County Health Department (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  4. City & County Permit Cheat Sheet: New Constructions: Commercial & Residential (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  5. City & County Permit Cheat Sheet: New Constructions: Commercial & Residential (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  6. City Code | Marysville, OH (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Marysville Zoning Administrator (Planning & Zoning) (marysvilleohio.org)
  8. Zoning | Marysville, OH (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  9. City Code | Marysville, OH (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Union County Building Department (Engineer's Office, Building Regulation) (unioncountyohio.gov)
  11. City & County Permit Cheat Sheet: New Constructions: Commercial & Residential (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Septic Systems - Union County Health Department (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Septic Systems - Union County Health Department (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Union County Health Department (Environmental Health) (uchd.net)
  15. Septic Systems - Union County Health Department (Marysville), quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Marysville

Marysville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New commercial and residential construction inside Marysville city limits.

    • City zoning-permit approval is required before County building-permit approval.
    • Applications may be concurrent.
    “Receive Zoning Permit approval from City prior to receiving approval for the Building Permit from the County.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings and structures within Marysville city limits.

    • The City building code supplements the Ohio Building Code.
    • Union County provides contracted building-code services for Marysville.
    “Supplements the Ohio Building Code and establishes additional specific rules and regulations regarding buildings and structures within the city.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New commercial and residential construction inside Marysville city limits.

    • County and City inspections must be passed in the City-and-County permit flow.
    “Pass City Inspections Complete Construction Receive Permit Approvals Pass County Inspections”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New commercial and residential construction inside Marysville city limits.

    • Construction must be completed, the City certificate-of-compliance inspection passed, and then the County CO inspection scheduled and passed.
    “Upon receiving COC, schedule a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) Inspection with the County and pass.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Marysville city limits, except City-owned rights-of-way.

    • Each district's regulations apply to land in that district.
    “With the exception of City-owned rights-of-way, all of the land in the City of Marysville has a designated Zoning District.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Marysville city limits other than City-owned rights-of-way.

    • District regulations are contained in the City Zoning Ordinance.
    “These districts are defined in the City of Marysville Zoning Ordinance, which describes the regulations applicable to each district.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land within Marysville city limits.

    • The City Code describes subdivision regulations for land within corporation limits.
    “Contains information regarding subdivision regulations and zoning ordinances for all land within the corporation limits and for all City of Marysville utility infrastructure.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    New commercial and residential construction inside Marysville city limits.

    • Building and zoning applications may be concurrent.
    • City zoning approval precedes County building-permit approval.
    • Construction begins after approval and must be completed before certificate inspections.
    “Submit all necessary building plans to the County Building Department. Application may be concurrent with Zoning Permit. Submit all Plot and Civil Plans to City Staff (including all final site and landscape plans). Application may be concurrent with Building Permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Marysville

Marysville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Private household or semi-public sewage treatment systems inside Marysville city limits when a system is needed rather than public sewage service.

    • The Health Department administers systems as required by Ohio law and Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29.
    “The Union County Health Department permits and inspects household sewage treatment systems and semi-public systems as required by Ohio law (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3718 and in compliance with the rules set forth in Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of a household sewage treatment system inside Marysville city limits where public sewage or a development package plant does not serve the property.

    • Installation and operating permits must be obtained before installation.
    • A site-and-design application and installation permit must be submitted with house plan and a registered soil scientist's soil report.
    “A sewage system installation permit and operating permit must be obtained from the Union County Health Department prior to installation.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    New household sewage treatment systems inside Marysville city limits where such systems are needed.

    • Installer must schedule inspection before backfilling.
    • Health Department performs a follow-up inspection 12 months after completion.
    • Many discharging or aerator systems require annual inspection.
    “The installer must call to schedule an inspection prior to backfilling the system. The Union County Health Department performs a follow-up inspection on all new system installations 12 months after the system is completed to evaluate system performance and provide homeowner education.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    On-lot sewage treatment for properties inside Marysville city limits not served by a public sewage treatment plant or development package plant.

    • A household sewage treatment system and backup-system location are needed when outside those service areas.
    • Site conditions and State minimum standards can limit allowable system types or designs.
    • Some lots cannot be served by on-lot systems because of flood plains, saturated soils, or excessive slopes.
    “Not all lots can be developed and served by an on-lot sewage treatment system. Limiting factors like flood plains, saturated soils, excessive slopes can make system design impossible or impractical.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Marysville city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Marysville city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Marysville city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Marysville city limits.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Marysville city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Marysville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Union County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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