Bolthole Index

Warren County, Ohio

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Butlerville, Ohio

The Village of Butlerville in Warren County administers its own zoning permits, but the available official material does not confirm the building-permit authority for every project.1 Start with the village for zoning, and use Warren County Health District for onsite sewage and private-water permits.23

At a glance

Building permit
Confirm the issuing authority and project requirements before work begins4
Zoning
Zoning permits are obtained from the Village of Butlerville1
Septic
Warren County Health District requires installation and operating permits before installation25
Private well
Warren County Health District permit required before installation or alteration3
RV or tiny home
Local occupancy and placement rules could not be confirmed; ask the village before purchase or placement1
Lot size and setbacks
Current village district standards could not be confirmed; obtain the parcel-specific rules from the village1

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Butlerville zoning contact

Village zoning permits and parcel-specific zoning questions

513-877-2501

Building permits

Warren County Building & Zoning Department

Building-permit, plan-review and inspection questions; confirm jurisdiction for a Butlerville address

513-695-1290

406 Justice Drive Lebanon, OH 45036

Online permits →

Septic permits

Warren County Health District - Environmental Health

Onsite sewage treatment system permits and inspections, and private-water-system questions

513-695-1220

416 S. East St. Lebanon, OH 45036

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Butlerville, Ohio?

The available official material does not establish a Butlerville-specific building-permit requirement or identify the certified building department for every project. Ohio's residential-code procedures apply when a certified municipal, township or county residential building department has jurisdiction; where none has jurisdiction, the state rule says the owner is not required to obtain the chapter's plan approvals, inspections or occupancy certificates.4 That distinction makes jurisdiction the first question, not an assumption that a zoning permit is the only approval.

Call the Village of Butlerville at 513-877-2501 to obtain the zoning permit and ask which building department serves the address.6 The Warren County Building & Zoning Department can answer county building-review questions at 513-695-1290, but confirm that it has jurisdiction before submitting plans or relying on its permit portal.7

Who handles zoning and building approvals in Butlerville?

Butlerville, rather than Warren County Rural Zoning, is the zoning-permit contact for land inside village limits.1 The official county contact sheet directs applicants to the Village of Butlerville at 513-877-2501 for zoning permits.6 Ask the village to identify the parcel's district, permitted use, setbacks, lot standards and the zoning documents required for the proposed project.

The building-code side remains a separate check. Warren County Building & Zoning publishes residential plan-submission and inspection materials and can be reached at 513-695-1290, 406 Justice Drive in Lebanon.7 The available reviewed material does not establish that the county office serves every Butlerville project, so ask the village and county office to confirm jurisdiction before applying. Septic and private-water approvals do not move to the zoning contact; Warren County Health District handles those systems.23

Does Butlerville have zoning for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. Butlerville has local zoning, and zoning permits are obtained through the village.1 The available official source does not publish Butlerville's zoning map, district schedule, minimum lot sizes, setbacks, building heights or minimum dwelling sizes. Ask the village for the current rule tied to the parcel's district before using listing language such as “buildable” or laying out a house.

The available village material also does not answer whether an RV may be occupied on private land, whether temporary camping is allowed, or how a tiny home is classified. Ohio campground rules concern licensed campground sites and do not answer private-lot RV living. Do not place or occupy an RV or tiny home based on a statewide campground rule; ask the Village of Butlerville for a written, parcel-specific zoning answer and ask the confirmed building authority which construction and occupancy approvals apply.1

How do septic permits and private wells work inside Butlerville?

Warren County Health District issues installation permits and conducts inspections for new, replacement and altered onsite sewage treatment systems in Warren County, including property inside Butlerville.2 For a new system, arrange a soil evaluation and system design, submit the health district's site-review application, then obtain the sewage installation permit and operating permit before installation.5 The registered installer must arrange inspection before backfilling.8 After final approval, the health district inspects the system within 1 year of installation and every 3 years thereafter.9

Only 0.7% of Warren County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make parcel-specific soil evaluation an early purchase contingency.10 A new or altered private water system, including a well, also requires a Warren County Health District permit before work begins.3 Contact Environmental Health at 513-695-1220, 416 S. East St. in Lebanon.11

Building a home in Butlerville: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm that the parcel is inside Butlerville and ask the village for its zoning district, allowed residential use and dimensional standards.1
  1. Obtain the village zoning permit and ask the village to identify the certified building department for the address.12
  1. Confirm the required building permit, construction documents, inspections and occupancy approval with that building department before work begins.4
  1. If onsite sewage is proposed, complete the soil evaluation, system design and health-district site review before fixing the house location.5
  1. Obtain sewage installation and operating permits, and obtain a private-water permit if a well or other private system is planned.133
  1. Schedule the sewage inspection before backfilling and complete every inspection required by the confirmed building authority before occupancy.814

What should you check before buying land in Butlerville?

Get the parcel's zoning district and current dimensional schedule directly from the Village of Butlerville because the published county contact sheet confirms local zoning authority but not the village standards.1 Ask specifically about the proposed home, accessory buildings, RV use, tiny-home classification, minimum lot size, setbacks and driveway access. Confirm the building-code jurisdiction separately before treating the parcel as ready for construction.4

Resolve water and wastewater early. Warren County Health District requires its sewage review and permits before installation, and any lot split in Warren County must receive health-district review.515 The county-level soil rating makes a site-specific sewage evaluation especially important.10 A private water system needs a health-district permit before installation or alteration.3 Finally, ask the village which floodplain and road-access approvals apply, because the available material does not establish those Butlerville-specific procedures.

Watch-outs

  • A Butlerville zoning permit does not by itself confirm the building-code authority or every construction approval; verify the building department before work begins.124
  • Butlerville's current zoning districts and dimensional standards were not available in the official material reviewed; obtain the parcel-specific schedule from the village before designing or buying.1
  • Do not infer private-lot RV occupancy from Ohio's campground rules; ask the village for a written answer covering the parcel, duration and utility connections.1

Sources

  1. ZONING INFORMATION FOR THE TOWNSHIPS, CITIES & VILLAGES (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Sewage Treatment Systems (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Private Water Systems (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  4. OAC 4101:8-1-01, Administration (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sewage Treatment Systems (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Butlerville zoning contact (warrencountyohio.gov)
  7. Warren County Building & Zoning Department (warrencountyohio.gov)
  8. Sewage Treatment Systems (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sewage Treatment Systems (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  11. Warren County Health District - Environmental Health (warrencohealthoh.gov)
  12. ZONING INFORMATION FOR THE TOWNSHIPS, CITIES & VILLAGES (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Lot Split / Subdivision Review Application Requirements (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Residential Code of Ohio (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked
  15. Lot Split / Subdivision Review Application Requirements (Village of Butlerville), quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 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 Village of Butlerville

Village of Butlerville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Butlerville village limits; zoning permits are obtained through the Village of Butlerville.

    • The official Warren County zoning information identifies Butlerville as a village from which zoning permits must be obtained.
    • The cited source does not publish district standards or the full Butlerville zoning ordinance.
    “Zoning permits must be obtained from the following CITY/VILLAGES: [...] Village of Butlerville (513) 877-2501 City of Lebanon (Sarah) (513) 228-3171”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning-permit applications for land inside Butlerville village limits.

    • The official Warren County document publishes only the zoning-permit routing shown in the excerpt.
    • The document does not state building-permit application procedures, fees, inspections, or approval timelines for Butlerville.
    “Zoning permits must be obtained from the following CITY/VILLAGES: [...] Village of Butlerville (513) 877-2501 City of Lebanon (Sarah) (513) 228-3171”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Butlerville

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

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Residential construction inside Butlerville village when a certified municipal, township, or county residential building department has jurisdiction.

    • OAC 4101:8-1-01 is identified by the Ohio Administrative Code as effective July 1, 2019.
    • If no certified municipal, township, or county residential building department has jurisdiction, the owner is not required to submit construction documents, seek approvals, request inspections, or obtain certificates of occupancy required by the chapter.
    • Municipal corporations may adopt additional regulations that do not conflict with Chapters 3781 and 3791 of the Revised Code or the Board of Building Standards rules.
    “101.5 Jurisdiction without a certified residential building department. If no municipal, township, or county building department is certified by the Board of Building Standards for residential buildings in accordance with section 3781.10(E) of the Revised Code has jurisdiction, the owner is not required to make submission of construction documents, seek approvals, request inspections, or obtain certificates of occupancy required in this Chapter.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Residential projects inside Butlerville village governed by the Residential Code of Ohio.

    • The residential building official provides the required inspection list with the certificate of plan approval.
    • Inspections are performed after the owner or agent notifies the official that work is ready.
    “The residential building official, upon notification from the owner or the owner’s agent that the work is ready for inspection, shall cause the inspections set forth in the required inspection list to be made by an appropriately certified residential inspector in accordance with the approved residential construction documents.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Covered residential buildings inside Butlerville village when the Residential Code of Ohio applies.

    • A certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion must be issued before occupancy.
    • Unaffected spaces may continue to be occupied during work if the residential building official determines they can be occupied safely.
    • Partial, time-limited, temporary-structure, and existing-building certificates have the conditions stated in Section 111.
    • The requirement depends on a certified residential building official having jurisdiction.
    “No residential building or structure, in whole or in part, shall be used or occupied until the residential building official has issued an approval in the form of a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion in compliance with this section.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Onsite sewage treatment systems inside Butlerville village, which is located in Warren County.

    • The Warren County Health District states that its environmental health staff issues permits and conducts inspections within Warren County.
    • Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-29 rules are also applicable.
    “Our Environmental Health Staff issue installation permits and conduct inspections of all new, replacement, and altered (repaired) sewage treatment systems (STS) within Warren County in order to assure the installation was completed correctly and to code.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • County (with conditions) — Household sewage treatment and septic-system matters for land inside Butlerville village limits, as part of Warren County.
      “Household Sewage Treatment System Program Fees*: [...] Installation Permit for HSTS and GWRS** $450.00 $74.00 $524.00”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of sewage treatment systems for lots inside Butlerville village limits when the Warren County Health District applies.

    • Written subdivision-compliance documentation is subject to sewage-treatment-system installation permit approval by the board of health.
    • The fee schedule lists separate installation permits for HSTS, GWRS, and SFOSTS.

    HSTS/GWRS installation permit total: 524 USD (2025 fee schedule; includes $450 local fee and $74 state fee) · SFOSTS installation permit total: 554 USD (2025 fee schedule; includes $480 local fee and $74 state fee)

    “No person shall install a new or replacement STS or alter an existing STS without an installation or alteration permit issued by the board of health.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Onsite sewage treatment systems inside Butlerville village limits.

    • The installer must schedule inspection before backfilling.
    • After final approval, the system is inspected by Warren County Health District staff within one year and every three years thereafter through the Operation/Maintenance Program.

    post-installation inspection interval: 1 year (first inspection after installation) · recurring inspection interval: 3 years (after the first inspection)

    “The registered sewage system installer must call to schedule an inspection prior to backfilling the system. Following installation and final approval of the sewage treatment system, the system is placed in the Operation/Maintenance Program whereby the sewage system is inspected by the WCHD staff within one year of installation and every three years thereafter.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — New, replacement, repaired, and operating onsite sewage treatment systems inside Butlerville village.
      “The registered sewage system installer must call to schedule an inspection prior to backfilling the system. Following installation and final approval of the sewage treatment system, the system is placed in the Operation/Maintenance Program whereby the sewage system is inspected by the WCHD staff within one year of installation and every three years thereafter.”
  • Well permitRequired

    New or altered private water systems, including wells, inside Butlerville village limits.

    • The rule covers wells, cisterns, hauled-water storage tanks, and ponds used for drinking water.
    • Work must be conducted by a registered water-system contractor.
    • A post-installation inspection and acceptable water sample are required for approval.
    “In Warren County, new private water systems which include wells, cisterns, hauled water storage tanks, and ponds used for drinking water, are regulated by the Ohio Private Water Systems Regulations. An Application/Permit for a Private Water System must be issued by the Warren County Health District (WCHD) prior to installing or altering a private water system.”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Buildings or structures incident to agricultural use of land inside Butlerville village, when the stated state-code conditions are met.

    • The building or structure must be incident to agricultural use of the land on which it is located.
    • The building or structure must not be used in the business of retail trade.
    • The retail-trade exception applies only where 50 percent or more of gross sales income is from products produced or raised in a normal crop year on farms owned or operated by the seller.

    gross income from qualifying farm products: >= 50 percent (of gross income received from sales of products in the building or structure)

    “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 fifty per cent 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”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Lot splits and subdivisions inside Butlerville village limits, as part of Warren County.

    • A concept plan, area map, scaled drawings, soil evaluations, and other listed materials may be required.
    • For proposals creating at least 25 lots, written Ohio EPA consultation is required.
    • Compliance review does not preclude denial of an STS installation permit if conditions change.

    review period: 15 business days (after receipt of a complete application and relevant drawings)

    “Any lot split in Warren County must be reviewed by the Warren County Health District for compliance with rule 3701-29-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Warren County Health District environmental permits relevant to properties inside Butlerville village.

    • The fee page states that fees may change and should be verified.

    sewage system installation permit for HSTS and GWRS: 524 USD · private water system new installation, single-family dwelling: 482.45 USD

    “New Installation (Well): [...] Single Family Dwelling*** | $482.45 [...] Installation Permit for HSTS and GWRS | $524.00”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Butlerville or Warren County directly.

  • Building permit — Residential and nonresidential building permits inside Butlerville village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions for construction inside Butlerville village limits.
  • Zoning districts — Published zoning districts and district schedules inside Butlerville village limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Butlerville village limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Butlerville village limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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 Village of Butlerville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Warren County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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