Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Freedom Township, Ohio

Freedom Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Freedom Township, Wood County, Ohio, subject to the Freedom Township Zoning Resolution.

  • A zoning permit must be obtained from the local zoning authority having jurisdiction before filing a residential or commercial building-permit application.
  • The May 6, 2025 Wood County Planning Commission agenda identifies a current Freedom Township Zoning Resolution and proposed language concerning minimum lot sizes and development standards.

  “Freedom Township has submitted new language to the current Freedom Township Zoning Resolution. Said language involves increasing minimum lot sizes and a redraft of the development standards.”

Rules another office applies inside Freedom Township

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

• Building permitRequired

  New work, additions, and accessory construction in the unincorporated portion of Freedom Township, Wood County, Ohio.

  • The Wood County Building Inspector administers the code throughout unincorporated Wood County.
  • All structures covered by the Wood County Residential and Ohio Building Codes must have a zoning permit and driveway/culvert permit before a building permit may issue.
  • No work may commence unless the local zoning official and building official authorize it in writing.
  • Minor repairs or alterations specified in the 2013 Residential Code of Ohio and 2011 Ohio Building Code, and one-story residential accessory buildings of 200 square feet or less, do not require a permit.
  • In incorporated municipalities, the county department operates under an applicable municipal ordinance and administration/enforcement agreement.

  “The Inspector of Buildings shall examine all buildings in course of erection, alteration, repair, or removal, throughout the unincorporated areas of Wood County, [...] Before proceeding with the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair or removal of any dwelling, or other building, a permit shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the Inspector of Buildings.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Household sewage treatment systems for new homes or replacement systems in non-sewered areas inside Freedom Township, Wood County, Ohio.

  • The Wood County Health Department guide applies to people building a new home in Wood County or replacing an existing sewage treatment system.
  • A site review application, site drawing, applicable fee, soil-evaluation report, and sewage-system design must be submitted to WCHD for review.
  • Prior to installation, required applications include an STS Installation Permit and STS O&M Permit; the property owner must acknowledge and sign the approval letter before obtaining the installation permit.
  • The guide states the then-current combined permit fee is $744.00 and all fees are subject to change.
  • The Wood County building code requires a Wood County Department of Health permit for sewage treatment devices where sanitary sewers are unavailable before issuance of the related building permit for new work, additions, and accessory construction.

  combined STS installation and O&M permit fee: 744 USD (Current fee stated in the guide; all fees are subject to change.) · O&M permit validity: <= 5 years (Must be renewed when it expires.)

  “The following information regarding the STS Site Review and Permitting process is for those people who are thinking of building a new home in Wood County or replacing an existing STS. [...] The owner shall comply with all applicable provisions of the law and rules and shall operate the STS in compliance with the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) instructions and any conditions of the operation permit issued by the Wood County Health Department (WCHD).”

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.