Bolthole Index

Wood County, Ohio

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Village of North Baltimore, Ohio

The Village of North Baltimore, Ohio administers its own zoning, and its zoning application directs applicants to Wood County Building Inspection to determine whether additional building permits are required.12 Village zoning approval and building permits are separate questions; household septic administration stays with the Wood County Health Department.23 In the village’s medium-density residential district, development must use village sanitary sewer and water systems.4

At a glance

Building permits
Village zoning application directs applicants to Wood County Building Inspection about further building permits2
Zoning
Village zoning applies inside North Baltimore limits1
Septic permits
Wood County Health Department administers household sewage systems; Ohio requires installation or alteration approval35
Minimum home size
R-1 single-family and R-2 single-family dwellings: 1,000 square feet minimum67
Minimum lot size
R-2: 8,750 square feet for single-family; 10,250 square feet for two-family dwellings8
Water and sewer
R-2 development must be served by village water and sanitary sewer4

Who to call

Zoning

Village of North Baltimore Planning & Zoning — Zoning Inspector

Village zoning questions, zoning applications and district-map inquiries

419-257-2394

[email protected]

205 North Main Street North Baltimore, OH 45872

Septic permits

Wood County Health Department — Environmental Health

Household sewage treatment applications and private-water-system applications

419-354-2702

[email protected]

1840 East Gypsy Lane Rd. Bowling Green, OH 43402

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Village of North Baltimore, OH?

North Baltimore’s zoning-certificate application directs applicants to contact Wood County Building Inspection to determine whether further building permits are required.2 We could not confirm the complete building-permit rule inside village limits; ask the village zoning inspector and Wood County Building Inspection to identify the approvals for your proposed work. North Baltimore’s application also requires a scale drawing and allows the zoning inspector or designee to inspect the property before, during and after construction.2 Treat zoning review as a distinct step from building-code review.2

Who handles zoning applications in the Village of North Baltimore?

North Baltimore’s Planning & Zoning contact is the village zoning inspector, reachable through the village office at 419-257-2394 or [email protected].9 The village’s Planning & Zoning page links the zoning code, zoning map, zoning application and zoning fee schedule.9 Ask the zoning inspector to identify your parcel’s district before choosing a house plan. North Baltimore’s zoning districts are shown on the district map on file in the village office, so district identification is the starting point for applying the residential standards below.10

Does the Village of North Baltimore have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

North Baltimore administers its own zoning code inside village limits.1 In the R-1 Low Density Residential District, a single-family dwelling needs at least 1,000 square feet of residential floor area.6 In the R-2 Medium Density Residential District, the minimum is 1,000 square feet for a single-family dwelling and 800 square feet for a two-family dwelling.7 R-2 minimum lot areas are 8,750 square feet for single-family dwellings and 10,250 square feet for two-family dwellings.8 Ask the zoning inspector for the setbacks applicable to your district and proposed building; county standards for unzoned township subdivisions should not be substituted for village zoning.1

How do septic permits work inside the Village of North Baltimore?

North Baltimore’s R-2 district must be served by village sanitary sewers and village water supply systems, so a septic proposal cannot be assumed to replace those district requirements.4 Where household septic service is applicable, Wood County Health Department administers sewage-treatment applications and permits.3 Ohio requires a site review before the installation or alteration permit application, generally including a soil evaluation and system design, subject to specified exceptions.5 Contact Environmental Health at 419-354-2702 for the site-review and installation/alteration applications.11 Confirm sewer service with the village before budgeting for an on-site system.4

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of North Baltimore?

We could not confirm permission to occupy an RV on private land, place a tiny home, or use an accessory building as a dwelling in North Baltimore; ask the village zoning inspector about the exact parcel and proposed use. North Baltimore’s zoning code regulates building size and land use by district.10 A proposed small single-family dwelling in R-1 must meet the 1,000-square-foot minimum, and the same minimum applies to a single-family dwelling in R-2.67 Those floor-area rules constrain a small-house plan but do not establish whether an RV or a dwelling on wheels is allowed.67

Building a home in the Village of North Baltimore: what comes first?

  1. Start by asking the village zoning inspector to identify the parcel’s district on the village map.10
  1. Next, match the proposed dwelling and lot to that district’s dimensional requirements; R-2 distinguishes single-family from two-family development.78
  1. Confirm the water and sewer arrangements, including the village-service requirement in R-2.4
  1. Prepare the scale drawing required for the village zoning application and contact Wood County Building Inspection about further building permits, as the application directs.2
  1. If a household septic system is applicable, arrange the health department site review before applying for installation approval.35

What should you check before buying in the Village of North Baltimore?

Ask the village zoning inspector to address setbacks, floodplain approvals, driveway access, lot splits and any proposed temporary occupancy before committing to a parcel; we could not confirm the complete village requirements for those topics. For private-water-system questions, Wood County Health Department publishes the state application, and Ohio generally requires a board-of-health permit before private-water-system construction or alteration.1112 The R-2 district’s village-water requirement also matters when considering a private supply.4 For land outside village limits, use the Wood County guide for the county context; North Baltimore’s zoning answer applies inside the village.1

Watch-outs

  • North Baltimore’s R-2 water-and-sewer requirement means an off-grid sanitation plan needs discussion with the village before design work.4
  • The village zoning application directs applicants to Wood County Building Inspection about additional building permits; zoning review alone does not settle that question.2
  • We could not confirm private-land RV occupancy or tiny-home placement permissions in North Baltimore; ask the village zoning inspector about the proposed use under the village’s zoning code.1

Sources

  1. North Baltimore Zoning Ordinance and zoning administration (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  2. Application for Zoning Certificate (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health Applications and Permits, quoted and re-checked
  4. R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  5. Rule 3701-29-09 | Site review and permits for STS installation and operation (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. R-1 Low Density Residential District (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  7. R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  8. R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  9. Village of North Baltimore Planning & Zoning — Zoning Inspector (northbaltimore.gov)
  10. North Baltimore Zoning Ordinance and zoning administration (Village of North Baltimore), quoted and re-checked
  11. Wood County Health Department — Environmental Health (woodcountyhealth.org)
  12. Chapter 3701-28 | Private water systems (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 North Baltimore

Village of North Baltimore’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside North Baltimore village limits; the village adopts and administers its own zoning code.

    “Titles One and Three of this Part Eleven—Planning and Zoning Code shall be known and cited as the "Village of North Baltimore, Ohio Zoning Ordinance of 2010" or the "Zoning Code".”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside North Baltimore village limits, including R-1 Low Density Residential, R-2 Medium Density Residential, and R-3 Multiple Residence Districts.

    • The zoning ordinance states that districts are shown on the district map on file in the village office.
    “To regulate the location, height, bulk, size of buildings and use of buildings and other structures, including tents, cabins, and trailer coaches and regulate the percentages of lot areas which may be occupied; to establish building set back lines, sizes of yards and other open spaces, and to regulate the use of land for trade, agriculture, industry, residence, recreation or other purposes and for such purposes, divide the village into districts or zones, all as shown on the district map on file in the office of the Village of North Baltimore.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Single-family and two-family residential development in the R-2 Medium Density Residential District inside North Baltimore village.

    • The rule is district-specific.
    • The cited section states the district shall be serviced by village sanitary sewers and village water supply systems.
    “This district shall be serviced by village sanitary sewers and village water supply systems.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Village zoning-certificate applications inside North Baltimore village limits.

    • Applications must include a scale drawing and comply with Section 1107.01.
    • The zoning inspector or designee may access the property for on-site inspections before, during, and after construction.
    • Applicants are directed to contact Wood County Building Inspection to determine whether further permits are required.
    “All applications must comply with Section 1107.01. No application can be reviewed or approved that does not comply with this Section.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of North Baltimore

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

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Residential dwellings in the R-2 Medium Density Residential District.

    • The cited standards distinguish single-family and two-family dwellings.

    minimum residential floor area: >= 1000 square feet (single-family dwelling) · minimum residential floor area: >= 800 square feet (two-family dwelling)

    “Minimum residential floor area family, 1,000 square feet for single-family and 800 square feet for two-family.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Low Density Residential District.
      “Minimum residential floor area, 1,000 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family and two-family dwellings in the R-2 Medium Density Residential District.

    • The cited section provides separate lot-area standards for single-family and two-family dwellings.

    minimum lot area: >= 8750 square feet (single-family dwelling) · minimum lot area: >= 10250 square feet (two-family dwelling)

    “Minimum lot area, 8,750 square feet for single-family dwellings and 10,250 square feet for two-family dwellings.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Main and accessory buildings in the R-1 Low Density Residential District.

    • Main building is limited to two and one-half stories and 35 feet.
    • Accessory buildings are limited to 15 feet.

    main-building height: <= 35 feet (two and one-half stories) · accessory-building height: <= 15 feet

    “Maximum height, two and one-half stories, but not over 35 feet, for the main building. For accessory building the limit shall be 15 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Main and accessory buildings in the R-2 Medium Density Residential District.
      “Maximum height. two and one-half stories, but not over 35 feet for the main building. For accessory buildings, the limit shall be 15 ft.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for work inside North Baltimore village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions for construction inside North Baltimore village limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside North Baltimore village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside North Baltimore village limits.
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside North Baltimore village limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 North Baltimore publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wood County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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