Building permits, zoning and land rules in Morrow County, Oregon

Yes. A building permit is required for covered residential construction in Morrow County, and the Oregon Residential Specialty Code governs one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses^1,13. The county's construction checklist says other construction needs a building permit when it is over 200 square feet and a zoning permit when it is over 120 square feet¹⁴.

Permitted work must remain accessible for inspection until it is approved, with inspections occurring at stages such as foundation, rough mechanical and framing⁹. A new dwelling or townhouse also needs a certificate of occupancy before occupancy unless the building official issues a temporary certificate⁹. A qualifying owner-builder may receive a limited exemption from structural-code rules for ceiling height, room size and temperature maintenance, but Morrow County still issues a building permit⁹.

Barns, sheds and other farm buildings can qualify for an agricultural-building exemption from the structural building permit, but only after a zoning permit is in hand; the exemption never covers dwellings, and electrical, plumbing and septic approvals still apply¹⁵. In the Forest Use zone, an agricultural building over 120 square feet is allowed subject to zoning-permit approval and cannot later be converted to another use¹⁶.

The City of Boardman Building Department issues building permits for Morrow County under the county's contracting arrangement³. Call 541-626-7011 or use the department's online permit portal; the office is at 200 City Center Circle in Boardman³.

Start with Morrow County Planning before submitting building plans because Planning processes land-use applications in unincorporated areas and clears zoning matters¹⁷. County Planning is at 215 NE Main Ave. in Irrigon, can be reached at 541-922-4624, and uses PlanningDepartment@morrowcountyor.gov for general inquiries¹⁷. Building-code fees vary by the work type: residential structural new construction uses the applicable valuation table, while alteration and repair valuation is determined by the building official¹⁸. The published county fee schedule separately covers planning, zoning, floodplain and related applications¹⁹.

Yes. Morrow County administers zoning in unincorporated areas, while Boardman, Heppner, Ione, Irrigon and Lexington have their own municipal maps or codes^2,5. A zoning permit is required for new uses, construction and additions in the unincorporated county, and for structures over 120 square feet². The county also regulates subdivisions, partitions and other land development²⁰.

Parcel size and setbacks depend on the zone. Creation of a new parcel in the county's EFU zone generally has a 160-acre minimum, subject to listed exceptions; the RR-1 zone has a 2-acre minimum lot area, and the RR-10 zone has a 10-acre minimum^10,11,12. EFU setbacks vary by roadway classification and include separate side, rear and stream standards¹⁰. These are zone-specific standards, not a universal homesite minimum. Ask County Planning to identify the parcel's zone and allowed use before relying on a listing¹⁷.

For an onsite system, first obtain a Land Use Compatibility Statement from Morrow County Planning, then take the authorized form to UCo Health for the required septic permits^5,17. UCo Health conducts site evaluations, issues construction permits and authorization notices, and performs pre-cover inspections for most systems in Morrow County⁴. Oregon DEQ retains permitting authority for high-strength waste and systems with flows over 2,500 gallons per day⁴.

Where construction will not use public sewer, the county's construction process requires UCo Health sanitation approval for an onsite septic system²¹. Only 18.1% of mapped soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site evaluation a purchase contingency²². A composting toilet does not eliminate wastewater approval: other household fixtures still need an approved wastewater system, and a graywater reuse system paired with septic requires permits²³.

A private well is a separate approval: a landowner who drills their own water supply well needs a state permit, a permit fee of $550 and a $10,000 bond or irrevocable letter of credit, unless a licensed and bonded well constructor does the work²⁴. Using well water also requires a groundwater application²⁵.

Full-time RV occupancy is limited in unincorporated Morrow County outside an approved RV park. During construction of a primary dwelling, an RV may be used for up to 6 months under the dwelling's zoning permit, with one extension of up to 6 more months; visitor housing in a residential or farm-use zone is limited to 30 days in a 12-month period⁶. Seasonal camping by the owner or lessee in the Forest Use Zone requires a zoning permit and rural address⁶. An approved RV park may allow indefinite stays only when the RV has lawful water, electrical and sewage connections, is winterized and skirted, has no outdoor storage, stays within its designed occupancy, and follows park rules filed with County Planning⁷.

Morrow County's rules do not specifically answer tiny-home occupancy, so ask County Planning how a proposed unit will be classified¹⁷. A manufactured home in a farm or forest zone generally must be a 14-foot single-wide or larger and contain at least 745 square feet; the residential-zone standards apply instead when the site is within one-half mile of a listed residential-zone boundary⁸. A manufactured home in a Rural Residential, Farm Residential or Suburban Residential zone must be multi-sectional and contain at least 1,000 square feet, and the unit generally cannot be more than 10 years old when the siting request is received⁸.

For a new homesite in unincorporated Morrow County, use this order:

1. Ask Morrow County Planning to confirm the zone, dwelling use and zoning approval².
2. Obtain sanitation approval from UCo Health for an onsite septic system, beginning with the county's Land Use Compatibility Statement⁴.
3. If access is from a county road, obtain the required access permit from Morrow County Public Works; a state-highway driveway follows ODOT standards²⁶.
4. Obtain a rural address through County Planning after access approval¹⁴.
5. Submit plans and building-permit applications to the City of Boardman Building Department³.
6. Keep work exposed for the required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving into a new dwelling⁹.

Development in a mapped special flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit before construction begins, administered through County Planning²⁷.

Begin with legal access, zoning and buildability rather than the listing description. Every lot must reach a public right-of-way directly, by private roadway or by easement, and a driveway onto a county facility requires Public Works approval²⁶. Ask County Planning to confirm the parcel's zone, setbacks, flood status, subdivision history and whether a dwelling is allowed^2,20,27.

For land in a subdivision, required sewer infrastructure must serve the subdivision and connect to existing mains unless an interim system is jointly authorized, while water lines and fire hydrants must be installed when required by the county, affected city and serving water system²⁶. For other rural parcels, verify the water source and make septic suitability a purchase contingency because only 18.1% of mapped soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field²². The effective property-tax rate is about 0.8%, and the median annual property-tax bill is $1,885²².