Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Tillamook County, Oregon

Yes. Tillamook County requires permits for new construction and for alterations or additions to existing buildings; covered work includes structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, manufactured-housing, boiler and elevator work¹. Some structural exceptions exist, so the Building Division should confirm whether a narrow exemption fits your project^1,9. Oregon's residential code applies uniformly statewide to one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, while Tillamook County reviews plans and performs inspections¹⁰. A qualifying agricultural building may be exempt from the structural permit and inspections, but electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits still apply, and a dwelling or a structure used by the public never qualifies¹¹. In unincorporated Tillamook County the exemption runs through a county authorization: a plot plan is generally required, the building must meet setbacks, and the approval lapses if construction does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days¹². On Farm Zone land the county also requires farm or forest tax deferral enrollment and a recorded covenant barring residential or rental use, and converting the building to a non-farm use first needs a building permit¹². An owner-builder exemption is similarly narrow: it covers specified structural-code requirements and does not eliminate the building permit⁶.

The Tillamook County Department of Community Development Building Division is the permit office; call (503) 842-3408 or visit 1510-B Third Street in Tillamook⁹. The division issues structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits, reviews plans and conducts inspections¹³. After the county says a permit has been issued, the packet must be collected within 5 business days or the county mails it¹³. The first approved inspection must occur within 180 days to keep the permit active, and each approved inspection extends it another 180 days¹³. Inspection requests go through the county hotline before 7:00 a.m. on the requested day, while eligible structural and trade inspections can also be scheduled through Oregon E-Permitting⁶. Building fees vary by the work, and school excise tax is collected at permit submittal in addition to building fees¹³.

Yes. Rockaway Beach and Garibaldi have their own zoning inside city limits^3,4; in Garibaldi, an approved city land use permit must come before the structural permit, which Tillamook County Community Development issues⁴. County zoning applies to all real property in the county's zoning jurisdiction, but inside the listed cities and their urban growth boundaries an approved city zoning permit must accompany the building-permit submission, so ask the city administrator when the zoning jurisdiction is unclear¹³. In county-zoned areas, the zoning map, special-use standards and overlays determine the rules for a parcel². The county publishes its zoning districts and an interactive map, but the web map is not the official zoning map; ask the Planning Division at (503) 842-3408 to confirm a parcel's zone and overlays^9,14. Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and height all depend on the district and proposed use^1,15. For a qualifying pre-existing lot smaller than 3,000 square feet, front and rear setbacks must total at least 30 feet, each must be at least 10 feet, structures must remain at least 6 feet from a structure on an adjacent lot, and coverage cannot exceed 50%¹⁵. Residential height is 35 feet in most of the county, but oceanfront and bayfront parcels are limited to 24 feet, Neahkahnie to 24 feet and 17 feet within 500 feet of the ocean, and parts of Pacific City have added restrictions¹. A floodplain development permit and technical materials may also be required in mapped hazard areas¹⁶.

Tillamook County Community Development administers state-mandated requirements for new and repaired septic systems under contract with Oregon DEQ¹. A new system requires a completed application, the fee and a favorable site evaluation; the submittal also calls for mapping, land-use compatibility information and a site development plan as applicable⁵. The county states that a complete application takes at least 2 weeks to process⁵. Only 0.7% of county soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field in the USDA soil survey, so make septic feasibility an early purchase condition rather than assuming acreage alone solves it⁸. Oregon does not require a septic evaluation when a home is sold, but DEQ recommends a professional evaluation and requires its approved form if one is performed¹⁷. Contact the Onsite Wastewater/Environmental Programs Division at (503) 842-3408 or chris.chiola@tillamookcounty.gov⁹. Where public sewer is unavailable, development must use onsite wastewater treatment, a composting toilet does not remove the need for an approved system for the remaining wastewater, and a building inside a sewer district still needs a sewer connection¹⁸. A single countywide water-connection rule was not identified; ask the Planning Division or the water provider for the parcel^9,18.

Tillamook County does not allow an RV residence on every parcel: the underlying zone must authorize the use, and the Department must approve a placement application before the RV is placed⁷. Temporary RV use during active construction is conditional, and the RV must be disconnected and stored or removed within 30 days after the relevant permit is void, closed, finalized, issued or denied⁷. A visitor may use an RV beside a legally established dwelling for no more than 2 weeks within a 30-day month, subject to sanitation and setback rules⁷. A recreational campground has at least 4 RV or tent sites, each RV is assigned to a space, and a camper may stay no longer than 6 months in any 12-month period¹⁹. Primitive campgrounds limit camping units to 2 weeks in a 4-week period⁷. In unincorporated community residential zones, one accessory dwelling unit per property is allowed on a permanent foundation with wheels and running gear removed, and an RV, yurt or travel trailer cannot serve as that ADU²⁰. The ADU must stay within 75% of the primary residence or 800 square feet, whichever is less, needs one off-street parking space, and cannot be used for transient lodging²⁰. We could not confirm a separate tiny-home rule or countywide minimum dwelling floor area; ask Planning how a proposed unit is classified⁹.

1. Ask the Planning Division to confirm the parcel's zone, dwelling use, setbacks, height, lot coverage and hazard overlays before designing the house^1,9,14.
2. Confirm legal access with Public Works. A permit is required before constructing, altering or removing an approach in a public street, and a building permit generally waits for an approved approach unless the Director accepts the existing one^21,22.
3. If public sewer is unavailable, obtain a favorable site evaluation and apply to the county for the septic installation permit^5,9.
4. Secure zoning, sanitation and public-works approvals before submitting the building-permit package¹.
5. Submit plans and applications to the Building Division, then budget for building fees and the applicable school excise tax^9,13.
6. Schedule each required inspection and keep the permit active through approved inspections^6,13.
7. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving into a new dwelling or townhouse⁶.

Start with confirmed zoning, legal access, septic feasibility, water and flood hazards. The county's interactive zoning map is useful for screening, but it is not the official map¹⁴. Minimum lot size is district-specific, while access, utilities and onsite sanitation can also determine whether a proposed division or homesite works^1,23. Only 12.3% of county land has a slope of 15% or less, and only 0.7% of soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so steep terrain and wastewater design deserve site-specific professional review⁸. Development in a mapped special flood-hazard area can trigger a county permit and added technical submittals¹⁶. For an existing home, a septic evaluation is voluntary but recommended¹⁷. If an owner plans to drill a well personally, Oregon requires a landowner permit and financial security before work begins²⁴.