Galena, OH Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

The Village of Galena, Ohio runs its own zoning through a planning and zoning commission and a village zoning officer¹. Many projects inside village limits need both zoning approval and a permit, so call the village first². Septic and well permits are not village decisions: the Delaware Public Health District handles them for Delaware County³.

At a glance

Zoning: Village of Galena zoning code, administered by the village zoning officer¹
Building and zoning permits: Many projects need zoning approval and a permit; ask the village code compliance office²
First step: Pre-application meeting with the zoning officer⁴
Subdividing land: Reviewed by the village planning and zoning commission⁵
Septic: Delaware Public Health District³
Wells: Permit from the board of health before drilling⁶

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Galena zoning officer and code compliance

Zoning certificates, development review and the pre-application meeting inside village limits

740-965-2484

109 Harrison Street, PO Box 386, Galena, Ohio 43021

Septic permits

Delaware Public Health District, Environmental Health

Household sewage treatment system site review, installation permits and inspections for Delaware County

(740) 368-1700

470 S. Sandusky Street, Delaware, OH 43015

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Galena, Ohio have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Galena has its own zoning code and zoning map, and its planning and zoning commission reviews development proposals, variances, rezoning, site plans and subdivision requests within the village¹. A zoning officer reviews zoning certificate applications⁷.

We could not open the code text, so we cannot say what Galena's districts allow for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, lot size or setbacks. Ask the village zoning officer for the district your parcel sits in before you plan anything.

Do you need a building permit in Galena, and who issues it?

The village says many projects require both zoning approval and a permit, and it tells applicants to contact the village code compliance office early to learn which approvals and fees apply². Most projects begin with a pre-application meeting with the zoning officer⁴.

We could not confirm whether building permits themselves are issued by the village or by another certified building department. Ask the village code compliance office,⁷. Delaware County Building Safety's permits cover unincorporated land, not village lots⁸.

How do septic permits work in Galena?

Septic permits are a health-district matter, not a village one. The Delaware Public Health District runs the household sewage treatment program for one-, two- and three-family homes where a sanitary sewer is not feasible³⁹. Every lot needs a soil evaluation, and a signed installation permit is required after site and plan review¹⁰.

Whether a given Galena address can connect to village sewer is something we could not confirm; ask the village first, then the health district if you need a septic system.

Building a home in Galena: the steps, in order

Ask the village zoning officer which district your lot is in and request a pre-application meeting⁴.
Submit the zoning certificate application to the village zoning officer⁷.
Confirm with the village code compliance office which building permit applies and who issues it².
If there is no sewer, start the soil evaluation and septic site review with the Delaware Public Health District¹⁰.
Get a board of health permit before any well is drilled⁶.

What stays with Delaware County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside Galena's limits follows different rules; see the Delaware County page for unincorporated land. Zoning across Delaware County is set by individual jurisdictions, so a county rule is not a village rule¹¹.

Dividing a Galena parcel goes through the village's subdivision regulations and planning and zoning commission⁵. Delaware County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%¹².

Watch-outs

We could not open Galena's zoning code, so RV, tiny home, setback and lot-size answers are unconfirmed; ask the village zoning officer⁷.
Which body issues building permits inside the village is unconfirmed; ask the village code compliance office before you hire a contractor².
Where sanitary sewer is not feasible, a septic system needs health district approval, and the system must be abandoned and connected to central sewer if sewer later becomes available¹³.

Sources

Written October 14, 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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Galena publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Delaware County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Galena, Ohio