Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Arlington, Ohio

Upper Arlington’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Specified plumbing work inside Upper Arlington city limits.

  • Applies to installation or replacement of a boiler, water heater, or water meter, and whenever supply or waste lines are added, altered, or removed, or boxes, switches, circuits, or fixtures are added.

  “A plumbing permit is required to install or replace a boiler, water heater, water meter, and any time supply or waste lines are added, altered or removed, or boxes, switches, circuits or fixtures are added.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work performed under a building permit inside Upper Arlington city limits.

  • Inspections follow issuance of a building permit and are to ensure work follows the approved plan.

  “To schedule an inspection, call the Inspection Line at 614-583-5080. Once a building permit has been issued, a series of inspections takes place to ensure the work is being performed according to the approved plan.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land and development inside Upper Arlington city limits.

  • The UDO establishes development and land-use standards, including zoning-district, site-design, land-use, and building requirements.

  “The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) guides development and land use in Upper Arlington, ensuring growth aligns with the city's vision and zoning regulations. It establishes standards for zoning districts, site design, land use, and building requirements to promote a well-planned and sustainable community.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision applications inside Upper Arlington city limits.

  • The Board of Zoning and Planning reviews planning and zoning applications including subdivisions.

  “The Board of Zoning and Planning (BZAP) reviews all planning and zoning related applications, including variances, conditional uses, signage plans, subdivisions, site plans and development plans.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Residential and commercial building-permit applications inside Upper Arlington city limits.

  • Residential applications are reviewed in 7 to 10 business days; commercial applications are reviewed in 10 to 15 business days.
  • Buildings with a footprint change proceed to zoning review; residential interior remodels proceed to step 4.
  • After zoning approval, plans proceed to the Chief Building Official for residential projects or the Commercial Plans Examiner for commercial projects.

  residential building permit review time: 7 to 10 business days · commercial building permit review time: 10 to 15 business days

  “All residential and commercial building permit applications are date-stamped upon submittal and reviewed in the order in which they were received. The review of residential building permits takes 7 to 10 business days. The review of commercial building permits takes 10 to 15 business days.”

Rules another office applies inside Upper Arlington

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New building and trade applications inside Upper Arlington city limits.

  • The cited city page states that the Ohio Board of Building Standards mandated adoption effective March 1, 2024.
  • The cited codes are the 2024 OBC, OMC, OPC, and OEBC.

  “Effective March 1, 2024 the Ohio Board of Building Standards has mandated adoption of the new 2024 Ohio Building (OBC), 2024 Mechanical (OMC), 2024 Plumbing (OPC) and 2024 Existing Building (OEBC) Codes, these codes apply to all new building and trade applications beginning March 1, 2024.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Upper Arlington or Franklin County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed residential construction inside Upper Arlington city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Upper Arlington city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family residential districts inside Upper Arlington city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Principal single-family residential districts inside Upper Arlington city limits.
• Setbacks — Principal single-family residential districts inside Upper Arlington city limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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