Bolthole Index

Greene County, Ohio

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Cedarville, Ohio

The Village of Cedarville, Ohio has its own zoning code and its own building department, so village-limits projects do not go through Greene County Building Regulation12. The village zoning inspector handles zoning approval and the village office takes building permit applications3. Septic permits for every address in Greene County, village or not, come from Greene County Public Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the village has its own Planning and Zoning Code1
Building permits
Issued through the village, not Greene County Building Regulation23
Septic permits
Greene County Public Health, Environmental Health Division4
Lot size in RS-2
1 acre with on-site water and sewer; 15,000 sq ft with central water and sewer5
RS-2 setbacks
Front 35 ft, one side 10 ft, rear 50 ft6
RV living, tiny homes
Not confirmed; ask the village zoning inspector3
Wells
Greene County Public Health reviews private water system permits7

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Cedarville, Zoning Inspector and Building Department

Zoning approval and building permit applications inside Cedarville village limits

937-371-6151

villageadministrator@cedarville.us

301 Palmer Drive Cedarville, OH 45314

Septic permits

Greene County Public Health, Environmental Health Division

Septic system design review, permits and inspections, and private water system permits, countywide

937-374-5600

360 Wilson Drive, Xenia, OH 45385

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Cedarville, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of Cedarville publishes its own Planning and Zoning Code, and it applies to land inside village limits1. The code lists districts including RS-2, RS-4, RT-4, RM-8, R-MH, HB, VB, LI, HI, a flood plain overlay, planned unit developments and a public and institutional district8.

In the RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District, the minimum lot is 1 acre with on-site water and sewer and 15,000 square feet with central water and sewer5. The RS-2 front setback is 35 feet, one side yard is 10 feet, and the rear yard is 50 feet; the front setback grows to 70 feet along major thoroughfares or where parking sits in the front yard6. RS-2 lots may be covered up to 20 percent and buildings may reach 35 feet910.

We could not confirm the village's rules for RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the village zoning inspector before you buy3.

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

Inside the Village of Cedarville, building permits come through the village, not through Greene County. Greene County Building Regulation serves most of the county but lists Cedarville Village among the places it does not serve2.

The village states that its building department is certified by the Ohio Board of Building Standards, and that a permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or change the occupancy of all or part of a building3. The village code establishes the Cedarville Building Department11. Ohio law lets an owner prepare residential plans and obtain the permit, though the plans still need approval before construction begins12.

We could not confirm the village's permit fees or its inspection schedule. Call the village office for both3.

How do septic permits work inside Cedarville?

Septic permits for Cedarville addresses come from Greene County Public Health's Environmental Health Division, not the village4. The division approves design plans for new systems on vacant lots and permits and inspects new installations13. Ohio requires a permit from the board of health before anyone installs a new or replacement system14.

The village zoning code ties lot size to this approval: final lot size is subject to approval by the Greene County Health Department or the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, whichever is appropriate15. In RS-2, central water and wastewater facilities are required for land placed in that district, so a conventional septic field there is limited16.

Plumbing permits are also issued by Greene County Public Health, not the village3. For a private well, the same health district reviews installation permits7.

Building a home in Cedarville: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the village zoning inspector which zoning district your lot is in and whether your use is allowed3.
  2. Confirm whether the lot has central water and sewer. In RS-2 they are required, and the choice sets your minimum lot size175.
  3. If you need a septic system, contact Greene County Public Health for a site review and design before applying14.
  4. Apply for the building permit with the village office3.
  5. Get the plumbing permit from Greene County Public Health3.
  6. If the lot touches a flood hazard area, ask about a floodplain development permit; the village code lists a flood plain overlay district8.

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

The county's own rules apply to land outside the village; see the Greene County page for unincorporated land. Greene County has no countywide zoning ordinance: each township, village and city sets its own18.

Septic permits and well permits stay with Greene County Public Health for every address in the county, village included47. New and modified driveways along county roads need a county permit, but that rule does not cover roads the county does not maintain19; ask the village about village streets.

Greene County's effective property tax rate is 1.7 percent20, and the median property tax bill is about $4,021 a year21.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether Cedarville allows RV living, temporary camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings; ask the village zoning inspector before buying3.
  • We could not confirm Cedarville's building permit fees, so ask the village office what it charges before you budget3.
  • Do not use Greene County Building Regulation for a project inside Cedarville; the county lists Cedarville Village among the places it does not serve2.
  • Septic rules still apply inside the village: Greene County Public Health issues the permit even where the village sets the zoning4.

Sources

  1. Part Eleven - Planning and Zoning Code (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building Regulation, quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Cedarville, Zoning Inspector and Building Department (cedarville.us)
  4. On-site Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. 1113.14 Minimum Dimensional Requirements (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  6. 1113.14 Minimum Dimensional Requirements (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Private Water Systems, quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 1113 District Regulations (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  9. 1113.14 Minimum Dimensional Requirements (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  10. 1113.14 Minimum Dimensional Requirements (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  11. 1307.01 Building Department (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Section 4703.18 | Prohibiting practice without certificate, quoted and re-checked
  13. Greene County Public Health, Environmental Health Division (greenecophoh.gov)
  14. On-site Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  15. 1113.14 Minimum Dimensional Requirements (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  16. 1113.02 RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  17. 1113.02 RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District (Village of Cedarville), quoted and re-checked
  18. Greene County FAQ, quoted and re-checked
  19. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Cedarville

Village of Cedarville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Cedarville village limits.

    • The published local code identifies Part Eleven as the Planning and Zoning Code.
    “PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Cedarville village limits.

    • Published district regulations list RS-2, RS-4, RT-4, RM-8, R-MH, HB, VB, LI, HI, Flood Plain River Protection Overlay, Planned Unit Developments, and PI districts.
    “RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District. [...] Public and Institutional District (PI).”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District inside Cedarville village limits.

    • On-site water and sewer: 1 acre; central water and sewer: 15,000 square feet.
    • Final lot size is subject to approval by the Greene County Health Department or Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, whichever is appropriate.

    minimum lot area, on-site water and sewer: 1 acre · minimum lot area, central water and sewer: 15000 square feet

    “RS-2 | Section 1113.02(b) | 1 Acre | 15,000 Sq. Ft.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District inside Cedarville village limits.

    • Minimum front yard is 35 feet, one side yard 10 feet, both side yards 25 feet, and rear yard 50 feet.
    • A 70-foot setback is required along major thoroughfares or where off-street parking is provided within the front yard.
    • For a substantially developed block, new construction may be permitted at the average setback of the block under the stated condition.

    front setback: 35 feet (70 feet along major thoroughfares or where off-street parking is provided within the front yard) · side setback, one: 10 feet · side setbacks, total both: 25 feet · rear setback: 50 feet

    “RS-2 | Section 1113.02(b) | 1 Acre | 15,000 Sq. Ft. | 100 ft. | 125 ft. | 35 ft. | 10 ft. | 25 ft. | 50 ft. | 35 ft. | 20%”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District inside Cedarville village limits.

    maximum lot coverage: 20 percent

    “RS-2 | Section 1113.02(b) | 1 Acre | 15,000 Sq. Ft. | 100 ft. | 125 ft. | 35 ft. | 10 ft. | 25 ft. | 50 ft. | 35 ft. | 20%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District inside Cedarville village limits.

    maximum height: 35 feet

    “RS-2 | Section 1113.02(b) | 1 Acre | 15,000 Sq. Ft. | 100 ft. | 125 ft. | 35 ft. | 10 ft. | 25 ft. | 50 ft. | 35 ft. | 20%”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    On-site water and sewer lot-size approval for land inside Cedarville village limits.

    • Final lot size is subject to approval by the Greene County Health Department or Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, whichever is appropriate.
    “Final lot size shall be subject to approval by the Greene County Health Department or the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, whichever is appropriate.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Land placed in the RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District inside Cedarville village limits.

    • Central water supply and wastewater disposal facilities are required for land placed in RS-2.
    “Central water supply and wastewater disposal facilities shall be required for land placed in this district.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Land placed in the RS-2 Low Density Single-Family Residential District inside Cedarville village limits.

    • The requirement applies when land is placed in RS-2.
    • The Village transferred water-system control and administration to the Greene County Board of County Commissioners.
    “Central water supply and wastewater disposal facilities shall be required for land placed in this district.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-code administration inside Cedarville village limits.

    • The opened provision establishes the Cedarville Building Department and grants enforcement authority pursuant to Ohio Board of Building Standards certification; it does not state a complete application process.
    “The Cedarville Building Department is hereby established.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential building permits inside Cedarville village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules inside Cedarville village limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code applicability inside Cedarville village limits.
  • Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Cedarville village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Cedarville village limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Cedarville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Greene County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Greene County: county rules, score and offices