Bolthole Index

Greene County, Ohio

Zoning, building permits and septic in the Village of Yellow Springs, Ohio

The Village of Yellow Springs, Ohio sets its own zoning for land inside village limits1, and Greene County's Department of Building Regulation does not serve the village2. Zoning permits go through the Village Planning & Zoning Department3. In the village's residential districts, public water and sanitary sewer are required, so septic is mostly a question for land outside the village4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. The Village divides its land into 10 zoning districts5
Building permit
Handled by the Village, not by Greene County's building department; the Village Manager is the Building Official26
Septic
Public water and sewer required in residential districts; Greene County Public Health permits septic systems county-wide47
Accessory dwelling
Conditional-use approval in R-A, R-B and R-C8
Minimum lot area
R-A 7,500 sq ft; R-B 6,000 sq ft; R-C 4,800 sq ft9
RV or tiny-home living
We could not confirm a village rule; ask the Planning & Zoning Department3
Wells
Greene County Public Health reviews private water system permits10

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Yellow Springs Planning & Zoning Department

Zoning permits, planning and zoning applications inside the village

937-767-1702

100 Dayton Street, Yellow Springs, OH 45387

Septic permits

Greene County Public Health, Environmental Health Division

Septic system design review, permits and inspections in Greene County; private water system permits

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 Yellow Springs means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Yellow Springs, Ohio have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Yellow Springs is divided into 10 zoning districts, and the village's own zoning applies to land inside village limits5. Greene County itself does not zone: each township, village and city has its own zoning11. The Planning & Zoning Department handles planning, zoning and permitting for the village3.

The three residential districts set different minimum lot areas: 7,500 square feet in R-A, 6,000 in R-B and 4,800 in R-C9. Maximum lot coverage runs 35 percent in R-A, 40 percent in R-B and 50 percent in R-C12. A new accessory dwelling unit in any of the three needs conditional-use approval8. Subdivision of land inside the village falls under the village's subdivision regulations13.

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

Greene County's Department of Building Regulation serves most of the county but names Yellow Springs Village among the places it does not serve2. Inside the village, the Village Manager is the designated Building Official and enforces the adopted Ohio one-, two- and three-family dwelling code and the parts of the Ohio Basic Building Code the village is empowered to enforce6. The village's code also points to a published fee schedule for residential and commercial building permits14.

We could not confirm the village's step-by-step building-permit procedure, inspection rules or certificate-of-occupancy rules. Call the Planning & Zoning Department before you plan any work3.

How do zoning permits work in Yellow Springs?

The village code has separate sections on when a zoning permit is required, the permit process, and approval and time limits15. Zoning approval comes before a building permit is issued wherever zoning applies, so start with the Planning & Zoning Department at 937-767-17023. Ohio law also requires plans to be approved by the building department with jurisdiction before an owner starts construction16.

How do septic permits work in Yellow Springs?

Public water and sanitary sewer are required for all property in the R-A, R-B and R-C residential districts inside village limits4. A new house in those districts therefore connects to village utilities instead of getting a septic system.

We could not confirm a village rule for septic systems on other village land. Greene County Public Health's Environmental Health Division permits and inspects new septic installations in the county17, and Ohio requires a permit from the board of health before a new or replacement system is installed18. Private wells are handled the same way: the Health District reviews private water system permits10. Ask Greene County Public Health whether your parcel qualifies before counting on either.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Yellow Springs?

We could not confirm any village rule on RV living, temporary camping or tiny homes inside Yellow Springs. The village's zoning governs these questions, so ask the Planning & Zoning Department before you buy or park anything3. Greene County's lack of county zoning does not answer the question inside the village, because the village sets its own zoning11. Ohio's campground rules cover licensed campgrounds, not a house lot19.

Building a home in Yellow Springs: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and lot standards with the Planning & Zoning Department3.
  2. Check whether your lot is in a residential district, where public water and sewer are required4.
  3. Get zoning approval, then submit plans to the village's building official; the county's building department does not serve the village2.
  4. For land that cannot use public sewer, contact Greene County Public Health about septic17.
  5. If the land is in a flood hazard area, ask about a floodplain development permit; Greene County's flood regulations refer to village, city and county permits20.

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

Septic systems, private wells and subdivisions outside a municipality are county or state matters721. For land outside village limits, use the Greene County page and confirm which township zones the parcel22.

County-level numbers describe Greene County, not the village: the effective property tax rate is 1.7 percent23, and the median property tax bill is $4,021 a year24.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the village's own building-permit procedure, inspection, certificate-of-occupancy or fee amounts; ask the Planning & Zoning Department3.
  • We could not confirm village rules on RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes, driveways or short-term rentals; ask the Planning & Zoning Department3.
  • Greene County's building department does not serve Yellow Springs Village, so sending a village project to the county counter wastes a trip2.

Sources

  1. Yellow Springs Code § 1242.01, Districts Established (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building Regulation, quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Yellow Springs Planning & Zoning Department (yellowsprings.gov)
  4. Yellow Springs Code § 1248.03, Spatial Requirements (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  5. Yellow Springs Code § 1242.01, Districts Established (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  6. Yellow Springs Code § 1440.01, Village Manager as Building Official (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  7. On-site Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  8. Yellow Springs Code § 1248.02, Schedule of Uses (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  9. Yellow Springs Code § 1248.03, Spatial Requirements (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  10. Private Water Systems, quoted and re-checked
  11. greenecountyohio.gov, quoted and re-checked
  12. Yellow Springs Code § 1248.03, Spatial Requirements (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  13. Yellow Springs Code Part Twelve, Planning and Zoning Code (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  14. Yellow Springs Code Chapter 1440, Administration and Enforcement; Permits and Fees (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  15. Yellow Springs Code Chapter 1272, Administration and Enforcement (Village of Yellow Springs), quoted and re-checked
  16. Section 3791.04 | Submission of plan - approvals - prohibition - fine (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Greene County Public Health, Environmental Health Division (greenecophoh.gov)
  18. Rule 3701-29-09 | Site review and permits for STS installation and operation (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Rule 3701-26-04 | Campground requirements (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Residential/Commercial Flood Plain Worksheet, quoted and re-checked
  21. Major Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  22. Zoning Center, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. 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 Yellow Springs

Village of Yellow Springs’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building work inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • The Building Official enforces provisions of the adopted dwelling and Ohio Basic Building Codes that the official is empowered by law to enforce.
    “The Village Manager shall be designated the Building Official for the Village and he or she shall enforce all provisions of the OBOA One, Two and Three Family Dwelling Code, as adopted in Chapter 1420, and those provisions of the Ohio Basic Building Code, as adopted in Chapter 1422, that he or she is empowered by law to enforce.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • The Village's zoning districts and district-specific controls apply.
    “The Village of Yellow Springs is divided into 10 zoning districts as listed in Table 1242.01.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • The Village code lists 10 districts, including Conservation, Educational Institution, R-A, R-B, R-C, B-1, B-2, I-1, I-2, and PUD.

    number of zoning districts: 10

    “The Village of Yellow Springs is divided into 10 zoning districts as listed in Table 1242.01.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units in R-A, R-B, and R-C residential districts inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • Conditional-use approval is required under § 1262.08(e)(1).
    “Accessory dwelling unit | C | C | C | Section 1262.08(e)(1)”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Property in the R-A, R-B, and R-C residential districts inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • The stated requirement applies to all property in the listed residential districts.
    “Public water and sanitary sewer is required for all property in these districts.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • Subdivision controls are in Chapter 1226.
    “Chap. 1226. Subdivision Regulations. Appendix A - Stormwater Guidelines for Low Impact Developments”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Residential and commercial building permits inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • The cited chapter identifies an Appendix A fee schedule; the fee amounts were not retrieved.
    “Appendix A: Fee Schedule for Residential and Commercial Building Permits.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning permits inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • The code separately addresses permit requirement, process, and approval/time limit.
    “1272.01 Zoning permit required. 1272.02 Zoning permit process. 1272.03 Zoning permit approval; time limit.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Yellow Springs

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

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A, R-B, and R-C residential districts inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • New lots must conform to the Table 1248.03 minimum area and width requirements.
    • Public water and sanitary sewer are required for all property in these districts.

    R-A minimum lot area: 7500 sq ft · R-B minimum lot area: 6000 sq ft · R-C minimum lot area: 4800 sq ft

    “R-A, Low-Density Residential | 7,500 | 60 R-B, Moderate-Density Residential | 6,000 | 50 R-C, High-Density Residential | 4,800 | 40”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A, R-B, and R-C residential districts inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    • Average established setback applies where applicable under § 1260.02(a).
    • A structure measured from its furthest extension must be outside the minimum setback areas.

    R-A front/side/rear setbacks: 25 / 20 total, 10 least / 25 ft · R-B front/side/rear setbacks: 20 / 15 total, 5 least / 20 ft · R-C front/side/rear setbacks: 20 / 10 total, 5 least / 15 ft

    “R-A | 35/2.5 | 25 | 20 | 10 | 25 | 35 R-B | 35/2.5 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 40 R-C | 35/3 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 50”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A, R-B, and R-C residential districts inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    R-A maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent · R-B maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent · R-C maximum lot coverage: <= 50 percent

    “Zoning District | Maximum Building Height (Ft./stories) | Minimum Yard Setbacks (Ft.) | Max. Lot Coverage (%)”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A, R-B, and R-C residential districts inside Yellow Springs village limits.

    R-A maximum building height: 35 ft / 2.5 stories · R-B maximum building height: 35 ft / 2.5 stories · R-C maximum building height: 35 ft / 3 stories

    “Zoning District | Maximum Building Height (Ft./stories) | Minimum Yard Setbacks (Ft.) | Max. Lot Coverage (%)”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Yellow Springs village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Yellow Springs village limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Yellow Springs village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Yellow Springs village limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Yellow Springs village limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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

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