Building permits, zoning and land rules in Highland County, Ohio

At a glance

Building permit

Generally no county residential permit in the remaining unincorporated areas; certified municipal or township jurisdiction changes the answer¹²

Zoning

No countywide zoning in most unincorporated areas; Salem and Madison townships and incorporated places have separate rules⁷⁸

Septic permits

Health Department site review, an installation or alteration permit, and inspections are required⁹⁵¹⁰

Private wells

A Health Department permit is required to construct, alter, seal or decommission a private water system⁶

RV living

No countywide zoning bar in most unincorporated areas, but sewage rules apply and campgrounds require licensing³¹¹¹²

Tiny homes and ADUs

No county zoning restriction in most unincorporated areas; qualifying manufactured homes also have statewide placement protection¹³¹⁴¹⁵

Owner-builder

Owners may prepare plans and file residential permit applications, but applicable approvals and local licensing rules still apply¹⁶¹⁷

Minimum home size

No county zoning-based minimum in the remaining unincorporated areas¹⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Highland County, Ohio?

Most residential work in the remaining unincorporated parts of Highland County does not require a county building permit because Highland County has not established countywide residential-building-code administration¹¹⁹. Ohio maintains separate statewide residential and nonresidential building codes, but certified local departments administer them only within their certified jurisdiction and scope²⁰²¹. Where no certified residential building department has jurisdiction, an owner need not submit residential construction documents or obtain residential-code inspections or a certificate of occupancy²²²³²⁴. Hillsboro and other incorporated jurisdictions can have separate building administration, so confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before starting work²⁵². Buildings incident to agricultural use are generally outside specified state building provisions unless used in retail trade, and an agricultural-use zoning certificate provides a separate statutory exemption²⁶²⁷.

Who handles Highland County building permits, and how do you reach them?

Highland County does not list a county residential building department for the remaining unincorporated areas¹¹⁹. An owner may prepare plans and file a residential permit application where one is required, but that does not waive building, inspection, occupancy or local licensing requirements¹⁶¹⁷. Start with the Highland County Planning Commission when a project creates or changes a lot; its materials cover adjoining-land, agricultural or recreational, minor or large-lot subdivision, and parcel-split applications²⁸. Published application fees include $25 per lot for a minor subdivision and $50 for a large-lot division, with action due within 7 working days²⁹³⁰. Contact the Health Department for septic site review and private-well permits³¹³²⁶. Ask the County Engineer about county-road access³³. A driveway onto an ODOT-controlled state highway requires the state access process, and private driveway access is normally limited to specified highway categories³⁴³⁵.

Does Highland County have zoning?

Highland County has no countywide zoning ordinance for most unincorporated land⁴. Those areas have no county zoning-based minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit or building-height limit^1836373839. Salem and Madison townships have their own zoning, incorporated places have separate rules, and Hillsboro provides municipal zoning checks³⁴⁴⁰. Manufactured homes and accessory dwellings face no county zoning prohibition in the remaining unincorporated areas, but installation, septic, deed and applicable local rules remain⁴¹¹⁴. Ohio also bars township zoning from excluding a permanently sited manufactured home from a district where a single-family home is permitted¹⁵. For agricultural buildings, actual agricultural use matters; buildings incident to agricultural use receive a state exemption, and an agricultural-use zoning certificate provides an additional route⁴²²⁷.

How do septic and well permits work in Highland County?

The Highland County Health Department requires site review before accepting an application to install or replace a household sewage treatment system or alter an existing system⁵. Site review requires the application and fee, a soil evaluation and system design, and installation cannot begin until the board of health issues a permit⁵. The board inspects installation and must inspect the completed system again within 12 months to observe its operation¹⁰. Only 3.6% of Highland County soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility an early purchase contingency⁴³. A dwelling's sewage must go to an approved treatment system or available public sewer¹¹. In Sanitary Sewer Subdistrict No. 3, an occupied property abutting a right-of-way with public sewer must connect after official notice when the sewer is within 200 feet of the property line⁴⁴. Private wells require a Health Department permit before construction, alteration, sealing or decommissioning and are subject to inspection⁶⁴⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Highland County?

Most unincorporated Highland County has no county zoning restriction on private RV occupancy or tiny-home occupancy³¹³. That answer does not waive sewage, drinking-water, deed, township or municipal requirements³¹¹. A campground, permanent or temporary, must be licensed and maintained under the Ohio Administrative Code¹². In mapped flood-hazard areas, an RV must satisfy a state placement alternative, such as remaining licensed and highway-ready or meeting applicable elevation and anchoring requirements⁴⁶. Salem and Madison township zoning must be checked separately³. A tiny home is not automatically a manufactured home; a permanently sited manufactured home meeting Ohio's statutory qualifications is permitted wherever the local jurisdiction permits single-family homes⁴⁷¹⁵. Ask the Health Department to approve the sewage plan before occupying any RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling³¹¹¹.

Building a home in Highland County: the steps, in order

1. Identify whether the parcel is in Hillsboro, another incorporated place, Salem Township, Madison Township or the remaining unincorporated county; zoning and building administration vary by jurisdiction³².

1. If the project creates a lot, take the appropriate subdivision or parcel-split application to the Highland County Planning Commission⁴⁸²⁸⁴⁹.

1. Arrange the septic soil evaluation and site review early, then obtain the installation permit before work begins³¹⁵⁴³.

1. Determine whether public-sewer connection is required or obtain a permit for the private sewage system, and obtain a Health Department permit before drilling a private well⁴⁴⁶.

1. Resolve access with the County Engineer for county-road questions or ODOT for a state-highway connection³³³⁴.

1. Confirm whether a certified local building department has jurisdiction before construction²¹².

What should you check before buying land in Highland County?

Put septic feasibility first because only 3.6% of Highland County soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field⁴³. Check whether the parcel lies in Sanitary Sewer Subdistrict No. 3 because some occupied properties near its public sewer must connect rather than use onsite sewage treatment⁴⁴. Verify the parcel's jurisdiction because Salem Township, Madison Township, Hillsboro and other incorporated places can impose rules that do not apply across most unincorporated land³⁴⁴⁰. Ask the Planning Commission which subdivision or parcel-split application applies and the County Engineer about county-road access⁴⁸²⁸³³. Highland County has not adopted county flood-damage-prevention regulations, while Hillsboro has municipal flood provisions; identify any other applicable flood requirements before building⁵⁰. An agricultural or personal-recreation parcel division using the county exemption cannot have a septic system under that form, so it is not a shortcut to a homesite⁵¹.

Watch-outs

• Salem and Madison townships have their own zoning, and Hillsboro has municipal zoning, so confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before relying on the rules for most unincorporated land³⁴⁴⁰.
• A county agricultural or personal-recreation division form bars septic systems on the exempt parcel, making that route unsuitable for a planned homesite⁵¹.
• A general permit rule for a new driveway onto a Highland County road could not be confirmed; ask the County Engineer before designing access³³.

Sources

1. Highland County Ohio Commissioners - Government offices (2026 county census)
2. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
3. Public Health Nuisances — Highland County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
4. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
5. Rule 3701-29-09 | Site review and permits for STS installation and operation, quoted and re-checked
6. Rule 3701-28-03 | Permits, system approval and sampling requirements, quoted and re-checked
7. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
8. Highland County Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
9. Highland County Health Department - Household Sewage Systems (2026 county census)
10. Rule 3701-29-09 | Site review and permits for STS installation and operation, quoted and re-checked
11. Rule 3701-29-06 | General provisions and prohibitions, quoted and re-checked
12. Public Health Nuisances — Highland County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
13. Public Health Nuisances — Highland County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
14. Public Health Nuisances — Highland County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
15. Section 519.212 | Location of permanently sited manufactured home, quoted and re-checked
16. Section 4703.18 | Prohibiting practice without certificate, quoted and re-checked
17. Section 4740.01 | Construction industry licensing board definitions, quoted and re-checked
18. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
19. Highland County Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
20. Section 3781.10 | Board of building standards - powers and duties, quoted and re-checked
21. Section 3781.10 - Ohio Revised Code, quoted and re-checked
22. Residential Code of Ohio for One-, Two-, and Three-Family Dwellings, quoted and re-checked
23. Residential Code of Ohio for One-, Two-, and Three-Family Dwellings, quoted and re-checked
24. Residential Code of Ohio for One-, Two-, and Three-Family Dwellings, quoted and re-checked
25. Residential Plan Review Instructions, quoted and re-checked
26. Section 3781.06 | Public buildings to be safe and sanitary - definitions, quoted and re-checked
27. Section 3781.061 | Exemption for building or structure used in agriculture, quoted and re-checked
28. Highland County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
29. Application for Minor / Large Lot Subdivision Approval, quoted and re-checked
30. Application for Minor / Large Lot Subdivision Approval, quoted and re-checked
31. Highland County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (highlandcountyhealth.org)
32. Household Sewage Systems — Highland County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
33. Highland County Engineer (co.highland.oh.us)
34. State Highway Access Management Manual, quoted and re-checked
35. State Highway Access Management Manual, quoted and re-checked
36. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
37. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
38. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
39. Highland County- Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
40. Hillsboro Mapping Portal, quoted and re-checked
41. Public Health Nuisances — Highland County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
42. Section 3781.06 | Public buildings to be safe and sanitary - definitions, quoted and re-checked
43. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
44. Sewer Use Rules | Highland County Sanitary Sewers, quoted and re-checked
45. Rule 3701-28-04 | Inspection; water sample collection and analysis and water quality standards, quoted and re-checked
46. Rule 1501:22-1-04 | Floodplain management criteria, quoted and re-checked
47. Chapter 3781 - Ohio Revised Code, quoted and re-checked
48. Highland County Planning Commission (co.highland.oh.us)
49. Highland County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
50. Highland County Countywide All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2024-2028, quoted and re-checked
51. Agricultural or Personal Recreational Use Only, quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 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.