Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Richfield Township, Ohio

Richfield Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Richfield Township, Lucas County, Ohio.

  zoning established: 1968-05-07

  “Zoning was established in the township on May 7th, 1968.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land subject to the Richfield Township Zoning Resolution.

  districts: AG; RR-1; RR-2; CCR; NB; LIO (Overlay designations apply as specified by the adopted resolution and zoning map.)

  “5.01 AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT (AG) [...] 5.02 RURAL RESIDENTIAL-1 (RR-1) [...] 5.02 RURAL RESIDENTIAL-2 (RR-2) [...] ARTICLE 6 – CLUSTERED CONSERVATION RESIDENTIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (CCR) [...] ARTICLE 7 – NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS OVERLAY DISTRICT (NB) [...] ARTICLE 8 – LIGHT-INDUSTRIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (LIO)”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Accessory structures that qualify for the Ohio Revised Code Section 519.21 agricultural exemption inside Richfield Township.

  • The structure must fall under the agricultural exemption of Ohio Revised Code Section 519.21.
  • A building permit must be presented for construction.
  • The exemption stated is from permit fees.

  permit fees: 0 USD (Agricultural Exempt Accessory Structures)

  “Agricultural Exempt Accessory Structures. Accessory Structures that fall under the Agricultural Exemption of Section 519.21 of the Ohio Revised Code shall present a building permit for the construction thereof. Agricultural Exempt Accessory Structures will be exempt from all permit fees.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Ponds abutting or serving more than one lot, and lots containing ponds used for drainage retention, inside Richfield Township.

  • The requirement applies only to the pond situations stated in the cited provisions.

  “Ponds which abut more than one (1) Lot and/or serve as an Accessory Use for more than one (1) Lot and all of the respective Lots associated with the Pond shall be platted in accordance with applicable subdivision regulations.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Township zoning applications and certificates inside Richfield Township.

  • The zoning page links a fee document labeled as updated in 2025; the actual fee schedule was not opened.

  “Downloadable zoning forms: Richfield Township Zoning Resolution Book Application for a Zoning Change Application for a Site Plan Review Application for a Zoning Certificate Special Use Application Variance Application Zoning Complaint Form 2025 Updated Zoning Fees”

• Permit processPartial

  Township zoning applications inside Richfield Township.

  • This evidence publishes zoning-application forms only; it does not establish the building-permit process.

  “Downloadable zoning forms: Richfield Township Zoning Resolution Book Application for a Zoning Change Application for a Site Plan Review Application for a Zoning Certificate Special Use Application Variance Application Zoning Complaint Form 2025 Updated Zoning Fees”

Rules another office applies inside Richfield Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site septic-disposal compliance for pond siting inside Richfield Township.

  • The cited rule concerns pond location and redistribution of extracted soil; it does not establish the full septic permitting program.

  “The Pond location and related redistribution of extracted soil shall be in compliance with the Lucas County Board of Health regulations for on-site septic disposal.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Pond development inside Richfield Township.

  • The review requirement applies before issuance of a zoning certificate for a pond.
  • The cited provision does not establish the general floodplain-development permit rule for all development.

  “All Ponds shall be reviewed by the Lucas County Building Regulations Department for conformance with applicable flood plain regulations prior to the issuance of a Zoning Certificate.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals in zoning districts marked conditional in the Richfield Township Combined Use Table.

  • The use is expressly subject to Section 11.24.
  • The opened table excerpt shows conditional-use markers but does not resolve all applicable districts or Section 11.24 standards.

  “Short-Term Rentals (Subject to Section 11.24) C C C C”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Richfield Township or Lucas County directly.

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Richfield Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Richfield Township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Richfield Township.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Richfield Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Richfield Township.

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 Richfield Township 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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