The City of Campbell, Ohio, in Mahoning County, adopts its own zoning code, with R-1 single-family lots starting at 7,500 square feet1. The Mahoning County Building Inspection Department is the office named for plan review, permits and inspections inside Campbell2. Septic permits inside the city are unconfirmed, so ask Mahoning County Public Health3.
At a glance
- Zoning
- Campbell has its own zoning districts (R-1, R-2, R-3 and others)4
- Building permits
- County Building Inspection Department serves Campbell city2
- R-1 minimum lot
- 7,500 sq ft, 60 ft wide1
- R-1 height limit
- 35 ft or 2.5 stories5
- R-1 lot coverage
- 30% maximum6
- Septic
- County health district program; city specifics not confirmed3
Who to call
Building permits
Mahoning County Building Inspection Department
Building permit applications, adopted building regulations and fee schedules
50 Westchester Drive, Room 201, Austintown, OH 44515
Building permits
Mahoning County Building Inspection Department (areas served)
Plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy in its service area, which includes Campbell city
Septic permits
Household sewage treatment system permits and well permits administered by the District Board of Health
50 Westchester Drive, Youngstown, Ohio 44515
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Campbell 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.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Does Campbell, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?
Yes. The City of Campbell, Ohio publishes its own zoning districts, including R-1, R-2 and R-34. Zoning here is the city's rule, not Mahoning County's, so it applies to land inside Campbell city limits7.
In the R-1 Single Family Residential District, a lot needs at least 7,500 square feet of area and 60 feet of width1. The front yard is 35 feet, or at least 25 feet on partially developed blocks where the average depth of existing dwellings applies; the principal building needs a 20-foot rear yard and an accessory building 5 feet8. Maximum building height is 35 feet or 2.5 stories5, and lot coverage tops out at 30 percent6.
The online copy of the code states it is complete only to June 2015, so confirm current text with the city before you buy7.
Do you need a building permit in Campbell, and who issues it?
Ohio requires plan approval and inspection for buildings covered by state building law9. In Campbell, the Mahoning County Building Inspection Department lists Campbell city among the incorporated areas where it examines construction plans for new buildings and alterations2.
The county's home-building checklist also names "the City of Campbell" as an alternative to the county department for the final building inspection and occupancy permit10. We could not confirm from the city's own pages which office takes applications for a given project, so call the county department first and ask whether Campbell's own office handles your address.
The county department is at 50 Westchester Drive, Room 201, Austintown, phone 330-270-289411.
How do septic permits work inside Campbell?
Septic permits for Mahoning County are handled by the local health district, not the city building office: Ohio's septic program leaves permitting, inspections and enforcement to local health districts3. A new or replacement household sewage treatment system needs a permit from the health department12.
We could not confirm how those rules apply to parcels inside Campbell city limits, where public sewer is often available. Where sanitary sewer is available, the county's checklist calls for a sewer tap permit from the County Sanitary Engineer, city or village rather than a septic system13. Ask Mahoning County Public Health at (330) 270-285514.
Building a home in Campbell: the steps, in order
- Confirm the zoning district and its lot, setback and height rules with the City of Campbell4.
- Ask the county building department whether your address is handled by the county or by Campbell's own office2.
- Arrange sewer: a sewer tap permit where sewer is available, or a septic site review with county public health if it is not13.
- Arrange water: a water tap-in fee where city water is available, or a well permit through the District Board of Health if it is not15.
- Pass the required inspections, including footings, foundations and framing, then obtain the final inspection and occupancy permit10.
What stays with Mahoning County, and what to check before you buy in Campbell
Septic and well permits sit with the county health district, not the city315. Floodplain development permits are issued by the county Floodplain Administrator for areas within Mahoning County jurisdiction16.
For land outside Campbell city limits, the county's own answers apply; see the Mahoning County page. RV and tiny-home occupancy, accessory dwellings and manufactured homes inside Campbell are unconfirmed, so ask the city before you plan around them.
Mahoning County's effective property tax rate is 1.4 percent17.
Watch-outs
- Campbell's code text online states it is complete only to June 2015, so confirm the current zoning text with the City of Campbell7.
- We could not confirm Campbell's own rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, permit fees or septic inside city limits; ask the city and Mahoning County Public Health3.
- Statewide RV campground rules cover licensed campgrounds, not living in an RV on your own lot18.
Sources
- Campbell Codified Ordinances 1145.06 Single Family Residential District (R-1) and following district sections (Campbell), quoted and re-checked
- Mahoning County Building Inspection Department (areas served) (mahoningcountyoh.gov)
- Septic, quoted and re-checked
- Campbell Codified Ordinances 1145.06 Single Family Residential District (R-1) and following district sections (Campbell), quoted and re-checked
- Campbell Codified Ordinances 1145.06 Single Family Residential District (R-1) and following district sections (Campbell), quoted and re-checked
- Campbell Codified Ordinances 1145.06 Single Family Residential District (R-1) and following district sections (Campbell), quoted and re-checked
- Campbell Codified Ordinances 1145.06 Single Family Residential District (R-1) and following district sections (Campbell), quoted and re-checked
- Campbell Codified Ordinances 1145.06 Single Family Residential District (R-1) and following district sections (Campbell), quoted and re-checked
- Section 3791.04 | Submission of plan - approvals - prohibition - fine (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Building or Buying a Home | Mahoning County, OH, quoted and re-checked
- Mahoning County Building Inspection Department (mahoningcountyoh.gov)
- Septic | Mahoning County Public Health, quoted and re-checked
- mahoningcountyoh.gov, quoted and re-checked
- Mahoning County Public Health (mahoninghealth.org)
- Building or Buying a Home, quoted and re-checked
- Mahoning County Flood Damage Reduction Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Rule 3701-26-04 | Campground requirements (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
Written October 14, 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.