Bolthole Index

Trumbull County, Ohio

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Girard, Ohio

Girard, Ohio requires a city building permit for any house or building costing $100 or more1, and the city has its own zoning ordinance2. A private septic system is allowed only where public sewer is not available, and then needs a permit signed by the City Engineer3. Trumbull County has no countywide zoning, so Girard's rules are the city's own4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for houses and buildings costing $100 or more inside city limits1
Building code
Ohio Administrative Code 4101:8 residential code adopted by the city5
Zoning
Yes, a city zoning ordinance, published separately from the codified ordinances2
Septic
Only where public sewer is unavailable; permit signed by the City Engineer, $10 fee36
Public sewer
Connection required within 90 days of notice if sewer is within 100 feet of the property line7
Subdivision
Regulated by the city's separately published subdivision regulations8
RV, tiny home, setbacks
Set by the zoning ordinance; we could not confirm the details2

Who to call

Zoning

City of Girard Rental and Zoning Department

Girard's zoning ordinance and the city's contact point for zoning and building questions inside city limits

(330) 545-3306

info@cityofgirardoh.gov

100 W Main St., Girard, OH 44420

Septic permits

Trumbull County Health Department

Household sewage treatment system and private water system permits for Trumbull County

(330) 675-2489

176 Chestnut Ave. NE, Warren, OH 44483

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

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Does Girard, Ohio have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. Girard has its own zoning ordinance covering land inside city limits2. The city's codified ordinances point to it rather than reproducing it, so lot sizes, setbacks and which uses are allowed in each district live in a separate document2.

Trumbull County does not zone for Girard: the county has no countywide zoning, and its Planning Commission has no authority over local zoning4. Zoning questions go to the city's Rental and Zoning Department at (330) 545-33069.

We could not confirm what Girard's zoning ordinance says about living in an RV, tiny homes, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings, minimum house size or setbacks. Ask the Rental and Zoning Department for the district your parcel is in before you buy. Girard also regulates land division through separately published subdivision regulations8.

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

Yes. Girard's codified ordinances require a permit before anyone builds a house, building or additional building costing $100 or more inside city limits1. The owner applies in writing to the city's Building Inspector, and the application states the building's extent, estimated cost, lot number and contract completion time10.

The Building Inspector issues the permit if the work conforms to all other city and state regulations1. The city has adopted the Ohio residential building code, Ohio Administrative Code 4101:8, for one-, two- and three-family homes and their accessory buildings5.

We could not confirm the city's general building-inspection schedule, or when a certificate of occupancy is required. Call the Rental and Zoning Department at (330) 545-3306 to learn where to file9. The county's Building Inspection Department enforces codes for the county, but we could not confirm that it handles Girard addresses, so ask before you apply there11.

How do septic permits work inside Girard, Ohio?

Girard expects most lots to connect to public sewer. A property that abuts a street or right-of-way with a city sewer must connect within 90 days after official notice when the sewer is within 100 feet of the property line, at the owner's expense7.

A private septic system is allowed only where public sanitary or combined sewer is not available6. The owner must first obtain a written permit signed by the City Engineer, with a $10 permit and inspection fee paid when the application is filed3. The City Engineer must inspect within three days after the owner gives notice that work is ready, and before underground parts are covered12.

Ohio law also makes a board of health responsible for permitting and inspecting household sewage treatment systems13. Trumbull County's health district charges $674 for a new or replacement system, including a $74 state fee14. Whether that county permit applies on top of the City Engineer's permit inside Girard is not clear from the city code, so ask the Trumbull County Health Department at (330) 675-2489 before you design a system15.

Building a home in Girard, Ohio: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Rental and Zoning Department at (330) 545-3306 and confirm your parcel's zoning district and what the zoning ordinance allows9.
  2. Ask whether public sewer is available at the lot; if it is, plan to connect7.
  3. If sewer is not available, get the City Engineer's septic permit and check with the county health department315.
  4. Apply in writing to the Building Inspector for a building permit10.
  5. Build to the Ohio residential code the city adopted5.
  6. Have the City Engineer inspect any private septic system before the underground parts are covered12.

What stays with Trumbull County, and what to check before you buy in Girard

Girard sits in Trumbull County, and the county's unincorporated-land answers are on the Trumbull County page. Those county rules do not set Girard's zoning4.

Private wells are permitted through the local board of health in Ohio, with work not allowed to start until the permit is issued16. We could not confirm a city rule on private wells, so confirm with the Trumbull County Health Department15. Development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit under the county's resolution, and we could not confirm how the city administers that inside city limits17.

Trumbull County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%18. USDA rates 0% of the county's soils as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so a lot without sewer will likely need a site evaluation or an engineered system19.

Watch-outs

  • Girard's zoning ordinance is published separately from the codified ordinances, so RV, tiny-home, lot-size and setback rules were not confirmed; ask the Rental and Zoning Department at (330) 545-330629.
  • We could not confirm a driveway permit rule, an owner-builder exemption, or an agricultural exemption inside Girard; ask the Rental and Zoning Department before you start9.
  • Girard's code names the City Engineer as the septic permit signer, while the county health department runs Trumbull County's septic program; confirm with both which permits your lot needs315.

Sources

  1. 1305.01 PERMIT REQUIRED. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  2. PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  3. 931.03 PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  4. Trumbull County Planning Commission — Subdivision Plats & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  5. 1309.01 ADOPTION. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  6. 931.03 PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  7. 931.02 USE OF PUBLIC SEWERS REQUIRED. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  8. PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Girard Rental and Zoning Department (cityofgirardoh.gov)
  10. 1305.01 PERMIT REQUIRED. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  11. Trumbull County Building Inspection — Current Codes, quoted and re-checked
  12. 931.03 PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL. (Girard), quoted and re-checked
  13. Section 3718.023 | Approval of installation, operation or alteration of sewage treatment systems (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Application for Household Sewage Treatment System Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. Trumbull County Health Department (tcbh.org)
  16. Chapter 3701-28 | Private water systems (Ohio statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Floodplain Administration, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. 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

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 Girard

Girard’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Houses, buildings, and additional buildings costing $100 or more inside Girard city limits.

    • A written application to the Building Inspector is required before erection.
    • The application must state the building's number and extent, estimated cost, lot number, addition/subdivision/plat name, and contract completion time.
    • The Building Inspector issues the permit if the work conforms to all other City and State regulations.

    construction-cost threshold: >= 100 USD

    “costing one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more [...] without first obtaining a permit to do so.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    One-, two-, and three-family nonindustrialized residential and accessory buildings inside Girard city limits.

    • The adopted code is Ohio Administrative Code Section 4101:8, as promulgated by the Ohio Board of Building Standards.
    “There is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as if set out at length herein”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Girard city limits.

    • The ordinance is published separately and is not codified in the American Legal Publishing code page.
    “The City Zoning Ordinance consisting of Ordinance 4966”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction of a private sewage disposal system inside Girard city limits where public sewer is unavailable under § 931.02(d).

    • Permit must be obtained before construction.
    • The permit must be signed by the City Engineer.
    • Application is on a City form and must be supplemented with plans, specifications, and other information deemed necessary by the City Engineer.
    • A $10 permit-and-inspection fee is due when the application is filed.

    private sewage disposal permit and inspection fee: 10 USD (paid when the application is filed)

    “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the City Engineer. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the City, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications and other information as are deemed necessary by the City Engineer. A permit and inspection fee of ten dollars ($10.00) shall be paid to the City at the time the application is filed.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Permitted private sewage disposal systems inside Girard city limits.

    • The installation must be completed to the City Engineer's satisfaction.
    • The City Engineer may inspect at any construction stage.
    • Applicant must notify the Engineer when work is ready for final inspection and before underground portions are covered.
    • The City Engineer must inspect within three days after notice is received.

    final inspection timing: <= 3 days (after the City Engineer receives the applicant's notice)

    “The inspection shall be made within three days”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private sewage disposal systems inside Girard city limits.

    • Allowed only where public sanitary or combined sewer is unavailable under § 931.02(d).
    • A City Engineer permit and inspection apply.
    • The system must comply with Chapter 931.
    “public sanitary or combined sewer is not available”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Houses, buildings, and properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes inside Girard city limits.

    • The property must abut a street, alley, or right-of-way containing an existing or future City public sanitary or combined sewer.
    • Connection is required within 90 days after official notice.
    • The public sewer must be within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of the property line.
    • Connection and toilet facilities are at the owner's expense.

    public sewer distance from property line: <= 100 feet · connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days

    “within ninety days after date of official notice to do so, provided that the public sewer is within one hundred feet”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Girard city limits.

    • The regulations are published separately and are not codified in the American Legal Publishing page.
    “the Subdivision Regulations adopted by Ordinance 5168”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Houses, buildings, and additions costing $100 or more inside Girard city limits.

    • Application is written and made to the Building Inspector.
    • The Building Inspector issues the permit only if the work conforms to all other City and State regulations.

    construction-cost threshold: >= 100 USD

    “he shall make written application to the Building Inspector”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Girard or Trumbull County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Girard city limits.
  • Inspections — General residential-building inspections inside Girard city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Girard city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Girard city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Girard city limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • 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 Girard publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Trumbull County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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