Bolthole Index

Clatsop County, Oregon

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Cannon Beach, Oregon

Inside Cannon Beach, Oregon, the city's own building official reviews applications and issues building permits1, and the city zones its land under Title 17 of its code2. Septic permits for homes not on public sewer come from the Clatsop County Onsite Septic Program3; we could not confirm how that applies inside city limits. Land outside the city follows Clatsop County's rules instead.

At a glance

Building permit
Issued by the City of Cannon Beach building official, under the Oregon statewide building codes14
Zoning
City zoning under Title 17 of the Cannon Beach code2
Inspections
Required for work needing a city building permit5
R1 lot size
At least 5,000 square feet, adjusted for slope6
R1 height
24 feet, or 28 feet at the ridge of a pitched roof7
Septic
Clatsop County Onsite Septic Program for homes not on public sewer; inside city limits, confirm with the county3
Flood zone
Development permit required in the Flood Hazard Overlay Zone8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Cannon Beach Building Official

Building permit review, plan approval and inspections inside Cannon Beach city limits, under the direction of the community development director

Septic permits

Clatsop County Onsite Septic

Septic site evaluations, installation permits and inspections for Clatsop County properties not served by public sewer

(503) 338-3687

septic@clatsopcounty.gov

800 Exchange Street, Suite 100, Astoria, Oregon 97103

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

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Does Cannon Beach, Oregon have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and heights?

Cannon Beach has its own zoning: Title 17 of the city code governs land inside city limits2. Zoning rules differ by district, so check your lot's district before you plan anything.

In the R1 Residential Moderate Density zone, lot area must be at least 5,000 square feet, though construction on smaller lots is allowed under Section 17.88.020 and the minimum is adjusted for average slope6. Lot coverage for a permitted or conditional use in R1 may not exceed 50 percent9. Structures in R1 are limited to 24 feet, and a pitched roof (5-12 pitch or greater) may not exceed 28 feet at the ridge7. Design review can modify R1 standards9.

Every lot in Cannon Beach must abut a street, other than an alley, for at least 25 feet; older lots that fall short may be reached by a recorded easement at least 10 feet wide10.

Do you need a building permit in Cannon Beach, and who issues it?

Cannon Beach adopts the Oregon Statewide Building Codes, with local modifications, for buildings inside city limits4. The city's building official reviews permit applications and plans, and other city departments may review them too1. The building official is the city's designated representative for enforcing building and construction codes, working under the community development director11.

Work that needs a city building permit must be inspected. The permit holder or agent requests inspections on time and gives access to the site5. Permanent electric service is connected only after the building inspector grants a certificate of occupancy12.

We could not find a published owner-builder rule for Cannon Beach, so ask the building official before assuming the statewide owner-builder exemption applies inside city limits.

How do septic permits work inside Cannon Beach?

Clatsop County's Onsite Septic Program issues septic system permits for households that are not served by public sewer3. In Clatsop County, a construction-installation permit is required for a system with projected sewage flow under 2,500 gallons per day, and a favorable site evaluation comes first13.

We could not confirm which office administers septic systems on a lot inside Cannon Beach city limits, or whether a given lot is on public sewer. Call14 and the city building official before you buy a lot you expect to septic.

Do flood zones affect building in Cannon Beach?

Yes, where the lot lies in the city's Flood Hazard Overlay Zone. A building or development permit is required for all structures, including manufactured homes, and for development such as fill8. Applications go to the building official, with elevation, floodproofing and watercourse information8.

Building a home in Cannon Beach: the steps, in order

  1. Find the lot's zoning district in Title 17 and check lot size, coverage and height limits2.
  2. Check whether the lot is in the Flood Hazard Overlay Zone8.
  3. Confirm access: the lot must abut a street for at least 25 feet or have a recorded easement10.
  4. Confirm sewer or septic with the county onsite program3.
  5. Apply to the city building official, who reviews plans1.
  6. Request inspections as work proceeds5.

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

Clatsop County's own rules apply to unincorporated land, not city lots: the county Building Codes Division enforces codes in unincorporated areas15, and for property within a city you must contact that city for zoning and development permits16. For land outside Cannon Beach, see the Clatsop County page.

We could not confirm Cannon Beach rules for tiny homes, RV or camping use on a lot, wells or minimum dwelling size, so ask the city before relying on those. Clatsop County's typical home value is $523,15317, and annual precipitation is about 88.8 inches18, so budget for drainage and moisture. Clatsop County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%19.

Watch-outs

  • The county's RV park, setback and lot-size rules apply to unincorporated Clatsop County, not to lots inside Cannon Beach16.
  • We could not confirm who handles septic permits, wells or water and sewer connections for a lot inside city limits, so call the Clatsop County Onsite Septic Program at (503) 338-368714.
  • Lots in the Flood Hazard Overlay Zone need a building or development permit for nearly all work, including fill8.

Sources

  1. Chapter 15.04: Building Codes - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  2. Table of Contents - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 15.04: Building Codes - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 15.04: Building Codes - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 17.30: Residential Moderate Density (R1) Zone - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 17.30: Residential Moderate Density (R1) Zone - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 17.98: Flood Hazard Overlay (FHO) Zone - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 17.30: Residential Moderate Density (R1) Zone - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 17.60: General Requirements and Regulations - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Cannon Beach Building Official (ecode360.com)
  12. Chapter 15.04: Building Codes - City of Cannon Beach, OR (Cannon Beach), quoted and re-checked
  13. Installing a New Septic System, quoted and re-checked
  14. Clatsop County Onsite Septic (clatsopcounty.gov)
  15. Building Codes, quoted and re-checked
  16. Land Use Planning, quoted and re-checked
  17. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  18. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Effective property tax rate: 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 Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings and structures inside Cannon Beach city limits.

    • The city code states that statewide building codes apply except as modified by the jurisdiction.
    “The Oregon Statewide Building Codes are adopted as part hereof, except as modified by this jurisdiction.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction work requiring a Cannon Beach building permit.

    • The permit holder or authorized agent must request inspections timely, provide site access and needed equipment, and may not proceed until authorized by the building official.
    “It shall be the duty of the permit holder or authorized agent to request all inspections that may be necessary or otherwise required in a timely manner, provide access to the site, and to provide all equipment as may be deemed necessary or appropriate by the building official.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Permanent electric-service connection for buildings inside Cannon Beach city limits.

    • The city code definition states that the building inspector grants the certificate before permanent electric service is connected.
    “means a certificate of occupancy is granted by the building inspector prior to the connection of permanent electric service.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Cannon Beach city limits.

    “Title 17 Zoning (§ 17.02.010 – § 17.126.020)”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in Cannon Beach's R1 Residential Moderate Density zone.

    • Construction on lots smaller than 5,000 square feet is permitted subject to § 17.88.020; minimum lot size is adjusted for average slope under § 17.124.070; standards may be modified through design review.

    minimum lot area: >= 5000 square feet (Subject to the stated smaller-lot and average-slope provisions.)

    “Lot Size. Lot area shall be at least 5,000 square feet, except that construction on lots of less than 5,000 square feet is permitted subject to the standards of Section 17.88.020. The minimum lot size for all uses, including single-family dwellings, shall be adjusted for average slope using the standards in Section 17.124.070.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Permitted or conditional uses in Cannon Beach's R1 Residential Moderate Density zone.

    • R1 standards may be modified through design review.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 50 percent (Applies to a permitted or conditional use.)

    “Lot Coverage. The lot coverage for a permitted or conditional use shall not exceed 50 percent.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Structures in Cannon Beach's R1 Residential Moderate Density zone.

    • R1 standards may be modified through design review; a pitched roof is one with a 5-12 pitch or greater.

    maximum structure height: <= 24 feet (Measured from average existing grade as stated in the ordinance.) · maximum pitched-roof ridge height: <= 28 feet (Pitched roofs are those with a 5-12 pitch or greater.)

    “Building Height. Maximum height of a structure is 24 feet, measured as the vertical distance from the average elevation of existing grade to the highest point of a roof surface of a flat roof, to the top of a mansard roof or to the mean height level between the eaves and the ridge for a pitched roof. The ridge height of a pitched roof shall not exceed 28 feet. Pitched roofs are considered those with a 5-12 pitch or greater.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Lot access in Cannon Beach city limits.

    • Lots created before adoption of the zoning ordinance that lack required street frontage may use an irrevocable recorded easement at least 10 feet wide.

    required street frontage: >= 25 feet (Street may not be an alley.) · pre-ordinance access easement minimum width: >= 10 feet (For lots created before adoption of the zoning ordinance that do not meet the frontage requirement.)

    “Every lot shall abut a street, other than an alley, for at least 25 feet. Lots which were created prior to adoption of the zoning ordinance which do not meet this provision may be accessed via an irrevocable recorded easement of a minimum of 10 feet in width.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    All structures and development, including fill and other activities, in Cannon Beach's Flood Hazard Overlay Zone.

    • The chapter applies to all special flood-hazard areas within city jurisdiction; permit application goes to the building official and includes the listed elevation, floodproofing, and watercourse information.
    “A building/development permit is required in conformance with the provisions of this chapter. The permit is for all structures including manufactured homes, as set forth in Section 17.98.030, and for all developments including fill and other activities, also as defined in Section 17.98.030.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Cannon Beach building-permit applications.

    • Application plans, specifications, computations, and other data are reviewed by the building official and may be reviewed by other jurisdictional departments.
    “The application, plans, specifications, computations and other data filed by an applicant for a permit shall be reviewed by the building official. Such plans may be reviewed by other departments of this jurisdiction to verify compliance with any applicable laws under their jurisdiction.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Cannon Beach or Clatsop County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Cannon Beach city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Cannon Beach city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Cannon Beach city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Cannon Beach city limits.
  • Who permits septic — Onsite septic systems inside Cannon Beach city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land

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 Cannon Beach publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Clatsop County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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