Zoning, building permits and septic rules in North Bend, Oregon

North Bend’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside North Bend city limits.

  • Title 18 contains district-specific zoning controls.

  “This title shall be known as the zoning ordinance of the city of North Bend.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside North Bend city limits.

  • The published Title 18 list includes residential, commercial, industrial, floodplain, tsunami-hazard, airport, and overlay zones.

  “18.08 Residential Zones R-7 and R-10 [...] 18.28 Limited Commercial Zone C-L [...] 18.40 Light Industrial Zone M-L [...] 18.48 Floodplain Zone F-P 18.50 Tsunami Hazard Overlay Zone 18.52 Airport Zone A-Z 18.56 North Bend Airport Overlay Zoning”

Rules another office applies inside North Bend

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

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling units in North Bend R-7 and R-10 residential zones.

  • Front building-line lot width must be at least 70 feet.
  • Different lot areas apply to listed middle-housing and multifamily dwelling types.

  R-7 single-family minimum lot area: >= 7000 square feet per dwelling unit · R-10 single-family minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet per dwelling unit

  “For single-family dwelling units, lot area in an R-7 zone shall be at least 7,000 square feet per dwelling unit, and lot area in an R-10 zone shall be at least 10,000 square feet per dwelling unit.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Development in North Bend R-7 and R-10 residential zones.

  • Subject to NBCC 18.72.020 and 18.72.060.
  • Front garages abutting a street require a 20-foot front yard; a side yard abutting a street on a corner lot requires 12 feet.

  front yard: >= 10 feet (20 feet for a front-yard garage abutting a street.) · side yard: >= 5 feet (Both side yards together must total at least 13 feet; corner-lot street side yard is at least 12 feet.) · rear yard: >= 10 feet

  “Each side yard shall be at least five feet, and the total of both side yards shall be at least 13 feet, except that for corner lots a side yard abutting a street shall be at least 12 feet. (3) The rear yard shall be at least 10 feet.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Development in North Bend R-7 and R-10 residential zones.

  • The text states the first enclosed-building and impervious-surface limits for R-7, then states separate lower limits for R-10.

  R-7 enclosed-building coverage: <= 60 percent of lot area · R-7 impervious-surface coverage: <= 70 percent of lot area · R-10 enclosed-building coverage: <= 55 percent of lot area · R-10 impervious-surface coverage: <= 65 percent of lot area

  “In the R-10 zone, enclosed buildings shall not occupy more than 55 percent of the lot area. the maximum impervious surface area coverage shall not exceed 65 percent of the lot area.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in North Bend R-7 and R-10 residential zones.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Two and one-half stories or 35 feet, whichever is lower.)

  “In R-7 and R-10 zones, no buildings shall exceed a height of two and one-half stories or 35 feet, whichever is lower.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask North Bend or Coos County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside North Bend city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction inside North Bend city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Primary dwellings inside North Bend city limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside North Bend city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside North Bend city limits.

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 North Bend 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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