Bolthole Index

Lane County, Oregon

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dunes City, Oregon

Dunes City, Oregon, in Lane County, zones its own land under a city Land Development Code, and the city's permit page says permits are required for all new construction inside city limits12. Septic permits for lots off community sewer come from Lane County's On-Site Wastewater program, not the city counter3. Living in an RV on a residential lot is temporary only, for no more than one year4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. The city zones its own land under its Land Development Code1
Building permit
City page says permits are required for all new construction2
Septic permit
Lane County On-Site Wastewater program, countywide3
RV living
Temporary only: up to one year on an R-1 lot, with city approval4
Minimum lot (R-1)
1 acre, with a 150-foot average width5
Height (R-1)
Lesser of 32 feet or 2 1/2 stories6
Owner-builder
State exemption from some structural-code room and ceiling rules; a permit is still required7
City property tax
Dunes City does not collect property tax2

Who to call

Building permits

Dunes City Hall – Permits and Planning

City permit forms and information for building, zoning-related and other city permits inside Dunes City limits

541.997.3338

82877 Spruce St. Westlake, OR 97493

Planning & zoning

Dunes City Hall – Contact Us

City hall contact for permits and planning questions inside Dunes City limits

541.997.3338

permits@dunescity.gov

82877 Spruce St. Westlake, OR 97493

Septic permits

Lane County Land Management Division - On-Site Wastewater (Subsurface Sanitation) Program

Septic permits and site evaluations for systems not served by community sewer in Lane County

541-682-3754

3050 North Delta Hwy, Eugene, OR 97408

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

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Does Dunes City, Oregon have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and height?

Yes. Dunes City regulates land use under its own Land Development Code, so zoning questions inside city limits go to city hall, not to Lane County1. The published code names Residential (R-1) and Community Commercial (CC) zones, plus Open Space, Fragile Lands, Wetland and Riparian overlay zones8.

In the R-1 zone, the minimum lot area is 1 acre with a minimum average lot width of 150 feet5. Buildings in R-1 are limited to the lesser of 32 feet or 2 1/2 stories6. Land divisions and subdivisions are regulated by the same code, so splitting a parcel is a city decision9. We could not confirm a minimum dwelling size, accessory dwelling rules or tiny-home rules; ask the city's Planning Official at city hall.

Do you need a building permit in Dunes City, and who issues it?

Dunes City's own permit page says permits are required for all new construction and for specific alterations to existing homes2. The same page lists forms for structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, and a work permit expires if work does not start within 180 days of issuance2. The city also publishes Type I through Type IV decision procedures for land-use applications, with the procedure depending on the application type10.

The Lane County Building Program serves unincorporated Lane County, so its counter is not the right office for a lot inside Dunes City11. We could not confirm the city's fee schedule or the operative text of its building-permit and certificate-of-occupancy section; call city hall before you budget. Oregon's owner-builder exemption relaxes some structural-code requirements for room sizes and ceiling heights but still requires a building permit7.

How do you reach Dunes City hall for permits and planning?

Dunes City Hall is at 82877 Spruce St., Westlake, OR 97493, and the phone is 541.997.33382. Permit questions can also go to permits@dunescity.gov12. The city describes itself as not a full-service city and says it does not collect property tax, so expect a small staff and call ahead2.

For land outside city limits, use the Lane County page instead: Lane County covers the county's own rules for unincorporated land.

How do septic permits work in Dunes City?

Lane County's On-Site Wastewater program regulates installation, repair and maintenance of septic systems for properties not served by community sewer3. Before construction, applicants apply to the county's Subsurface Sanitation Program for a septic permit, and a new system requires an approved site evaluation13. Oregon also requires an affirmative land use compatibility statement before DEQ or its local agent issues a construction permit14. Dunes City's permit page carries a septic land use compatibility statement form, so expect a city sign-off step2.

The city's code has a sewer chapter with a periodic septic inspection and evaluation requirement, but we could not read the operative text, so ask city hall what applies to your lot15. Across Lane County, only 4.7% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so plan on a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system16. Call the county line at 541-682-375417.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Dunes City?

Only temporarily. On an R-1 lot, a recreational vehicle may be occupied with the owner's permission for no more than one year while a house is under construction, after a disaster, for short-term use, or for other good cause set by the Planning Official4. Outside the residential zone's Type I process, stays of 28 or fewer consecutive days are exempt, and unlimited occupancy is allowed only in a mobile-home or RV park connected to water, septic and electrical systems18.

An RV not served by an approved septic system needs an approved method of wastewater disposal, and the city rule does not waive city, county, state or federal permits19. Lane County's rural RV rental program applies to unincorporated land, not to Dunes City lots20. We could not confirm any city rule on tiny homes; ask the Planning Official before buying.

Building a home in Dunes City: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zone and overlays with city hall; R-1 needs 1 acre and Riparian, Wetland or Fragile Lands overlays may apply58.
  2. Request a septic site evaluation from the Lane County On-Site Wastewater program at 541-682-375417.
  3. Get the city's land use compatibility sign-off for septic2.
  4. Apply for the city's building permits through the forms on the city permit page2.
  5. Pass inspections; the county's septic inspections must finish before a county final building inspection, and the city may require its own inspections21.
  6. Get a certificate of occupancy before moving in; Oregon's residential code requires one for new dwellings, and we could not confirm the city's own procedure22.

What stays with Lane County and the state when buying land in Dunes City?

Septic permits come from Lane County, and wells are a state matter: landowners who drill their own well need an Oregon Water Resources Department permit with a $10,000 bond and a $550 fee23. Domestic well use up to 15,000 gallons per day is exempt from a water right24. We could not confirm city rules on wells, driveways or flood-prone land; ask city hall.

A driveway onto a state highway needs written ODOT permission25. Lane County's effective property tax rate is 0.9%, though Dunes City itself does not collect property tax262.

Watch-outs

  • Do not use Lane County's unincorporated-area rules for a lot inside Dunes City; the county's building and RV programs cover only land outside city limits11.
  • We could not confirm Dunes City's permit fees, accessory-dwelling rules, tiny-home rules or flood-area rules; call city hall at 541.997.3338 before you buy2.
  • Lane County announced an on-site sanitation fee increase effective September 1, 2026, so older septic fee figures may be out of date13.

Sources

  1. Chapter 155: Land Development Code (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  2. Dunes City Hall – Permits and Planning (dunescity.gov)
  3. On-Site Wastewater - Lane County, quoted and re-checked
  4. § 155.417 Temporary Occupancy of Recreational Vehicles and Travel Trailers (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  5. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  6. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code - ORS 455.320 reprinted (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 155: Land Development Code (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 155: Land Development Code (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 155: Land Development Code (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  11. Residential Project Exemptions, quoted and re-checked
  12. Dunes City Hall – Contact Us (dunescity.gov)
  13. General Information - Lane County, quoted and re-checked
  14. Housing and Onsite Wastewater Management (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 50: Sewers (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  16. 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
  17. Lane County Land Management Division - On-Site Wastewater (Subsurface Sanitation) Program (lanecountyor.gov)
  18. § 155.417 Temporary Occupancy of Recreational Vehicles and Travel Trailers (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  19. § 155.417 Temporary Occupancy of Recreational Vehicles and Travel Trailers (Dunes City), quoted and re-checked
  20. Lane Code Chapters 16.290–16.291, quoted and re-checked
  21. Inspections - Lane County, quoted and re-checked
  22. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code - Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
  23. Landowner Constructed Wells (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Water Rights FAQs - State of Oregon, quoted and re-checked
  25. Access Management (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. 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 Dunes City

Dunes City’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Dunes City city limits.

    • Land use is regulated under the city's Land Development Code.
    “All areas within the urban growth boundary of the city are divided into land use zones.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Dunes City city limits.

    • The published code identifies Residential (R-1) and Community Commercial (CC) zones and Open Space, Fragile Lands, Wetland, and Riparian overlay zones.
    “Community Commercial (CC) Zone [...] Riparian Overlay Zone”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    RV and travel-trailer occupancy inside Dunes City city limits.

    • In the residential zone, temporary occupancy requires a Type I application decision except short-term stays of 28 or fewer consecutive days.
    • On an R-1 lot, temporary occupancy may not exceed one year except hardship provisions; unlimited occupancy is allowed only in a mobile-home or RV park lawfully connected to water, septic, and electrical systems.

    short-term-stay exemption: <= 28 consecutive days (Exempt from the Type I temporary-occupancy process.) · temporary R-1 occupancy: <= 1 year (May be extended monthly up to one year; separate hardship rule applies.)

    “SHORT-TERM STAYS, defined as 28 or fewer consecutive days, are exempt.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Temporary RV or travel-trailer camping/occupancy on R-1 lots inside Dunes City city limits.

    • Owner permission is required.
    • The listed purposes include construction shelter, disaster housing, short-term occupancy where permanent facilities are inappropriate, or other good cause determined by the Planning Official.
    • The RV must comply with setbacks, avoid public rights-of-way, and maintain ten feet from any structure.

    maximum temporary occupancy: <= 1 year (Subject to Type I approval and specified purposes.)

    “Recreational vehicles and travel trailers, regardless of location in the Residential Zone or other standards imposed by this chapter, may be allowed temporary occupancy on an R-1 lot with permission of the owner of the lot for some period of time, but not more than one year, to provide shelter while a primary residential structure is under construction, for temporary housing subsequent to a disaster, for short-term occupancy where a more permanent facility would be inappropriate, or for other good cause as determined by the Planning Official.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Sewage systems subject to Dunes City's Chapter 50 inside city limits.

    • The accessible code index identifies challenges associated with the periodic inspection and evaluation requirement; the operative section text was not accessible.
    “50.09 Periodic inspection, evaluation required; challenges”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Temporary RV or travel-trailer occupancy on an R-1 lot inside Dunes City city limits when the unit is not served by an approved septic system.

    • An approved wastewater-disposal method is required when the unit is not served by an approved septic system.
    • This provision does not waive city, county, state, or federal permit requirements.
    “An approved method of wastewater disposal [...] is required”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land divisions and subdivisions inside Dunes City city limits.

    • Chapter 155 includes general requirements, an approval process, tentative-plan requirements and criteria, final-plat submission and approval criteria, public improvements, performance guarantees, filing and recording.
    “Land Divisions and Property Line Adjustments”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Land-use and development permits inside Dunes City city limits.

    • The Land Development Code publishes Type I through Type IV decision procedures; the applicable procedure depends on application type.
    “Type I procedure (ministerial) [...] Type IV procedure (legislative)”

Rules another office applies inside Dunes City

Dunes City 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 sizeSpecified

    R-1 Zone inside Dunes City city limits.

    • Table also sets a 150-foot minimum average lot width.
    • Nonconforming-lot provisions appear in the table notes.

    minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum average lot width: >= 150 ft

    “Lot area | 1 acre minimum Lot average width | 150 ft. minimum”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Zone inside Dunes City city limits.

    • The applicable maximum is the lesser of the stated height or story limit.

    maximum height from average grade: <= 32 ft (Lesser of 32 feet or 2 1/2 stories maximum.) · maximum stories: <= 2 1/2 stories (Lesser of 32 feet or 2 1/2 stories maximum.)

    “Lesser of 32 feet or 2 1/2 stories maximum”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Dunes City or Lane County directly.

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside Dunes City city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Dunes City city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Dunes City city limits.
  • Inspections — Building construction inside Dunes City city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Dunes City city limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Dunes City publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lane County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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