Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Tillamook County, Oregon

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction, alterations and additions¹

Zoning

Yes; county zoning applies to all real property²

Septic permit

Required for a new system and administered by Tillamook County⁶³

Owner-builder

A limited exemption exists, but it does not remove the permit requirement⁷

Minimum lot size

Varies by zoning district; an undersized legal parcel may still be buildable⁸

Setbacks

Depend on the zoning district, proposed use and site⁹

RV living

Limited by zoning and county placement approval; not allowed on every parcel¹⁰¹¹

Septic soil suitability

Only 0.7% of soils rate without severe limits for a conventional drain field¹²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Tillamook County, Oregon?

Yes. Tillamook County requires permits for new construction and for alterations or additions to existing buildings; covered work includes structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, manufactured-housing, boiler and elevator work¹. Some structural exceptions exist, so the Building Division should confirm whether a narrow exemption fits your project¹¹³. Oregon's residential code applies uniformly statewide to one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, while Tillamook County reviews plans and performs inspections¹⁴. A qualifying agricultural building may be exempt from the structural permit and inspections, but electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits still apply, and a dwelling or a structure used by the public never qualifies¹⁵. In unincorporated Tillamook County the exemption runs through a county authorization: a plot plan is generally required, the building must meet setbacks, and the approval lapses if construction does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days¹⁶. On Farm Zone land the county also requires farm or forest tax deferral enrollment and a recorded covenant barring residential or rental use, and converting the building to a non-farm use first needs a building permit¹⁶. An owner-builder exemption is similarly narrow: it covers specified structural-code requirements and does not eliminate the building permit⁷.

Who issues building permits in Tillamook County, Oregon?

The Tillamook County Department of Community Development Building Division is the permit office; call (503) 842-3408 or visit 1510-B Third Street in Tillamook¹³. The division issues structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits, reviews plans and conducts inspections¹⁷. After the county says a permit has been issued, the packet must be collected within 5 business days or the county mails it¹⁷. The first approved inspection must occur within 180 days to keep the permit active, and each approved inspection extends it another 180 days¹⁷. Inspection requests go through the county hotline before 7:00 a.m. on the requested day, while eligible structural and trade inspections can also be scheduled through Oregon E-Permitting¹⁸. Building fees vary by the work, and school excise tax is collected at permit submittal in addition to building fees¹⁹.

Does Tillamook County, Oregon have zoning?

Yes. Rockaway Beach and Garibaldi have their own zoning inside city limits⁴⁵; in Garibaldi, an approved city land use permit must come before the structural permit, which Tillamook County Community Development issues²⁰. County zoning applies to all real property in the county's zoning jurisdiction, but inside the listed cities and their urban growth boundaries an approved city zoning permit must accompany the building-permit submission, so ask the city administrator when the zoning jurisdiction is unclear²¹. In county-zoned areas, the zoning map, special-use standards and overlays determine the rules for a parcel². The county publishes its zoning districts and an interactive map, but the web map is not the official zoning map; ask the Planning Division at (503) 842-3408 to confirm a parcel's zone and overlays²²²³. Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and height all depend on the district and proposed use⁸⁹²⁴²⁵. For a qualifying pre-existing lot smaller than 3,000 square feet, front and rear setbacks must total at least 30 feet, each must be at least 10 feet, structures must remain at least 6 feet from a structure on an adjacent lot, and coverage cannot exceed 50%²⁶²⁷. Residential height is 35 feet in most of the county, but oceanfront and bayfront parcels are limited to 24 feet, Neahkahnie to 24 feet and 17 feet within 500 feet of the ocean, and parts of Pacific City have added restrictions²⁵. A floodplain development permit and technical materials may also be required in mapped hazard areas²⁸.

How do septic permits work in Tillamook County, Oregon?

Tillamook County Community Development administers state-mandated requirements for new and repaired septic systems under contract with Oregon DEQ³. A new system requires a completed application, the fee and a favorable site evaluation; the submittal also calls for mapping, land-use compatibility information and a site development plan as applicable⁶. The county states that a complete application takes at least 2 weeks to process⁶. Only 0.7% of county soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field in the USDA soil survey, so make septic feasibility an early purchase condition rather than assuming acreage alone solves it¹². Oregon does not require a septic evaluation when a home is sold, but DEQ recommends a professional evaluation and requires its approved form if one is performed²⁹. Contact the Onsite Wastewater/Environmental Programs Division at (503) 842-3408 or chris.chiola@tillamookcounty.gov³⁰. Where public sewer is unavailable, development must use onsite wastewater treatment, a composting toilet does not remove the need for an approved system for the remaining wastewater, and a building inside a sewer district still needs a sewer connection³¹. A single countywide water-connection rule was not identified; ask the Planning Division or the water provider for the parcel³¹²³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Tillamook County, Oregon?

Tillamook County does not allow an RV residence on every parcel: the underlying zone must authorize the use, and the Department must approve a placement application before the RV is placed¹⁰¹¹. Temporary RV use during active construction is conditional, and the RV must be disconnected and stored or removed within 30 days after the relevant permit is void, closed, finalized, issued or denied¹⁰. A visitor may use an RV beside a legally established dwelling for no more than 2 weeks within a 30-day month, subject to sanitation and setback rules¹⁰. A recreational campground has at least 4 RV or tent sites, each RV is assigned to a space, and a camper may stay no longer than 6 months in any 12-month period³². Primitive campgrounds limit camping units to 2 weeks in a 4-week period³³. In unincorporated community residential zones, one accessory dwelling unit per property is allowed on a permanent foundation with wheels and running gear removed, and an RV, yurt or travel trailer cannot serve as that ADU³⁴. The ADU must stay within 75% of the primary residence or 800 square feet, whichever is less, needs one off-street parking space, and cannot be used for transient lodging³⁴. We could not confirm a separate tiny-home rule or countywide minimum dwelling floor area; ask Planning how a proposed unit is classified²³.

What are the steps to build a home in Tillamook County, Oregon?

1. Ask the Planning Division to confirm the parcel's zone, dwelling use, setbacks, height, lot coverage and hazard overlays before designing the house^2293523.
2. Confirm legal access with Public Works. A permit is required before constructing, altering or removing an approach in a public street, and a building permit generally waits for an approved approach unless the Director accepts the existing one³⁶³⁷.
3. If public sewer is unavailable, obtain a favorable site evaluation and apply to the county for the septic installation permit⁶³⁰.
4. Secure zoning, sanitation and public-works approvals before submitting the building-permit package¹.
5. Submit plans and applications to the Building Division, then budget for building fees and the applicable school excise tax¹⁹¹³.
6. Schedule each required inspection and keep the permit active through approved inspections¹⁸¹⁷.
7. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving into a new dwelling or townhouse³⁸.

What should you check before buying land in Tillamook County, Oregon?

Start with confirmed zoning, legal access, septic feasibility, water and flood hazards. The county's interactive zoning map is useful for screening, but it is not the official map²². Minimum lot size is district-specific, while access, utilities and onsite sanitation can also determine whether a proposed division or homesite works⁸³⁹. Only 12.3% of county land has a slope of 15% or less, and only 0.7% of soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so steep terrain and wastewater design deserve site-specific professional review⁴⁰¹². Development in a mapped special flood-hazard area can trigger a county permit and added technical submittals²⁸. For an existing home, a septic evaluation is voluntary but recommended²⁹. If an owner plans to drill a well personally, Oregon requires a landowner permit and financial security before work begins⁴¹.

Watch-outs

• The county's interactive zoning map is not the official zoning map; confirm the parcel's designation and overlays with Planning before relying on it²²²³.
• An RV or manufactured home needs county placement approval before it is placed, and the parcel's zone still controls whether the proposed use is allowed¹¹⁴².
• A building permit generally cannot issue until the road approach is approved, unless Public Works accepts the existing approach for the proposed use³⁶.

Sources

1. tillamookcounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
2. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 2, quoted and re-checked
3. Tillamook County FAQs, quoted and re-checked
4. Rockaway Beach: City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance (as amended, city Document Center) (Tillamook County), quoted and re-checked
5. Garibaldi: Building & Development – City of Garibaldi, Oregon (Tillamook County), quoted and re-checked
6. Instructions for Septic System Construction/Installation Permits, quoted and re-checked
7. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code - Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
8. FAQs, quoted and re-checked
9. tillamookcounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
10. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, quoted and re-checked
11. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, quoted and re-checked
12. 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
13. Tillamook County Department of Community Development - Building Division (tillamookcounty.gov)
14. Residential Structures Code Program, quoted and re-checked
15. Farm/agriculture/equine building exemption request, quoted and re-checked
16. Agricultural Building Authorization, quoted and re-checked
17. Building, quoted and re-checked
18. Building Division, quoted and re-checked
19. Building, quoted and re-checked
20. Garibaldi: Building & Development – City of Garibaldi, Oregon (Tillamook County), quoted and re-checked
21. Land Use Ordinance (LUO) (Zoning Ordinance), quoted and re-checked
22. Land Use Ordinance (LUO) (Zoning Ordinance), quoted and re-checked
23. Tillamook County Department of Community Development - Planning Division (tillamookcounty.gov)
24. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 4: Development Standards, quoted and re-checked
25. tillamookcounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
26. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 4: Development Standards, quoted and re-checked
27. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 4: Development Standards, quoted and re-checked
28. Floodplain Development Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked
29. Oregon Septic Smart, quoted and re-checked
30. Tillamook County Community Development - Onsite Wastewater/Environmental Programs Division (tillamookcounty.gov)
31. Housing and Onsite Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
32. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, quoted and re-checked
33. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, quoted and re-checked
34. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, quoted and re-checked
35. tillamookcounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
36. Tillamook County Road Approach Ordinance No. 44, quoted and re-checked
37. Tillamook County Public Works (tillamookcounty.gov)
38. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code - Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
39. Tillamook County Land Division Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
40. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
41. Landowner Constructed Wells, quoted and re-checked
42. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, 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.