Bolthole Index

Tillamook County, Oregon

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Rockaway Beach, Oregon

Rockaway Beach, Oregon sets and administers its own zoning, and the city planning department issues zoning permits and floodplain development permits1. Building permits for projects in the city are handled by Tillamook County under an agreement with the city1. Septic permits are a Tillamook County function carried out under contract with Oregon DEQ2; whether they apply inside city limits we could not confirm.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city has its own zoning ordinance and planning department31
Zoning permits
Issued by the city planning department1
Building permits
Handled by Tillamook County under an agreement with the city1
Minimum lot, R-1 zone
5,000 sq ft for lots platted after Ordinance 235; 3,500 sq ft for older lots4
Height, R-1 single unit
20 ft oceanfront, 24 ft elsewhere, 29 ft east of Highway 1015
Septic
Tillamook County, as Oregon DEQ's agent (city-limits detail unconfirmed)2
Owner-builder
Oregon allows owner-built dwellings, with a building permit still required6

Who to call

Planning & zoning

City of Rockaway Beach Planning Department

Zoning administration, zoning permits and floodplain development permits inside city limits

(503) 374-1752

276 Hwy 101 S. Rockaway Beach, OR 97136

Building permits

Tillamook County Department of Community Development - Building Division

Building-permit applications, plan review and inspections

(503) 842-3408

1510-B Third Street, Tillamook, OR 97141

Online permits →

Septic permits

Tillamook County Community Development - Onsite Wastewater/Environmental Programs Division

Site evaluations and permits for new and repaired onsite wastewater systems

(503) 842-3408

1510-B Third Street, Tillamook, OR 97141

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Rockaway Beach means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Rockaway Beach, Oregon have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Rockaway Beach has its own zoning ordinance with R-1, R-2, R-R, R-3 and RMD residential zones plus commercial and overlay zones, administered by the city planning department3. The ordinance is the city's, not Tillamook County's, so the county's rules for unincorporated land do not govern a lot inside city limits.

In the R-1 single-family zone, single unit dwellings and duplexes need a 5,000 square foot lot if platted after Ordinance 235, while lots that existed at its 1985 adoption can be 3,500 square feet4. Yards are 15 feet in front, 5 feet on the side (15 feet on the street side of a corner lot)7. At least 30% of an R-1 lot must stay in natural vegetation or landscaping8. Single unit dwellings top out at 20 feet oceanfront and 24 feet elsewhere, except 29 feet east of Highway 1015. Other zones have their own numbers; ask the city planner which zone a parcel is in.

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

Rockaway Beach has an intergovernmental agreement with Tillamook County for building permit services, so the county's Building Division is the office that handles building permits for work inside the city1. Tillamook County requires permits for new construction and for alterations and additions, covering structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work9.

The city planning department separately issues zoning permits and floodplain development permits1. Tillamook County's own page says that for properties in listed cities, an approved zoning permit must accompany the building-permit submission10. Plan on getting city zoning sign-off first, then applying to the county. We could not confirm the city's own building code chapter, so confirm details with the county Building Division11.

How do septic permits work in Rockaway Beach?

Tillamook County administers septic requirements under a contract with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality2. A new septic system needs a completed application, a fee and a favorable site evaluation, and processing takes at least two weeks12. Where a municipal sewer system is available the building must connect to it instead of using a septic system13.

We could not confirm which parts of Rockaway Beach are on city sewer, or whether the city handles any sewer connection approvals itself. Before you buy, ask the city and the county onsite wastewater division14 whether a given lot is sewered or needs a septic site evaluation.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Rockaway Beach?

We could not confirm the city's rule for living in an RV or tiny home on an individual lot. The city's zoning ordinance lists RV parks and manufactured dwelling parks as conditional uses in some zones, but the single-lot rule was not confirmed. Ask the Planning Department at (503) 374-1752 before you plan around it1.

Tillamook County's RV placement rules are for land under county jurisdiction, not city lots15.

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

  1. Ask the city Planning Department which zone the lot is in and what lot size, setbacks and height apply1.
  2. Check whether the lot is on city sewer or needs a septic site evaluation from Tillamook County12.
  3. Get the city zoning permit; floodplain development permits also come from the city planning department1.
  4. Apply to the Tillamook County Building Division for the building permit, with the zoning permit attached10.
  5. Book inspections through the county; the first approved inspection must happen within 180 days of issuance or the permit expires10.
  6. Get a certificate of occupancy before moving in16.

What stays with Tillamook County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic permits are a Tillamook County function2. Oregon's statewide owner-builder exemption covers only ceiling heights, room sizes and temperature maintenance, and a building permit is still needed6. A landowner who drills their own well needs a state permit with a $550 fee17.

For land outside Rockaway Beach city limits, use the Tillamook County page, because county rules apply only to unincorporated land. County figures: annual precipitation is about 101 inches18, the effective property tax rate is 0.6%19, and the typical home value is $512,93520.

Watch-outs

  • Building permits for Rockaway Beach projects run through Tillamook County, but we could not confirm the city's own building code chapter, so confirm with the county Building Division before filing11.
  • We could not confirm septic rules, sewer connection requirements, RV or tiny-home rules, or short-term rental rules inside city limits; ask the city Planning Department1.
  • The lot, setback and height numbers above are for the R-1 zone; other zones differ, and an oceanfront lot has a lower height limit5.

Sources

  1. City of Rockaway Beach Planning Department (rockawaybeachoregon.gov)
  2. Tillamook County FAQs, quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance (as amended, city Document Center) (Rockaway Beach), quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance (as amended, city Document Center) (Rockaway Beach), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance (as amended, city Document Center) (Rockaway Beach), quoted and re-checked
  6. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code - ORS 455.320 reprinted (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance (as amended, city Document Center) (Rockaway Beach), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance (as amended, city Document Center) (Rockaway Beach), quoted and re-checked
  9. tillamookcounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
  10. Building, quoted and re-checked
  11. Tillamook County Department of Community Development - Building Division (tillamookcounty.gov)
  12. Instructions for Septic System Construction/Installation Permits, quoted and re-checked
  13. Housing and Onsite Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
  14. Tillamook County Community Development - Onsite Wastewater/Environmental Programs Division (tillamookcounty.gov)
  15. Tillamook County Land Use Ordinance Article 5, quoted and re-checked
  16. 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code - Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
  17. Landowner Constructed Wells (Oregon statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Rockaway Beach city limits

    • Ordinance includes zones R-1, R-2, R-R, R-3, RMD, commercial and overlay zones; the city planning department administers it
    “section 3.020. medium density residential zone (r-2). in an r-2 zone the following regulations shall apply:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Rockaway Beach city

    • Zoning map not separately reviewed
    “section 3.020. medium density residential zone (r-2). in an r-2 zone the following regulations shall apply:”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single unit dwellings and duplexes in the R-1 single-family residential zone inside Rockaway Beach city

    • 3,500 sq ft applies to lots existing at adoption of Ordinance 235 (1985); lots platted later need 5,000 sq ft
    • Triplex/quadplex/cottage cluster 5,000 sq ft; townhouse average 1,500 sq ft
    • Minimum lot width 50 ft (35 ft for lots 3,500-4,999 sq ft)

    minimum lot size (lots platted after Ord. 235): >= 5000 sq ft (3,500 sq ft for pre-existing lots)

    “for single unit dwellings and duplexes, the minimum lot size shall be 3,500 square feet for lots existing at the time of the adoption of ordinance 235. lots platted after the adoption of ordinance 235 shall have a minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 zone inside Rockaway Beach city

    • Reduced yards for lots under 5,000 sq ft per 3.010(3)(i)
    • Oceanfront structures must conform to section 5.060(1)(b)
    • Corner-lot rear yard may be 5 ft

    front yard: >= 15 ft (reduced for small lots) · side yard: >= 5 ft (15 ft street side of corner lot) · rear yard: >= 20 ft (5 ft on corner lot; 10 ft for lots 3,500-4,999 sq ft)

    “the minimum front yard shall be 15 feet, unless subsection 3.010(3)(h) applies. [amended by ordinance #235, june 25, 1985] g. the minimum side yard shall be 5 feet, except that on the street side of a corner lot it shall be 15 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 zone inside Rockaway Beach city; expressed as a minimum natural vegetation/landscaping share, not a maximum coverage percentage

    minimum natural vegetation or landscaping: >= 30 percent of lot

    “a minimum of 30% of the lot will be maintained in natural vegetation or landscaping.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single unit dwellings in the R-1 zone inside Rockaway Beach city

    • Middle housing 25 ft, 29 ft east of Highway 101

    maximum height oceanfront: <= 20 ft · maximum height elsewhere: <= 24 ft (29 ft east of Highway 101)

    “for single unit dwellings, the maximum building height shall be 20 feet on the oceanfront and 24 feet elsewhere except east of highway 101 it shall be 29 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Rockaway Beach city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules inside Rockaway Beach city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Rockaway Beach city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Rockaway Beach city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Rockaway Beach city
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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

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