Homebuilding 101 - Knox County

Thinking about building your own home? Not sure where to begin? Let us help you. 

Knox County, like most counties has a set of procedures one should follow when constructing a new home. The very first thing that needs to be done is to verify appropriate zoning. Nearly all of the townships have established zoning regulations and have a zoning inspector to enforce those regulations. Contact the zoning inspector in your township to apply for a zoning permit.

 A list of township zoning inspectors, with their contact information has been attached for your convenience. This list can also be found under the “ZONING” tab on the Knox County, Ohio Regional Planning Office official website, referenced herein www.knoxregionalplanning.com.

 If the real estate you plan to build on is located in an unzoned township, you will begin directly with a site evaluation.

 A Site Evaluation is the first step toward installing an appropriate waste-water disposal system. Site evaluations determine the characteristics of the building site and the soil's ability to treat and dispose of wastewater. A site evaluation can be completed by a sanitarian at the Knox County Health Department. An application for a Site Review can be found on the Knox County Health Department website here. For your convenience an application can be found here. The Knox County Health Department is located at 11660 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 and the telephone number is (740) 392-2200.

 Once you have completed your site evaluation, you need to obtain an Access Management Permit. With building a new home the “access” (driveway) location must be approved. Preserving the flow of traffic on the surrounding road system in terms of safety, capacity, and speed are some of the utmost important factors in determining the location of a new driveway. The Knox County Regional Planning office can determine what road classification (State, County or Township highway) your new home will fall under, so that you receive the proper permit for your build.

 Please contact the appropriate department listed below for an application.

 ·       State Highway Garage 505 Harcourt Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 , Telephone: (740) 392-3066

 ·       County Engineer’s Office 422 Columbus Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 , Telephone: (740) 397-1590

 ·       Township Zoning Inspector or Township Trustee, Contact information available here.

 Following your approved driveway location, your new home will need an address. Property Address Assignments are assigned by the Knox County Map Office. You must have an approved access permit, parcel identification number and exact location of the driveway to obtain an address. Addresses are determined by the driveway location. The application for a property address can be found here. The Map Office is located at 117 E. High Street, Suite 131, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 and the telephone number is (740) 393-6752.

 Next you may need to obtain a Storm Water Management & Sediment Control Permit, prior to construction at your building site. This can be done by contacting the Knox County Regional Planning Commission for an application, at (740) 393-6718. Storm water management and sediment control permits are required for all non-agricultural earth disturbing activities.

After receiving your storm water management and sediment control permit, you will need to apply for a Septic and Well Permit with the Knox County Health Department. This permit allows the installation of the septic system and water well. A layout/design plan is required. A copy of the application can be found here.

 Finally once you have all your permits in hand, provide a copy of each one of them to your township zoning inspector. To be more specific this is the procedure to build a home in an unincorporated area of Knox County. For public or commercial construction, please contact the Ohio Department of Commerce at (614) 644-2223 for more information.