OH · verified 2026-10-27
Cleveland, OH
Short answerYes: the City of Cleveland code allows up to 6 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 5 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Cleveland corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Cleveland corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 6 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 5 ft
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 347.02(b)(1) Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits and Similar Animals in Residential Districts, and § 347.02(j) Public Health license.
How many hens
“No more than one (1) such animal shall be kept on a parcel of land for each eight hundred (800) square feet of parcel or lot area. For a standard residential lot of four thousand eight hundred (4,800) square feet, this regulation would permit no more than a total of six (6) such animals.”
One chicken for every 800 sq ft of lot, so six on a standard 4,800 sq ft lot. Ducks and rabbits count toward the same total.
Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 347.02(b)(1) Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits and Similar Animals in Residential Districts, and § 347.02(j) Public Health license.
Roosters
“No roosters, geese or turkeys may be kept in a Residential District except on a parcel that is at least one (1) acre in area and only if the coop or cage housing the bird(s) is at least one hundred (100) feet from all property lines.”
No roosters in residential districts unless the lot is at least one acre and the coop is 100 ft from every property line.
Permit and fee
“anyone proposing to keep farm animals or bees on a property in the City of Cleveland shall apply for a two (2) year license from the City of Cleveland through its Department of Public Health on a form provided by that office.”
The license lasts two years. A building permit is needed only for coops attached to the ground or larger than 32 sq ft or taller than 8 ft.
Setback / screening
“shall not be located within five (5) feet of a side yard line nor within eighteen (18) inches of a rear yard line”
Keep the coop out of the front and side-street yards, at least 5 ft from side lot lines and 18 in from the rear lot line (5 ft if your rear line is a neighbor’s side or front line).
Coop and run size
“Chickens and other birds shall have access to an outdoor enclosure adequately fenced or otherwise bounded to contain the birds on the property and to prevent access by dogs and other predators and providing at least ten (10) square feet of area for each bird.”
Also in this section
Coop size cap
“The total area of all coops or cages on a lot shall not be greater than thirty-two (32) square feet for up to six (6) animals.”
15 ft height limit
“Coops and cages, singly or in combination, shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Cleveland, OH metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Ohio via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Ohio among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Medina (#311)
Medina — 3768 Pearl Rd, Medina, OH 44256. (330) 722-0200. Store page lists a livestock department.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic, Farmhouse or Coastal finish); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-22.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
No verified poultry vet yet
We have not confirmed a clinic here that says it treats chickens. Call local vets and ask before you need one.
Verified 2026-10-27 against Cleveland Codified Ordinances § 347.02(b)(1) Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits and Similar Animals in Residential Districts, and § 347.02(j) Public Health license. at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cleveland/latest/cleveland_oh/0-0-0-14557. Read the live code before you build or order birds.