Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Sheshequin Township, Pennsylvania

Sheshequin Township’s own rules

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Sewage (on-lot septic) matters for land inside Sheshequin township, handled by the township Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO)

  • The minutes name 'the township seo' for sewer-related issues; the SEO is not named in the source.
  • The minutes say the township does not make the decisions itself but that its SEO is the contact; the SEO's sewage permit rule is not stated.

  “second contact the township seo for any sewer related issues”

Rules another office applies inside Sheshequin Township

Sheshequin Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings in Sheshequin township; the township minutes say building permits go to 'code enforcement inc' and that this applies even to ag-exempt or cabin-exempt buildings

  • The township minutes say the township itself does not make decisions on building permits; the agency handles them.
  • The agency name appears only in lowercase in the minutes; it was not matched to the DLI certified third-party agency list during this research.
  • Permit fees, forms and inspection steps are not stated in the source.

  “first contact bradford county planning for any land development, second contact the township seo for any sewer related issues, and lastly contact code enforcement inc for any building permits even if they are ag exempt or cabin exempt related.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Building setbacks from the street right-of-way for structures in subdivisions and land developments in Sheshequin township, under the Bradford County SALDO; not a general single-family setback in a township zoning district

  • SALDO text says 'building setback lines must conform to zoning ordinance, if applicable.' Where a zoning ordinance applies, its setbacks control instead.
  • Applies to subdivisions and land developments only, not to individual homes on existing lots.
  • The SALDO excerpt does not give side or rear setbacks.

  maximum building setback from street right-of-way: <= 40 feet (required setback is one-half of the street right-of-way, provided the maximum is forty feet) · setback from street right-of-way: one-half of the street right-of-way (capped at 40 feet)

  “otherwise, the minimum building setback line for all structures in subdivisions, land developments, mobile home parks, recreational vehicle parks or campgrounds shall be measured from the required street right-of-way and shall be one-half (1/2) of the street right-of-way, provided that the maximum required setback shall be forty feet (40').”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-lot sanitation in new land developments inside Sheshequin township where no public sewer or package plant is planned; the county SALDO applies there per the township minutes that send land development to Bradford County Planning. This is a county subdivision rule, not a township ordinance; it does not cover an individual home on an existing lot.

  • Applies in developments only, and only where neither public sewer nor a package collection and treatment system is planned by the developer.
  • Holding tanks and privies are named as on-lot options in the SALDO text.
  • Soil-based sizing and state DEP sewage rules still apply; the SALDO does not state the sizing numbers in the excerpt.

  “in developments where neither connection to a public sewage system nor a package collection and treatment system is planned by the developer, on-lot disposal facilities, holding tanks or privys shall be provided on an individual lot or parcel basis according to the soil characteristics and physical features of each lot or parcel.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land development and subdivision inside Sheshequin township, handled by Bradford County Planning under the county SALDO, per the township's own description

  • Source is township minutes describing the procedure; the county SALDO's applicability clause for townships without their own subdivision ordinance was not captured in this research.
  • The township says it does not make these decisions itself.

  “first contact bradford county planning for any land development, second contact the township seo for any sewer related issues, and lastly contact code enforcement inc for any building permits even if they are ag exempt or cabin exempt related.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Plats in Sheshequin township that access a state highway; the county SALDO requires a notice on the plat, and the driveway permit is a PennDOT matter

  • Applies to plats only; does not regulate a single driveway on an existing lot.
  • The SALDO says a highway occupancy permit is required before driveway access to a state highway is permitted.

  “no plat which will require access to a highway under the jurisdiction of the department of transportation shall be finally approved unless the plat contains a notice that a highway occupancy permit is required”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Sheshequin Township or Bradford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner-builder may build a home in Sheshequin township without a licensed contractor
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new construction inside Sheshequin township
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required for construction inside Sheshequin township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is required before occupying a new home in Sheshequin township
• Local zoning — Whether Sheshequin township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside the township

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.