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

Stevens Township’s own rules

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Stevens township limits: the township has not adopted its own zoning ordinance

  • Stevens township has opted out of a zoning board and zoning ordinances per the Bradford County page for the township.
  • Other land-use rules still apply: subdivision (county), on-lot sewage (state/local SEO) and floodplain rules are recorded in separate claims.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Land inside Stevens township limits: no township zoning districts exist because the township has no zoning ordinance

  • No zoning map or district schedule is adopted by the township per the no-zoning statement.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Dwellings inside Stevens township (no township zoning district exists)

  • No township minimum dwelling size from zoning. The state Uniform Construction Code may apply if the township enforces it; not verified.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Single-family residential land inside Stevens township (no township zoning district exists; no main residential or agricultural district)

  • No township minimum lot size from zoning. Subdivision and on-lot sewage site-suitability rules may still limit lot creation and use.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

• SetbacksNone

  Structures inside Stevens township (no township zoning district exists)

  • No zoning setback is imposed by the township; separate state or county rules were not found in the sources reviewed.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lots inside Stevens township (no township zoning district exists)

  • No township lot coverage limit from zoning.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

• Building heightNone

  Buildings inside Stevens township (no township zoning district exists)

  • No township height limit from zoning.

  “stevens township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, comprehensive plan, zoning board, and zoning ordinances.”

Rules another office applies inside Stevens Township

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

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage disposal permitting for land inside Stevens township, under the statewide DEP onlot program

  • The DEP guide says the local agency may be a municipality, multi-municipal organization, or county or joint county health department.
  • The specific Stevens township agency was not confirmed from an official Stevens or county source; a Bradford County Sanitation Committee listing was seen only on a non-Stevens town page and is unverified for Stevens.

  “the onlot permit program is administered by a local agency. this organization may be a municipality, a multi-municipal organization, or a county or joint county department of health.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-lot sewage disposal system installed on land inside Stevens township

  • The lot must qualify for an onlot permit from the local certified sewage enforcement officer; a subdivision approval does not guarantee that a lot qualifies.
  • Steps must be followed in order: the owner applies, the SEO tests the site, then the permit issues if suitable.

  “to obtain a permit for an onlot sewage system, these steps must be followed in the order listed: the lot owner, or an agent for the owner, applies for a permit through the seo.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Stevens township, reviewed under the Bradford County ordinance (the county ordinance is countywide; this claim applies it to Stevens township, which has no township subdivision ordinance)

  • Each subdivision and land development must meet county standards; the township does not have its own subdivision ordinance per its county page.
  • Under the county ordinance, plans for townships without their own subdivision ordinance must be approved by the county planning commission before recording.

  “in boroughs and townships which have not adopted subdivision and land development ordinances, the subdivision and land development plans must be approved by the county planning commission as complying with all requirements of these regulations, before recording.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Stevens township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Stevens township
• Building code adopted — Building code enforcement for construction inside Stevens township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Stevens township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings inside Stevens 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.