Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Emporium, Pennsylvania

Borough of Emporium’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Dwellings and recreational cabins inside Emporium borough (UCC permit through Jones Township)

  • Applies to installation or construction of any dwelling, including mobile homes
  • Three permits (sewage, zoning, building) are needed in that order
  • A PennDOT highway occupancy permit may be needed for a new driveway on a state road

  “each municipality in cameron county requires a valid sewage and a pa. uniform construction code (ucc) building permit prior to the installation or construction of any dwelling, including mobile homes, and other structures utilized as a recreational cabins.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Inside Emporium borough: PA Uniform Construction Code, administered by Jones Township

  • Recreational cabin exclusion is available under the UCC
  • Statewide UCC administered by Jones Township for Cameron County municipalities

  “jones township administers the uniform construction code for all seven municipalities within cameron county. including the boroughs of emporium and driftwood, and the townships of lumber, grove, portage, and gibson.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Emporium borough, Cameron County

  • Page directs applicants to the borough for zoning approval, not the county; the borough's own ordinance text was not located
  • Sewage or sewer approval must come before zoning approval

  “projects located in the borough of emporium must obtain zoning approval from the borough, not the county.”

• Who permits septicLocal

  On-lot sewage systems inside Emporium borough, handled by the municipal sewage enforcement officer (Jones Township's SEO serves Cameron County municipalities)

  • Not a county health department program on this page

  “contact the sewage enforcement officer, mr. russ braun at (814) 781-3663 or (814) 594-6194 to schedule any necessary soils testing or inspections.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings inside Emporium borough not served by public sewer

  • Sewage permit comes before zoning and building permits
  • Areas served by public sewer use the Mid Cameron Municipal Sewer Authority instead

  “each municipality in cameron county requires a valid sewage and a pa. uniform construction code (ucc) building permit prior to the installation or construction of any dwelling”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Building sites using new or existing on-lot systems inside Emporium borough

  • Testing and approval must happen before applying for a zoning or building permit
  • Site slope and soil limits apply

  “must be tested, field verified and approved by the municipal sewage enforcement officer prior to making an application for a zoning or building permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  New construction inside Emporium borough: sewage, then borough zoning, then UCC building permit through Jones Township

  • Zoning approval comes from the borough, not the county
  • Forms are submitted to the Jones Township building code official
  • The borough's own zoning application process was not located

  “in most all circumstances, three separate types of permits are required for new construction. these permits are sewage, zoning, and building and must be obtained in this order.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Emporium or Cameron County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Emporium borough
• Inspections — Emporium borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Emporium borough
• Zoning districts — Emporium borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Emporium borough

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.