Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Fishing Creek Township, Pennsylvania

Fishing Creek Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Fishing Creek Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania.

  • The adopted code is the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and its regulations, as amended from time to time.
  • Administration and enforcement may be performed through the methods authorized by the ordinance, including municipal staff, third-party agencies, intermunicipal agreement, contract, or Department agreement.

  “The Uniform Construction Code [...] is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this Municipality.”

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Fishing Creek Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania.

  • The Township directs zoning concerns to Columbia County and environmental or potentially dangerous situations to DEP.

  “There is no zoning in Fishing Creek Township. This is in accordance with resident wishes.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Township zoning dimensional controls inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • No Township zoning dimensional standard follows from the official no-zoning statement; building-code requirements may still apply.

  “There is no zoning in Fishing Creek Township. This is in accordance with resident wishes.”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Township zoning dimensional controls inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • No Township zoning lot-size standard follows from the official no-zoning statement; sewage, subdivision, and other rules may still apply.

  “There is no zoning in Fishing Creek Township. This is in accordance with resident wishes.”

• SetbacksNone

  Township zoning setbacks inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • No Township zoning setback standard follows from the official no-zoning statement; floodplain, road, sewage, and building-code requirements may still apply.

  “There is no zoning in Fishing Creek Township. This is in accordance with resident wishes.”

• Lot coverageNone

  Township zoning lot-coverage controls inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • No Township zoning lot-coverage standard follows from the official no-zoning statement.

  “There is no zoning in Fishing Creek Township. This is in accordance with resident wishes.”

• Building heightNone

  Township zoning building-height controls inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • No Township zoning height standard follows from the official no-zoning statement; UCC and floodplain requirements may still apply.

  “There is no zoning in Fishing Creek Township. This is in accordance with resident wishes.”

Rules another office applies inside Fishing Creek Township

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

• InspectionsLimited

  UCC-regulated construction inside Fishing Creek Township, including the specified residential systems and projects.

  • Inspections are necessary only in the cases stated by the UCC source, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings; electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems; pools or hot tubs; and specified manufactured or industrialized-housing work.

  “Inspections are also necessary in several cases”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A building or facility subject to the Pennsylvania UCC and used inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • The certificate must be issued before the building or facility can be used.

  “A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building or facility can be used.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sewage enforcement for land inside Fishing Creek Township.

  • The listed sewage enforcement officer is associated with the Columbia County Sanitary Inspection Office.

  “Sewage Enforcement Officer James McDeavitt Columbia Co. Sanitary Inspection Office”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Fishing Creek Township.
• Septic permit — Individual on-lot sewage systems inside Fishing Creek Township.
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation serving residential use inside Fishing Creek Township.
• Well permit — Private-well construction inside Fishing Creek Township.
• Mandatory utility hookup — Whether a new home must connect to public water or sewer inside Fishing Creek 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.