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

Jones Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New dwellings and alterations inside Jones Township

  • Exempt: detached residential accessory buildings with footprint under 1,000 sq ft; agricultural buildings; non-structural alterations; ordinary repairs; siding; qualifying recreational cabins with notarized affidavit; fences up to 6 ft; small above-ground pools; uncovered decks up to 30 inches above grade not altering egress
  • Exempt buildings may still need a zoning permit

  accessory building footprint exemption: < 1000 sq ft

  “a building permit is required whenever a new dwelling, including mobile homes, camps and summer homes, are constructed, altered or demolished.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Jones Township; PA Uniform Construction Code administered by Jones Township's building department

  • Codes subject to change per township page
  • UCC effective statewide July 1, 2004

  code edition: 2018 International Codes

  “the codes currently in use under the ucc are the 2018 international codes issued by the international code council.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings and repairs of on-lot septic systems inside Jones Township

  • Applies to full-time residences and recreational cabins
  • Site inspection or testing usually required even when replacing an old structure

  “almost all new dwelling construction still requires some type of a sewer permit.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings and barns inside Jones Township, exempt from UCC building permit

  • Notarized exemption form must be filed with the township before construction; no fee
  • Buildings with areas where agricultural products are processed, packaged or treated are not exempt
  • Offices or spaces open to the public must be permitted
  • May still require a zoning permit

  “certain agricultural buildings (barns) are specifically excluded from the permit requirements of the pa. uniform construction code.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Jones Township

  • Contact building code official at 814-929-5138
  • Commercial work usually needs an engineer or architect

  “the paperwork that it takes to pull a building permit includes filling out an application and submitting a plot survey, several sets of blueprints of the proposed project and a check for the building permit fee.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Jones Township
• Inspections — Inspections inside Jones Township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new buildings inside Jones Township
• Local zoning — Land inside Jones Township, Elk County, PA
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Jones 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.