Bolthole Index

Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Greencastle, Pennsylvania

The Borough of Greencastle in Franklin County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, and building starts with a land use/zoning permit from the borough office12. A building permit then comes from an inspection agency the borough has contracted2. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the borough, so ask the borough office before you buy.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the borough's own Chapter 205 zoning ordinance, with R-1, R-2, commercial, industrial, mixed use and institutional districts1
Building permit
Required under the state Uniform Construction Code, issued through a borough-contracted inspection agency after a zoning permit23
Minimum lot (R-1 and R-2)
9,000 sq ft and 70 ft wide for a single-family detached house4
Setbacks (R-1 and R-2)
Front 25 ft, each side 10 ft, rear 25 ft5
Height and coverage
35 ft maximum height; lot coverage 35% in R-1 and 40% in R-267
Septic
Permits come from a local agency under Act 537; which one serves Greencastle is unconfirmed8
RV and tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the borough zoning officer1

Who to call

Zoning

Borough of Greencastle (borough office and zoning officer)

Land use/zoning permits, zoning questions and the first step of every building project in the borough

717-597-7143

[email protected]

60 North Washington Street Greencastle, PA 17225

Building permits

PA Municipal Code Alliance (borough-contracted building code agency)

Building permits and inspections under the Uniform Construction Code for the borough

717-496-4996

1013 Wayne Avenue Chambersburg, PA 17201

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Greencastle means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Greencastle, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Zoning inside the Borough of Greencastle is set by the borough's own ordinance, Chapter 205 of the borough code, which includes R-1, R-2, commercial, industrial, mixed use and institutional districts1. The ordinance also says any use it does not permit is prohibited1, so "is it allowed" is a question for the zoning officer, not an assumption.

For a single-family detached house or a mobile home outside a park in R-1 or R-2, the minimum lot is 9,000 sq ft and 70 ft wide4. Required yards are 25 ft in front, 10 ft on each side and 25 ft in the rear5. Buildings may be up to 35 ft tall6, and lots may be covered up to 35% in R-1 and 40% in R-27. Other dwelling types and the commercial districts have different minimums4.

Do you need a building permit in Greencastle, and who issues it?

Yes for new construction. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before construction begins3. In Greencastle the process starts with a land use/zoning permit application to the borough, and the zoning officer issues that permit once the paperwork is complete and the project complies with the ordinances2. Zoning approval alone does not authorize construction.

The borough has contracted out code administration, as most small boroughs do2. With the zoning permit in hand, the applicant applies for the building permit with the borough-authorized inspection agency, PA Municipal Code Alliance9. Inspections and a certificate of occupancy follow under the state code1011.

How do septic permits work in Greencastle?

In Pennsylvania, on-lot septic permits are issued by a local agency, not by DEP directly12. Which agency serves a given Franklin County address was not established in the sources we reviewed13, and we could not confirm whether a lot inside the borough is on public sewer or needs an on-lot system. Call the borough office at 717-597-7143 to ask whether a lot is served by borough sewer, and who the sewage enforcement officer is if it is not2.

If you plan a house on a tract of 10 acres or more, a narrow state permit exemption can apply, but only under specific owner and date conditions12. That is unlikely to matter on a typical borough lot.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Greencastle?

We could not confirm it. The borough's zoning ordinance prohibits any use it does not permit1, and we did not confirm that RV occupancy or tiny homes appear in the permitted-use lists. State rules about RV stays cover state park campgrounds only, not private lots14. Ask the zoning officer at the borough office before bringing an RV or tiny home to a lot2.

A manufactured home placed on a lot outside a park is addressed in the R-1 and R-2 lot standards4, and state code still requires inspections for site preparation and foundation work15.

Building a home in Greencastle: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and whether it meets the lot size and setbacks above45.
  2. Ask the borough office about sewer and water service, and about septic if the lot is not connected2.
  3. Apply to the borough for a land use/zoning permit2.
  4. Take the zoning permit to the borough's inspection agency and apply for the building permit9.
  5. If the driveway meets a state road, get a PennDOT highway occupancy permit; PennDOT usually issues it within 30 days when the application is complete16.
  6. Schedule the required inspections, then obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in11.

What stays with Franklin County, and what should you check before you buy?

Franklin County does not run a countywide zoning ordinance; municipalities control zoning17. The county planning department reviews subdivision and land-development plans, while a municipality's own ordinance overrides county rules18. For land outside the borough, see the Franklin County page.

Before buying, check whether the lot sits in a floodplain: the state requires the municipality to issue a floodplain development permit before work in a flood hazard area19. Franklin County's median property tax bill is $2,634 per year20.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Greencastle or whether a given lot must use on-lot septic, so ask the borough office at 717-597-7143 before you commit2.
  • The borough's zoning ordinance prohibits any use it does not list as permitted, so confirm a use such as an RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling with the zoning officer first1.
  • Lot-size and setback figures here apply to single-family detached houses and mobile homes outside parks in R-1 and R-2; other districts and dwelling types differ4.

Sources

  1. Borough of Greencastle Zoning, Article II: Establishment of Zoning Districts (Borough of Greencastle), quoted and re-checked
  2. Borough of Greencastle (borough office and zoning officer) (greencastlepa.gov)
  3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  4. Borough of Greencastle Zoning, Article IV: Lot Area and Related Regulations (Borough of Greencastle), quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Greencastle Zoning, Article IV: Lot Area and Related Regulations (Borough of Greencastle), quoted and re-checked
  6. Borough of Greencastle Zoning, Article IV: Lot Area and Related Regulations (Borough of Greencastle), quoted and re-checked
  7. Borough of Greencastle Zoning, Article IV: Lot Area and Related Regulations (Borough of Greencastle), quoted and re-checked
  8. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  9. PA Municipal Code Alliance (borough-contracted building code agency) (greencastlepa.gov)
  10. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  12. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  14. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Data Center Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  18. Data Center Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  19. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Greencastle

Borough of Greencastle’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Greencastle borough; Chapter 205 Zoning of the borough code

    • Chapter 205 includes R-1, R-2, commercial, industrial, mixed use and institutional districts
    “any use not permitted by this chapter shall be deemed to be prohibited.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings and mobile homes (not in a mobile home park) in the R-1 and R-2 districts

    • Other dwelling types and commercial districts have different minimums
    • Amended 12-5-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-05

    minimum lot size R-1: >= 9000 sq ft · minimum lot size R-2: >= 9000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 70 ft

    “r-1 district r-2 district minimums: lot size 9,000 sq. ft. 9,000 sq. ft. lot width 70 ft. 70 ft.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings and mobile homes (not in a mobile home park) in R-1 and R-2

    • Other dwelling types differ

    front yard: >= 25 ft · each side yard: >= 10 ft · rear yard: >= 25 ft

    “lot depth 100 ft. 100 ft. front yard 25 ft. 25 ft. each side yard 10 ft. 10 ft. rear yard 25 ft. 25 ft.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings and mobile homes (not in a mobile home park): R-1 35%, R-2 40%

    max lot coverage R-1: <= 35 percent · max lot coverage R-2: <= 40 percent

    “maximums: building height 35 ft. 35 ft. lot coverage 35% 40%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings and mobile homes (not in a mobile home park) in R-1 and R-2

    • Multiple dwellings allow 40 ft

    max building height: <= 35 ft

    “maximums: building height 35 ft. 35 ft. lot coverage 35% 40%”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Greencastle borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Greencastle borough
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Greencastle borough
  • Inspections — Inspections inside Greencastle borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Greencastle borough
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Greencastle publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Franklin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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