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

Guilford Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, improvement, alteration, or development of structures or real estate inside Guilford Township requiring a zoning permit.

  • No zoning permit is required for repairs or maintenance if they do not change use or exterior dimensions and otherwise comply with the ordinance.
  • The permit must conform to applicable ordinance regulations, Board conditions, and any recorded subdivision or land-development plan.

  “A zoning permit shall be required prior to a change in use of land or structure, or the erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure or portion thereof, or the alteration or development of any improved or unimproved real estate. No zoning permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land provided such repairs do not change the use or the exterior dimensions of the structure, or otherwise violate the provisions of this Ordinance;”

• InspectionsRequired

  Structures, buildings, or signs for which a Township zoning permit has been issued.

  • The Zoning Officer acts upon notification that the permitted work is completed.
  • The Township FAQ separately identifies Commonwealth Code Inspection Service, Inc. as handling code-related inspections.

  “The Zoning Officer shall inspect any structure, building, or sign within ten (10) days upon notification that the proposed work that was listed under the permit has been completed and if satisfied that the work is in conformity and compliance with the work listed in the issued permit and all other pertinent laws, he shall issue a Certificate of Use”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A structure, building, sign, or land for which a Township zoning permit is required.

  • A temporary certificate may be issued before all permitted work is complete when the portion may safely be used or occupied; a temporary certificate may not exceed six months.

  “It shall be unlawful to use and/or occupy”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Guilford Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

  • Uses and development remain subject to the Township Zoning Ordinance and its district standards.

  “This Ordinance shall be known as and may be cited as the "TOWNSHIP OF GUILFORD ZONING ORDINANCE."”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Guilford Township.

  • The official zoning map accompanies and is made part of the ordinance; the Township office keeps its official copy up to date.

  “The boundaries of the Zoning Districts are hereby established as shown on the “Guilford Township Zoning Map”, which accompanies, and which, with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted and made a part of this Ordinance. The Official Copy of said map, indicating the latest amendments, shall be kept up to date for the use and benefit of the public at the Township Office.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured/mobile-home park development in the R Residential District inside Guilford Township.

  • Mobile Home Parks are conditional uses and are subject to the Guilford Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

  “Mobile Home Parks subject to the Guilford Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Repair or installation of a driveway connected to a street in Guilford Township.

  “Please note you must apply for a driveway permit when repairing or installing a driveway connected to the street in Guilford Township”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Fees for administration of the Guilford Township Zoning Ordinance.

  • The Board of Supervisors may establish and alter fees by resolution at a public meeting; alterations are not ordinance amendments.

  “All fees shall be determined by a schedule that is made available to the general public. The Board of Supervisors may reevaluate the fee schedule and make necessary alterations to it.”

Rules another office applies inside Guilford Township

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building-code work inside Guilford Township.

  • The Township FAQ identifies Commonwealth Code Inspection Service, Inc. as the implementing entity.

  “implements the state-wide building code for Guilford Township.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Guilford Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — New single-family dwellings inside Guilford Township.
• Living in an RV — Long-term occupancy of an RV on private land inside Guilford Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Guilford Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Guilford 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.