Bolthole Index

Fulton County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and land rules in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania

Inside the Borough of McConnellsburg in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, building work covered by the state construction code requires a UCC building permit, while buildings, structural alterations and land uses also require a borough zoning permit.12 McConnellsburg has its own zoning ordinance; the current UCC administrator and the local sewage enforcement office should be confirmed with the borough before plans are finalized.3

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work covered by Pennsylvania's UCC1
Zoning permit
Required for covered buildings, structures, signs, alterations and land uses2
Zoning
The borough administers its own zoning ordinance3
R1 minimum lot
6,000 square feet for a single-household detached dwelling4
Septic
A local Sewage Enforcement Officer handles on-lot systems; confirm the office serving the borough5
RV or tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the borough about the proposed parcel and use3
State-highway driveway
A PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required for a new or changed connection6

Who to call

Zoning

Borough of McConnellsburg

Borough contact for confirming the zoning officer, zoning applications, zoning district and current UCC administrator

(717) 377-1286

McConnellsburg, PA 17233

Planning & zoning

Fulton County Planning & Mapping Department

County planning and mapping contact for addressing, maps and parcel-location questions

717-485-3717

[email protected]

116 West Market Street, Suite 203, McConnellsburg, PA 17233

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania?

Yes. Construction and building work inside McConnellsburg that is covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a UCC building permit before work starts.1 A separate borough zoning permit is required before covered buildings, structures or signs are erected, constructed, moved, enlarged or structurally altered, and before land is put to a covered use.2

The zoning application requires a written submission and two sets of plans; the ordinance provides for a decision within 30 days.2 The borough ordinance also requires a certificate of use and occupancy after the approved work is completed and before the structure, building or land is occupied.7 UCC-covered residential work also requires inspections and a certificate of occupancy before use.89

Who issues building and zoning permits in McConnellsburg?

McConnellsburg Borough appoints a Zoning Officer to administer and enforce the borough zoning ordinance.3 Call the Borough of McConnellsburg at (717) 377-1286 to confirm the current Zoning Officer, obtain the zoning application and identify the official zoning district for the parcel.10

The available official material does not identify McConnellsburg's current UCC building-code administrator, so ask the borough whether the UCC application goes to a municipal official, a certified third-party agency or the state. Pennsylvania's UCC system distinguishes local opt-in enforcement from opt-out municipalities, where residential enforcement goes through a certified third-party agency and nonresidential enforcement goes to the state.11 Do not treat the borough zoning permit as the UCC building permit; both approvals are separate requirements.21

How does zoning affect homes and lots in McConnellsburg?

McConnellsburg has its own zoning ordinance, administered by the borough rather than Fulton County.3 The borough is divided into 8 zoning districts, and the official map maintained at the Municipal Building controls if it conflicts with the informational map.12 Confirm the parcel's district before relying on any residential dimension.

In the R1 Single-Household Residential District, a detached home needs at least 6,000 square feet of lot area and 50 feet of lot width, subject to the ordinance's nonconforming-lot provisions.4 R1 detached homes are limited to 40% building coverage and 35 feet in height.1314 The R1 front and rear yard depths are 30 feet, although the front yard may use the qualifying block average and corner lots and accessory structures have separate rules.15

How do septic permits work inside McConnellsburg?

Pennsylvania's on-lot sewage program places septic permitting with a local or municipal agency's certified Sewage Enforcement Officer, under state oversight.5 The available official material does not identify which local agency or officer currently serves McConnellsburg Borough, so ask the borough for that contact before ordering a system design or assuming an on-lot system is available.

Site feasibility deserves early attention: across Fulton County, only about 3.9% of mapped soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.16 That countywide soil statistic does not decide an individual borough lot, but it makes an early site evaluation a sensible contingency before purchase. The borough-specific rules for septic inspections, public sewer connection and off-grid sanitation could not be confirmed; direct those questions to the borough and the Sewage Enforcement Officer it identifies.

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

We could not confirm a McConnellsburg rule that authorizes or prohibits living in an RV on private land, temporary camping, or tiny-home occupancy. McConnellsburg's zoning ordinance applies to land uses, buildings and structures, so approval depends on the parcel's district and the proposed use.2

Ask the borough in writing whether the specific proposal is a permitted principal use, an accessory use or a use requiring another approval. For a tiny home intended as a dwelling, also ask the UCC administrator whether the design is treated as site-built, manufactured or another construction category; Pennsylvania's UCC regulates building-project codes and standards.17 We also could not confirm a borough minimum dwelling-floor-area rule or a complete manufactured-home occupancy rule, so lot dimensions alone do not establish that either use is allowed.

Building a home in McConnellsburg: what are the steps?

  1. Call the Borough of McConnellsburg at (717) 377-1286 and confirm the parcel's official zoning district, the current Zoning Officer and the current UCC administrator.1012
  2. Check the district's use, lot, coverage, height and yard rules before designing; R1 standards, for example, are district-specific.41415
  3. Ask the borough to identify the Sewage Enforcement Officer serving the parcel, then resolve public-sewer availability or on-lot septic feasibility.5
  4. Submit the borough zoning-permit application with the required plans and fee, whose current amount follows the Borough Council's fee schedule.218
  5. Obtain the separate UCC building permit before covered work begins and schedule required inspections.18
  6. Obtain the required zoning and UCC occupancy approvals before moving in.79

What should you check before buying land in McConnellsburg?

Start with the official zoning district and permitted use, then confirm the buildable envelope rather than applying residential-district dimensions to every parcel.12 McConnellsburg's official zoning map controls, and R2 two-household detached dwellings have their own 7,500-square-foot-per-unit lot standard and district-specific yards.121920

Ask the sewage officer identified by the borough about sewer service or on-lot sewage feasibility, because the borough-specific authority and connection rules could not be confirmed. For mapped floodplain land, the municipal administrator reviews proposed development and conducts inspections, while UCC floodplain documentation must be sealed by a registered design professional.2122 A new or changed driveway on state-highway land requires a PennDOT highway occupancy permit.6 Fulton County Planning & Mapping can help with addressing, maps and parcel-location questions at 717-485-3717.23

Watch-outs

  • A borough zoning permit and a UCC building permit are separate approvals; confirm both issuing officials before starting covered work.21
  • The current zoning-permit fee is not stated in the ordinance; the application fee follows the schedule adopted by Borough Council.18
  • RV living, tiny-home occupancy, public-sewer connection rules and the borough's current sewage enforcement contact could not be confirmed; ask the Borough of McConnellsburg before buying or placing a dwelling.10

Sources

  1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. McConnellsburg Zoning Ordinance - 1995 (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  3. McConnellsburg Borough (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  4. McConnellsburg Zoning Ordinance - 1995 (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  5. PA DEP - Act 537 Sewage Facilities Program (2026 county census)
  6. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  7. Zoning Ordinance McConnellsburg Borough Fulton County (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  8. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  10. Borough of McConnellsburg (co.fulton.pa.us)
  11. Uniform Construction Code (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  12. McConnellsburg Zoning Ordinance - 1995 (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  13. co.fulton.pa.us (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  14. co.fulton.pa.us (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  15. Zoning Ordinance McConnellsburg Borough Fulton County (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  16. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  18. Zoning Ordinance McConnellsburg Borough Fulton County (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  19. McConnellsburg Zoning Ordinance - 1995 (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  20. McConnellsburg Zoning Ordinance - 1995 (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  21. McConnellsburg Borough (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  22. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of McConnellsburg), quoted and re-checked
  23. Fulton County Planning & Mapping Department (co.fulton.pa.us)

Written October 9, 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 McConnellsburg

Borough of McConnellsburg’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Buildings, structures, signs, structural alterations, and land uses inside McConnellsburg borough requiring a borough zoning permit.

    • The permit must conform to the zoning ordinance or be supported by the Zoning Hearing Board or court order.
    • Applications require written submission and two sets of plans.
    • The ordinance states that the permit or refusal is issued within 30 days.
    • The permit expires after 90 days if work has not begun, and after one year if work has begun.

    initial decision period: 30 days · permit expiration if work has not begun: 90 days · permit expiration after work has begun: 1 year

    “No building, structure, or sign shall be erected, constructed, moved, added to, or structurally altered, nor shall land be put to any use without a permit therefor, issued by the Zoning Officer.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Structures, buildings, and land portions inside McConnellsburg borough regulated by the borough zoning ordinance.

    • The Zoning Officer must inspect and determine conformity before issuing the certificate.
    • The certificate must be granted or refused in writing within ten days after application.
    “A Certificate of Use and Occupancy shall be required upon the completion of the work contemplated. It shall be unlawful to use and/or occupy any structure, building, and/or land portions thereof in any manner until a Certificate of Use and Occupancy has been issued.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside McConnellsburg Borough.

    • The official county municipal page publishes the borough zoning ordinance.
    “McConnellsburg Zoning Ordinance - 1995 (PDF)”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Present — Land inside McConnellsburg borough; the borough adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance.
      “A Zoning Officer shall be appointed by the Borough Council to administer and enforce this Zoning Ordinance.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Land inside McConnellsburg Borough; the ordinance establishes zoning districts and an Official Zoning Map maintained by the Zoning Officer at the Municipal Building.

    • The ordinance states that McConnellsburg Borough is divided into eight zoning districts.
    • The locations and boundaries are established on the Official Zoning Map attached to the ordinance.
    • The official map maintained at the Municipal Building controls over the informational attached map in the event of a dispute.

    number of zoning districts: 8 districts

    “To carry out the purpose of this chapter, the Borough of McConnellsburg is hereby divided into eight (8) zoning districts. [...] The "Official Zoning Map" shall be maintained by the Zoning Officer at the Municipal Building. For informational purposes, a Zoning Map is attached to this ordinance, but in the event of any dispute between the informational map and the ordinance, or the official map at the Municipal Building, the "Official Zoning Map" shall control.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Two-household detached dwelling units in McConnellsburg Borough's R2 Two-Household Residential District.

    • The minimum is stated per dwelling unit.
    • The ordinance also requires a minimum lot width of 50 feet.
    • Nonconforming lots are addressed under Article IX, Section 907.
    • Maximum building coverage is 40% of the total lot area.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 square feet per dwelling unit (two-household detached dwelling unit) · minimum lot width: >= 50 feet (nonconforming lot; see Article IX, Section 907) · maximum building coverage: <= 40 percent of total lot area

    “Minimum lot area for two-household detached dwelling unit: seven thousand, five hundred (7,500) square feet per dwelling unit. Maximum building coverage: forty percent (40%) of the total lot area. Minimum lot width: fifiy (50) feet, nonconforming lot see Article IX, Section 907.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-household detached dwelling units in McConnellsburg Borough's R1 Single-Household Residential District.
      “Minimum lot area for single-household detached dwelling unit: six thousand (6,000) square feet. 2. Maximum building coverage: forty percent (40%) of the total lot area. 3. Minimum lot width: fifty (50) feet, nonconforming lot see Article IX, Section 907”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Buildings and enlargements in McConnellsburg Borough's R2 Two-Household Residential District.

    • For a non-corner lot, the front yard is 30 feet or the average front-yard depth of structures on the block, whichever is less; the side yard is 15 feet or the average side-yard depth of existing structures on the block, whichever is less; and the rear yard is at least 40 feet or the average rear-yard depth of existing structures on the block, whichever comes first.
    • For a corner lot, the front yard is 25 feet or the average front-yard depth of existing structures or the block, whichever is less; the side yard abutting a street is 20 feet or the average side-yard depth of existing structures on adjacent corner lots, whichever is less; the side yard not abutting a street is 15 feet or the average side-yard depth of existing structures on the block.
    • Accessory buildings in the rear yard are permitted under Article VIII, Section 806.
    • Projections into yards are permitted under Article VIII, Section 806.

    front yard depth: 30 or average existing front yard depth feet (whichever is less) · side yard depth: 15 or average existing side yard depth feet (whichever is less) · rear yard depth: 40 or average existing rear yard depth feet (whichever comes first) · corner-lot front yard depth: 25 or average existing front yard depth feet (whichever is less) · corner-lot side yard abutting street: 20 or average existing side-yard depth on adjacent corner lots feet (whichever is less) · corner-lot side yard not abutting street: 15 or average existing side-yard depth on block feet

    “Front Yard Depth - Thirty (30) feet, or the average front yard depth of structure, on the block whichever is less. Side Yard Depth - Fifteen (1 5) feet, or the average side yard depth of existing structures on the block, whichever is less. Rear Yard Depth - Not less than forty (40) feet, or the average rear yard depth of existing structures on the block, whichever comes first. [...] Side Yard Depth Abutting Street - Twenty (20) feet, or the average side yard depth of existing structures on all adjacent corner lots, whichever is less. Side Yard Depth Not Abutting Street - Fifteen (1 5) feet, or the average side yard depth of existing structures on the block.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-household detached dwelling lots in the R1 Single-Household Residential District.

    maximum building coverage: 40 percent of total lot area

    “Maximum building coverage: forty percent (40%) of the total lot area.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-household detached dwelling units in the R1 Single Household Residential District.
      “Maximum building coverage: forty percent (40%) of the total lot area.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-household detached dwellings in the R1 Single Household Residential District.

    • Accessory buildings have a separate one-story, fifteen-foot maximum in the same subsection.

    maximum height: 35 feet (two and one-half stories for a single-household detached dwelling)

    “Single-Household Detached Dwelling - Two and one-half (2-1/2) stories with a maximum height of thirty-five (35) feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-household detached dwellings and accessory buildings in the R1 Single-Household Residential District.
      “Single-Household Detached Dwelling - Two and one-half (2-1/2) stories with a maximum height of thirty-five (35) feet.”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Subdivision by lease of agricultural land inside McConnellsburg borough.

    • The exemption applies only to agricultural-purpose leases into parcels of ten or more acres that do not involve a new street, an easement of access, or a residential dwelling.

    minimum parcel size: >= 10 acres (Agricultural lease subdivision only.)

    “provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of ten or more acres, not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, shall be exempted.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development inside McConnellsburg borough located in the mapped floodplain.

    • McConnellsburg Borough has a floodplain ordinance.
    • The municipal floodplain administrator reviews proposed development against the floodplain management ordinance and conducts inspections during the activity.
    “Rather than using a specific Floodplain Development Permit, the County’s municipalities include a space for applicants to state whether the proposed development is located in the floodplain on zoning and/or building permit applications.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Borough zoning building-permit applications inside McConnellsburg borough.

    • The application must be accompanied by cash, certified check, or money order.
    • The amount follows the fee schedule adopted by Borough Council; the opened ordinance does not state the current amount.
    “Each application for a building permit shall be accompanied by cash, certified check or money order payable to McConnellsburg Borough in accordance with the schedule of fees adopted by the McConnellsburg Borough Council.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of McConnellsburg

Borough of McConnellsburg 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)

    Construction inside McConnellsburg Borough under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code.

    • Municipal enforcement status for McConnellsburg Borough was not resolved from the available official page; enforcement may be municipal, third-party, or state-controlled depending on the municipality's UCC election.

    UCC triennial update effective date: 2026-01-01

    “In 1999, the Legislature established the act and directed the Department to promulgate regulations adopting certain building codes as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC). Since then, various codes issued by the ICC, including the International Building Code (IBC), have been adopted, in whole or in part, by reference into the UCC.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Adopted (with conditions) — Construction inside McConnellsburg borough under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code.
      “The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) regulates the codes and standards of building projects in the Commonwealth.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Residential and commercial construction and covered systems inside McConnellsburg Borough.

    • Inspections are required in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, swimming pools or hot tubs, and manufactured or industrialized housing projects.
    “Inspections are also necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and the installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Construction and changes to buildings and specified systems inside McConnellsburg borough subject to the UCC.
      “Inspections are also necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and the installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    A driveway connecting to or work occurring on state-highway land inside McConnellsburg Borough.

    • A permit is not necessarily required for driveway paving treated as maintenance-only; PennDOT says to contact it to determine whether that exception applies.
    • Permit costs vary.
    • PennDOT states permits are usually given within 30 days when required information is complete and compliant.

    minimum-use driveway threshold: <= 25 vehicles per day (50 average daily traffic)

    “You need a permit when you're building or changing a driveway, road, drainage or utility facility on the state highway land. If it connects to a PennDOT drainage facility, you also need a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside McConnellsburg Borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside McConnellsburg Borough.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside McConnellsburg Borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside McConnellsburg Borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside McConnellsburg Borough.
10 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals

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 McConnellsburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Fulton County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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