Building permits, zoning and land rules in Greene County, Pennsylvania

Yes for work covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code: the property owner must obtain a building permit before starting work¹. Municipalities administer the UCC locally or use certified third-party agencies, with state jurisdiction in specified circumstances². A residential building subject to the UCC cannot be occupied until a building code official issues a certificate of occupancy⁹. A qualifying agricultural building used for covered farm purposes and containing no habitable space is excluded from the state Construction Code Act, although zoning approval, electrical rules, and septic requirements may still apply⁷. An owner may perform uncompensated work on the owner's own residence without a state contractor license, but that does not waive the UCC building permit or inspections^1,6.

Start with the township or borough containing the parcel: UCC administration is municipal or through certified third-party agencies, with the Department of Labor and Industry retaining jurisdiction in specified circumstances². In Washington Township, the Township issues zoning permits and McMillen Engineering issues building permits; the application requires a plot plan, scaled drawings, an on-lot sewage permit and potable-water evidence^10,11. Septic permits remain with the applicable local agency's Sewage Enforcement Officer, including Washington Township's separate sewage contact^5,11. Contact Greene County Planning for subdivision and land-development review; its published review-fee schedule is dated 1996, so confirm current charges^12,13. County assessment notification is another obligation: where the proposed improvement needs no municipal building permit, the ordinance requires owner notification for covered improvements exceeding $4,000, excluding painting and normal repairs; the threshold is subject to annual review and CPI adjustment¹⁴. Ask the Assessment Office about notification before substantial work and the separate county improvement certification form fee, capped at $5¹⁴.

Greene County's townships and boroughs differ: Some municipalities had zoning regulations as of January 2025³. Waynesburg has its own borough zoning ordinance; on-lot septic permitting remains with the applicable local agency and SEO^5,15. Washington Township has its own zoning ordinance, and the Jefferson-Morgan planning area has a multi-municipal zoning ordinance; ask County Planning which participating municipality covers the parcel^12,16,17. We could not confirm a separate countywide zoning ordinance; ask County Planning about county review and the township or borough about parcel zoning^3,12.

For residential subdivisions and land developments governed by Greene County's SALDO, minimum lot area is 20,000 square feet without public water or sewer, 15,000 with public water alone, and 7,500 with both; sewage rules may require more land⁴. Where no municipal ordinance establishes a front building line, the SALDO requires 25 feet from the street right-of-way for covered residential uses, excluding mobile-home parks; a conflicting municipal setback ordinance controls⁴. Washington Township's principal-building yards vary by district: A-1 and R-1 require 10 feet front, 5 side and 10 rear, with supplemental yard and watercourse rules also applying¹⁸.

The applicable local agency handles on-lot septic permits and enforcement in Greene County through a Sewage Enforcement Officer; there is no single countywide septic office identified for every municipality⁵. Washington Township publishes its own sewage officer, but land elsewhere needs the correct township, borough, or joint-agency contact^5,11. Pennsylvania generally requires a septic permit before installation, construction, occupancy, or use of a building served by an on-lot system¹⁹. A narrow exemption may apply to an owner or immediate-family residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, but ownership, notice, local-ordinance, and siting conditions still control¹⁹. Greene County soils make early testing especially valuable: only 0.2% are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁰. A composting or incinerating toilet still requires an approved method for washwater or excess liquid²¹.

We could not confirm a uniform Greene County rule for private-land RV living, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or minimum dwelling size; ask the parcel's township or borough, because local zoning varies³. Ask that municipality whether the proposed unit is treated as a dwelling, recreational vehicle, manufactured home, or accessory structure, and ask its UCC administrator what construction and occupancy approvals apply^2,22. A manufactured home follows separate state rules: site preparation, utility connections, additions, repairs, relocation, or a change of occupancy can bring UCC requirements into play, while local siting and zoning remain separate questions²³. Before buying for either use, get the township or borough's answer in writing and confirm an approvable sewage plan with its SEO⁵.

1. Identify the parcel's township or borough and its zoning and UCC building-permit contacts^2,3.

1. Confirm the use, lot dimensions and setbacks; ask County Planning whether a lot split or land development needs county SALDO review^4,12.

1. Arrange site testing and the on-lot sewage permit with the applicable local SEO⁵.

1. In Washington Township, obtain subdivision approval if needed, then submit the zoning application, plot plan and scaled drawings, sewage permit and potable-water evidence¹⁰.

1. Washington Township's checklist requires driveway approval through PennDOT for State Route access or the Township Secretary for Township Route access; it directs applicants disturbing over 1 acre, building within 50 feet of a stream, affecting wetlands or building in a floodplain to the Greene County Soil Conservation District¹⁰.

1. Obtain the required building permit before covered work, address county assessment notification, complete inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before residential occupancy^1,9,14.

Put septic feasibility near the top of the due-diligence list: only 0.2% of Greene County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁰. Terrain can compound the site-work question, because 38.4% of county land has a slope of 15% or less and 73.5% is wooded²⁰. Confirm municipal zoning, subdivision history, mapped flood hazard, and legal road access before closing^3,24,25,26. For water, Pennsylvania requires commercial water-well drillers to hold state licensing and permits, while the licensing requirement does not apply to a homeowner or farmer drilling a well on owned or leased land; Greene County-specific private-well permitting was not confirmed, so ask the municipality and proposed driller what approvals apply⁸. As price context rather than a parcel appraisal, the county's typical home value is about $157,805, USDA farmland value is about $5,257 per acre, the effective property-tax rate is about 1.3%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,893²⁰.