Dalton Borough, Pennsylvania in Lackawanna County is a zoned community, and the borough requires permits for building, zoning, occupancy, driveways and more12. The Dalton Borough administrative office is the first call for all of them3. Septic permits come from a local agency under Pennsylvania's sewage law, so confirm with the borough office who issues them for your address4.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required inside Dalton Borough; the borough lists building and occupancy permits2
- Zoning
- Dalton is a zoned community; the borough sets its own zoning1
- Driveway permit
- Borough driveway permit required; state highways may also need a PennDOT permit56
- Septic
- Permit from the local agency under Act 537; borough-specific agency not confirmed4
- Subdivision
- Subdivision and land development permits required7
- Owner-builder
- Pennsylvania has no general contractor license requirement for owner-builders8
Who to call
Building permits
Dalton Borough Administrative Office
First point of contact for building, zoning, occupancy, driveway and other borough permits and application forms
105 W Main St
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 Dalton means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Does Dalton Borough, PA have zoning?
Dalton Borough describes itself as a zoned community1. The borough, not Lackawanna County, sets and administers that zoning, because the county has no zoning ordinance of its own9.
Because the borough's zoning chapter text was not available to us, we could not confirm district rules for RVs, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, lot size or setbacks inside Dalton. Ask the borough administrative office for the zoning map and the rules for your parcel before you buy3.
Do you need a building permit in Dalton Borough, and who issues it?
Yes. Dalton Borough requires building permits, and also lists occupancy, signage, stormwater, subdivision, land development, erosion control and driveway permits2. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires the owner to obtain a building permit before construction or building work begins10.
Application forms are available from the borough's website or its office3. We could not confirm whether the borough enforces the code itself or uses a certified third-party agency, so ask the borough office who reviews and inspects your project11. An occupancy permit is also required before you use a finished building12.
Who handles Dalton Borough's building and zoning offices, and how do you reach them?
The Dalton Borough administrative office is the first stop for questions about borough operations, procedures and ordinances, and it refers permit questions to the right department3. Call (570) 563-1800 or visit 105 W Main St in Dalton3.
Lackawanna County's planning staff review subdivision and land development proposals, but they do not issue the borough's building or zoning permits13.
How do septic permits work in Dalton Borough?
Septic permits in Pennsylvania come from a local agency, which can be a municipality, a joint group of municipalities, or a county health department14. Local agencies are responsible for issuing on-lot sewage permits4.
We could not confirm which agency covers Dalton, and the borough has its own sewer authority and a sewers chapter we could not read. If your lot is on public sewer, ask the Dalton Sewer Authority through the borough office whether you must connect. If not, ask the borough office who your Sewage Enforcement Officer is3.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Dalton Borough?
We could not confirm Dalton's rule on living in an RV or tiny home. The borough's zoning chapter is the controlling document, and the county has no zoning rule that would answer it for you9.
Pennsylvania's published RV stay limits apply to state park campgrounds, not to private land15. Ask the borough administrative office before you plan to occupy any temporary or small dwelling3.
Building a home in Dalton Borough: the steps, in order
- Ask the borough administrative office for the zoning district and permit list for your parcel3.
- Confirm septic or public sewer with the borough office and the local agency4.
- Apply for the borough's zoning and building permits, plus a driveway permit25.
- If the driveway meets a state road, check whether PennDOT must also permit it6.
- Pass the required inspections, including foundation, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, frame and final16.
- Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in12.
What stays with Lackawanna County, and what to check before you buy in Dalton?
Outside Dalton's borough limits, the answer is different: for land in other municipalities, see the Lackawanna County page, because each municipality there sets its own zoning17.
Confirm with the borough office that your parcel is inside borough limits, because a Dalton mailing address does not guarantee it3. Also check the floodplain: municipalities must regulate development in a mapped flood hazard area18. Lackawanna County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%19.
Watch-outs
- A Dalton mailing address does not by itself put a parcel inside Dalton Borough, so confirm with the borough office that your parcel is within borough limits before relying on this page3.
- We could not confirm the borough's zoning district rules, building-code enforcement arrangement or septic agency; ask the Dalton Borough administrative office3.
- A driveway onto a state highway may need a PennDOT highway occupancy permit in addition to the borough's driveway permit6.
Sources
- Dalton Borough - New Residents (Borough of Dalton), quoted and re-checked
- Dalton Borough - New Residents (Borough of Dalton), quoted and re-checked
- Dalton Borough Administrative Office (daltonboroughpa.gov)
- Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
- Dalton Borough - New Residents (Borough of Dalton), quoted and re-checked
- Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
- Dalton Borough - New Residents (Borough of Dalton), quoted and re-checked
- Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Lackawanna County Land-Use Planning Annual Report 2019, quoted and re-checked
- Uniform Construction Code (UCC), quoted and re-checked
- Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
- Dalton Borough - New Residents (Borough of Dalton), quoted and re-checked
- Planning, quoted and re-checked
- Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
- RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Lackawanna County Land-Use Planning Annual Report 2019, quoted and re-checked
- Pennsylvania Floodplain Development Guide, quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: 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.