Pittston, a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, requires a building permit before work begins on most new construction, repairs and renovations1. The city adopts and administers its own zoning code through a zoning officer, and zoning permits are separate from building permits2. Septic permits come from a local agency under Act 537; we could not confirm which agency serves addresses inside Pittston3.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for most new construction, repairs and renovations, obtained before work begins1
- Who issues it
- City of Pittston building code official, under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code4
- Zoning
- City zoning code, run by Pittston's zoning officer; separate zoning permit2
- Subdivision
- Regulated under the city's own subdivision and land development chapter5
- Septic
- Local agency under Act 537; agency for Pittston not confirmed3
- RV living
- Not confirmed for Pittston; ask the zoning officer2
- Driveway on a state road
- PennDOT highway occupancy permit6
Who to call
Building permits
City of Pittston Building Code Official (Code Enforcement)
Building permits and inspections under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code inside Pittston city
35 Broad Street, Pittston, PA 18640
Zoning
City of Pittston Zoning Officer (Code Office)
Zoning permits and enforcement of the city zoning code inside Pittston city
35 Broad Street, Pittston, PA 18640
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 Pittston 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.
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Do you need a building permit in Pittston, PA?
Yes, for most work. Inside Pittston city, a building permit is required for most new construction, repairs and renovations, and it must be obtained before work begins17. Not every job needs one, so the city asks you to call the building code official to confirm1.
Pittston has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code by ordinance, so the state building code is the standard the city's inspector applies4. A residential building may not be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy issued by a building code official8.
Who issues building permits in Pittston, and how do you reach them?
The City of Pittston issues its own building permits; they do not come from Luzerne County. Permit applications are available at Pittston City Hall, and the city's code office puts you in contact with the building inspector for questions, permits and inspections7. Pittston's own city code administers the Uniform Construction Code4.
Zoning approval is a separate step with a separate office: the city's zoning officer reviews zoning permit applications, which can be emailed or mailed to the code office at City Hall9. Contact details for both are listed below.
Does Pittston have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and setbacks?
Yes. Pittston adopts and administers its own zoning code through a zoning officer, and a zoning permit is separate from the building permit2. New construction, use changes, signs, pools and decks need that separate zoning permit1. The application asks for a site plan10.
We could not confirm Pittston's district-by-district rules on minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage, building height, accessory dwellings or tiny homes; ask the zoning officer which district a parcel is in and what it allows. Luzerne County's zoning ordinance, which includes an RV occupancy ban, covers only the municipalities the county zones, not municipalities with their own zoning11. Pittston's own rule on living in an RV or camper is unconfirmed, so ask before you plan on it.
How do septic permits work in Pittston?
Septic permits in Pennsylvania are issued by a local agency under the state's Act 537 program, not by the building department1213. A local agency can be a municipality, a group of municipalities, or a county health department13.
We could not confirm which agency handles on-lot septic permits for addresses inside Pittston city, or whether a given lot is on public sewer. The city code lists chapters on sewers and sewage disposal, so ask City Hall whether the address is served by public sewer before you plan a septic system. Wells are a separate question; we found no Pittston rule on private wells.
Building a home in Pittston: the steps, in order
- Ask the zoning officer which zoning district the parcel is in and whether your use is allowed there2.
- If you are dividing a lot or planning a larger project, check the city's subdivision and land development rules5.
- Apply for the zoning permit with a site plan109.
- Confirm sewer or septic with City Hall, since the septic agency for Pittston was not confirmed3.
- Get the building permit before work begins1.
- Have the work inspected as the building code official requires; the Uniform Construction Code calls for inspections of all permitted construction14.
- Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone lives in the building8.
What to check before you buy land in Pittston
Check the parcel against floodplain maps first: where a lot lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area, the municipality must issue a floodplain development permit before development begins15. If the driveway will connect to a state highway, PennDOT requires its own highway occupancy permit6.
Also confirm sewer or septic and the zoning district before you close. The county's rules for unincorporated and county-zoned land are on the Luzerne County page; they do not replace the city's rules inside Pittston.
Watch-outs
- The city's zoning permit is separate from its building permit, so a building permit alone does not clear a project; ask the zoning officer first1.
- We could not confirm Pittston's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, minimum lot size and setbacks; the city's zoning officer is the office to ask2.
- Luzerne County's zoning rules, including its RV occupancy ban, apply only in the municipalities the county zones, not automatically in Pittston11.
- We could not confirm which local agency issues septic permits inside Pittston; ask City Hall before you buy3.
Sources
- Building Inspector - City of Pittston (Pittston), quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Permit Application - City of Pittston (Pittston), quoted and re-checked
- Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
- Building Inspector - City of Pittston (Pittston), quoted and re-checked
- City of Pittston, PA Code (eCode360) table of contents (Pittston), quoted and re-checked
- Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- City of Pittston Building Code Official (Code Enforcement) (pittstoncity.gov)
- Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- City of Pittston Zoning Officer (Code Office) (pittstoncity.gov)
- Building Inspector - City of Pittston (Pittston), quoted and re-checked
- Zoning | Luzerne County, PA, quoted and re-checked
- 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
- Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
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.