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

Union Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential construction in Union township, Luzerne County, PA (permit issued through a third-party building inspector recommended by the township)

  • Source says step 3 is to obtain a building permit through a third party building inspector; the township page lists recommended inspectors (Building Inspection Underwriters; Larry C. Frace Inspections, LLC) and the township building permit ordinance dates from 1980.
  • Building permits are NOT required for: replacement of windows, replacement of siding, replacement of shingles (unless raising the roof or tearing it off and rebuilding it).
  • Zoning permit (county planning commission) and floodplain permit (township) are separate steps in the same process.

  “step 3 obtain a building permit through a third party building inspector: recommendations: building inspection underwriters”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction or additions that need a zoning permit in Union township (the township's zoning permit checklist requires a copy of the septic permit)

  • Source requires a copy of the septic permit as part of the zoning permit application; it does not list septic permit fees or the issuing office for the septic permit itself.
  • Whether a septic permit is needed for every new home (for example, when public sewer is available) was not established.

  “distances: to property lines (on drawing) from existing structures and proposed new construction. copy of septic permit.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in the floodplain in Union township (township floodplain building management permit)

  • Page does not state the floodplain trigger (mapped floodplain area vs. all construction); the floodplain ordinance text was not opened.
  • Township floodplain management ordinance is listed as 1983 and 2012; county zoning page says the county also administers floodplain management through county zoning (see separate county claim).

  “step 2 obtain a flood plain building management permit through the union township office by contacting lori ragazzo at 570-256-7600”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit steps for new construction in Union township

  • Step 1: zoning permit, obtained through the Luzerne County Planning Commission (county-administered zoning), with owner information, parcel ID, site drawing, distances to property lines, septic permit copy, and a check payable to the county planning commission.
  • Step 2: floodplain building management permit through the township office.
  • Step 3: building permit through a third-party building inspector.
  • No fee amounts, review times, or the township's own building-permit ordinance text were found; process is therefore only partly published.

  “step 1: zoning permits are required for new construction & additions: houses, mobile homes, garages, carports, barns, sheds, decks, pools”

Rules another office applies inside Union Township

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Union township (Luzerne County, PA) that falls under Luzerne County planning and zoning jurisdiction. The district map and district list come from the county, not from a township ordinance.

  • The county's own page lists Union township among municipalities under Luzerne County planning and zoning jurisdiction (as of April 22, 2026).
  • The 2021 county ordinance lists the districts in Appendix 2 (conservation, agriculture, suburban residence, single family, two family, apartment and mixed community, neighborhood business, community business, highway business, general business, mining, light industrial, heavy industrial), and the 2023 county zoning map shows parcel zoning; which district applies to a given parcel was not determined.
  • Parcel-level district assignment requires the county zoning map or a call to 570.825.1567 / 570.825.1589.

  “fairmount township union township hughestown borough warrior run borough”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on a single lot in a residence district under the 2021 Luzerne County Zoning Ordinance, which applies to Union township

  • Requires a special exception approved by the zoning hearing board (the excerpt begins mid-subsection; the lead-in text before the cited condition list was not fully read).
  • Foundation must be suitable, permanent and wholly enclosed; enclosure materials are limited to simulated concrete masonry, brick, concrete or stone walls.
  • Structure must conform to the yard area and dimensional requirements in section 307 and appendix 2.
  • Zoning hearing board must find the home does not appreciably detract from the character of the surrounding area.
  • Separate rule for temporary office use of a manufactured home during construction (zoning officer permit).
  • Manufactured home parks have separate requirements (section 547.2).

  “a manufactured home may be occupied as a single-family dwelling, as defined in article 2, and may be located upon a permitted lot, within a residence district, provided that the following conditions are met: 1. a special exception use is approved by the zoning hearing board; 2. it is placed upon a suitable permanent, wholly-enclosed foundation;”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit fees for land in Union township under the Luzerne County zoning ordinance

  • Fee amounts were not read; the county publishes a 2021 Luzerne County Zoning Schedule of Fees.
  • The township's permit checklist directs the zoning permit payment to the Luzerne County Planning Commission.

  “the 2023 zoning map corresponds to the luzerne county zoning ordinance and schedule of fees currently in effect since march 24, 2021”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether owner-builders may build without a licensed contractor in Union township
• Building code adopted — Which construction code applies to new homes in Union township
• Inspections — Whether inspections are required during construction in Union township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is issued for new homes in Union township
• Local zoning — Whether Union township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance

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.