Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Smethport, Pennsylvania

Borough of Smethport’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Smethport borough, McKean County, Pennsylvania.

  • The cited borough workplan identifies Ordinance No. 230, dated March 11, 1974, as amended.

  “This Chapter shall be known as "The Smethport Borough Zoning Ordinance of 1974."”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Borough building, demolition, zoning, water, sewer, and other listed permit or connection fees.

  • The electronic code cautions that amendments may have been enacted after its last revision date; confirm current fees with the borough.

  building permit fee: $1.00 per $1,000 estimated cost up to $20,000; $0.50 per $1,000 over $20,000; minimum $10.00 · zoning permit fee: 10 USD · sewer connection fee: 1000 USD

  “Building Permits $1.00 per thousand dollars of estimated cost up to $20,000”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Smethport

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

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or building work inside Smethport borough subject to the statewide UCC.

  • Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may be made without a permit if an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.

  “before beginning any construction or building work, the property owner or an authorized representative must obtain a UCC building permit”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building work inside Smethport borough subject to Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code.

  • The state page says the UCC must be followed by builders in Pennsylvania.

  “Pennsylvania's statewide building code, generally known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), has to be followed by builders in the state.”

• InspectionsLimited

  UCC-regulated work inside Smethport borough where the stated inspection triggers apply.

  • The state identifies inspections for construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings; electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems; swimming pools or hot tubs; and specified manufactured or industrialized housing work.

  “Inspections are also necessary in several cases”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A building or facility inside Smethport borough subject to the statewide UCC before it is used.

  “A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building or facility can be used.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions and land developments inside Smethport borough under McKean County's SALDO.

  • The county source states the borough uses the County subdivision and land development ordinance.

  “The borough has its own zoning, planning commission, and zoning hearing board, but utilizes the County subdivision & land development ordinance (SALDO).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder residential construction inside Smethport borough.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Smethport borough.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Smethport borough.
• Building height — Land in Smethport borough's Agricultural-Conservation (A-C) District.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Smethport borough.

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.