Borough of Mount Pocono, PA: building permits, zoning and septic rules

At a glance

Building permit

Required before covered construction, alterations and repairs; ordinary repairs excepted¹

Zoning

Borough zoning applies; ask the borough officer for the parcel’s district and permitted uses²³

Septic authority

Borough Sewage Enforcement Officer handles sewage-system construction and alteration permits⁴

Building permit fees

Set by borough resolution; request the current schedule⁶

Owner-builder

Pennsylvania has no statewide license requirement for most contractors; local requirements may apply, and building permits still apply⁷¹

Occupancy

A UCC-regulated residential building needs a certificate of occupancy before use⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in the Borough of Mount Pocono, PA?

Mount Pocono requires a building permit before construction, alteration or repairs, with an exception for ordinary repairs.¹ The borough has adopted Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code.⁹ For a home project, start with the borough Zoning and Code Enforcement office and describe the proposed work before ordering materials.³

Mount Pocono’s building-code administration fees are established by borough resolution; request the current fee schedule with the application forms.⁶ Doing the work yourself does not remove the borough’s building-permit requirement: Pennsylvania’s lack of a statewide license requirement for most contractors is a separate issue.¹⁷

Does the Borough of Mount Pocono have zoning, and can you use an RV or tiny home?

Mount Pocono has its own zoning ordinance, zoning officer and zoning hearing board.² Bring the parcel address and a description of the intended use to the borough Zoning and Code Enforcement office, and ask for the applicable district, permitted dwelling types, minimum lot size, setbacks and lot coverage.³²

We could not confirm Mount Pocono’s rules for living in an RV, temporary camping, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum dwelling size; ask the borough zoning officer about each proposed use before buying.³ A building permit for construction does not establish that a proposed land use fits Mount Pocono’s zoning; resolve both questions with the borough office.¹²³

How do septic permits work inside the Borough of Mount Pocono?

Mount Pocono’s Sewage Enforcement Officer has authority to grant or deny permits for construction or alteration of individual and community sewage systems.⁴ Ask Borough Hall for the current officer’s contact and establish whether the parcel needs on-lot sewage approval or a public-sewer connection before committing to a house design.¹⁰⁴

Pennsylvania generally requires a sewage permit before installing, altering, repairing or connecting to a sewage system covered by the Sewage Facilities Act.¹¹ For an on-lot system, the local agency must inspect and approve the installation before occupancy, subject to the state’s rules on permission to cover.¹² A composting toilet for a new residence does not eliminate the need for an approved method to treat washwater and excess liquid.¹³

What are the steps for building a home in the Borough of Mount Pocono?

Start by resolving the proposed use with the borough zoning office, then coordinate sewage approval and the building application before construction.²³⁴¹

1. Ask the borough zoning officer to identify the parcel’s district and review the intended home and site layout.²³
2. Ask the Sewage Enforcement Officer about on-lot sewage approval, and ask Borough Hall who handles public-sewer service questions.⁴¹⁰
3. Obtain the required building permit before starting covered work and request the current borough fee schedule.¹⁶
4. Arrange required residential UCC inspections, keep the work accessible and notify the construction code official when work is ready.¹⁴
5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before using a UCC-regulated residential building.⁸

What should you check before buying land in the Borough of Mount Pocono?

For a driveway built or changed on state highway land, or connected to a PennDOT drainage facility, Pennsylvania requires a highway occupancy permit; ask PennDOT about the proposed access.¹⁵ For development in a Special Flood Hazard Area, Pennsylvania municipalities review applications and issue or deny local floodplain development permits; ask Borough Hall for Mount Pocono’s responsible official.¹⁶¹⁰

We could not confirm Mount Pocono’s local private-well approval or public-water connection requirements; ask Borough Hall which office reviews the parcel’s proposed water supply.¹⁰ Pennsylvania requires water-well drilling companies to obtain licenses and permits, with a homeowner or farmer self-drilling exception, but that state rule does not settle the borough’s local approval question.¹⁷

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Mount Pocono’s RV or tiny-home occupancy rules; obtain an answer from the borough zoning officer for the intended parcel and use.³
• Pennsylvania’s owner-builder licensing position does not waive Mount Pocono’s building permits or required UCC inspections.⁷¹¹⁴
• Ask the Sewage Enforcement Officer to review a proposed on-lot sewage system before treating a building-permit application as the complete approval process.⁴¹¹

Sources

1. Borough of Mount Pocono Code, Chapter 78 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Mount Pocono), quoted and re-checked
2. Borough of Mount Pocono Code, Chapter 215 Zoning (table of contents) (Borough of Mount Pocono), quoted and re-checked
3. Borough of Mount Pocono Zoning and Code Enforcement (mountpocono-pa.gov)
4. Borough of Mount Pocono Sewage Enforcement Officer (ecode360.com)
5. 2025 Annual Report, quoted and re-checked
6. Borough of Mount Pocono Code, Chapter 78 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Mount Pocono), quoted and re-checked
7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Borough of Mount Pocono Code, Chapter 78 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Mount Pocono), quoted and re-checked
10. Mount Pocono Borough Hall (mountpocono-pa.gov)
11. Act 537 Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, quoted and re-checked
12. 25 Pa. Code § 72.30. Inspection, quoted and re-checked
13. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (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.