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

Tunkhannock Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County, PA. The township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Ord. 2012-127).

  • Reviewed copy is the 2012 ordinance as posted on the township site; later amendments (e.g., Ord. 2012-129 and a 2023 truck terminal/warehouse amendment proposal) were not reviewed.
  • Other zoning rules apply by district and use; this claim records only that the township has zoning.

  “tunkhannock township zoning ordinance - 2012 district regulations --- page iv-1 article iv district regulations 401 designation of districts 401.1 designation for the purposes of this zoning ordinance, tunkhannock township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County, PA

  • Districts per Ord. 2012-127 Section 401.1: R-1, R-2, OS-W, C-1, C-2, I plus floodplain overlay (401.3) and resort community overlay (401.4). The zoning map (2014 official zoning map, posted on the township site) was not opened.

  zoning districts: R-1, R-2, OS-W, C-1, C-2, I

  “tunkhannock township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: r-1 low density, single family housing residential r-2 medium density, mixed type housing residential os-w open space wetlands c-1 neighborhood commercial c-2 general commercial i industrial use”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  New dwelling units in Tunkhannock Township (single-family dwelling and mobile home minimums)

  • Habitable room minimums also apply under the Uniform Construction Code.
  • Two-family and multi-family minimums are also set in Section 607 and are not repeated here.

  minimum habitable floor area, single-family dwelling: >= 768 sq ft · minimum habitable floor area, mobile home: >= 720 sq ft (minimum width 14 ft)

  “1. single-family dwelling - seven hundred and sixty-eight (768) square feet. 2. mobile home - seven hundred twenty (720) square feet with a minimum width of fourteen (14) feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Main single-family residential district R-1 (low density, single family housing) inside Tunkhannock Township

  • Figure comes from the Section 601 option 4 standard-subdivision dimensional table, which names R-1, R-2 and OS-W. The Section 404 schedule of development standards was not opened, so it has not been checked against it.
  • Conservation design options (Section 601) use different yield and lot rules; the standard subdivision option is the one quoted.

  minimum lot area (R-1, standard subdivision): >= 87120 sq ft (equals 2.00 acres; standard subdivision option 4 in Section 601)

  “option 4 - standard subdivision minimum lot area r-1 district r-2 district os-w district 87,120 square feet (2.00 acres) 87,120 square feet (2.00 acres) 217,800 square feet (5.00 acres)”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Main single-family residential district R-1 inside Tunkhannock Township (standard subdivision option 4 figures)

  • Taken from the Section 601 option 4 dimensional table; Section 404 schedule not opened. Section 404.3 says larger setbacks may be required by other sections, and Section 503 accessory structures may use reduced side/rear setbacks (10 ft) when small and detached.

  minimum front setback: >= 40 feet (R-1 standard subdivision option 4) · minimum rear setback: >= 30 feet (R-1 standard subdivision option 4) · minimum side setback (each): >= 20 feet (R-1 standard subdivision option 4)

  “minimum front setback 40 feet 40 feet 40 feet minimum rear setback 30 feet 30 feet 50 feet minimum side setback (each) 20 feet 20 feet 25 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings under Section 601 subdivision options 1 through 4 in Tunkhannock Township; the table does not name a district.

  • Table is a maximum impervious cover limit tied to lot area; the 30% limit is reduced by 1.5% for each additional acre above 43,560 sf, but not below 10%.
  • Section 404 schedule of development standards not opened.

  maximum impervious cover, lot area less than 10,000 sf: <= 50 percent · maximum impervious cover, lot area 10,000 to 19,999 sf: <= 40 percent · maximum impervious cover, lot area 20,000 to 43,560 sf: <= 30 percent (reduced by 1.5% per additional acre above 43,560 sf, not below 10%)

  “maximum impervious cover for single-family dwellings option 1, option 2, option 3 and option 4 lot area maximum ground coverage less than 10,000 sf 50% 10,000 - 19,999 sf 40% 20,000 - 43,560 sf 30%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family detached dwellings in R-1 inside Tunkhannock Township (standard subdivision option 4 figure)

  • Taken from the Section 601 option 4 dimensional table; Section 404 schedule not opened.
  • Accessory structures may not exceed the height of the principal building (Section 503).

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (or 2.5 stories, as the table states)

  “maximum building height c. 35 feet or 2.5 stories”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreation vehicles on private land outside an approved recreational vehicle park in Tunkhannock Township

  • Permitted only on a temporary basis; 'temporary' is defined in Article III and was not separately quoted.
  • RV must be connected to an approved septic system with adequate capacity, or use a portable toilet or RV toilet with an established pumping schedule with a waste hauler and pumping receipts to the zoning officer.

  “the use of a recreation vehicle not located in an approved recreational vehicle park shall not be permitted except on a temporary basis.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary event campsites offered on a parcel in Tunkhannock Township (camping, temporary event use)

  • Campsites may be offered only for a single weekend or three nights, and no more than twice a year.
  • Sanitary facilities and one parking space per site are required; sites must meet district setbacks.
  • A permit is required for each event.

  campsite offering window: <= 3 nights (or a single weekend; no more than twice a year)

  “campsites shall only be offered for a single weekend, or three (3) nights and no more than twice a year.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Mobile homes on individual building sites outside a mobile home park in Tunkhannock Township

  • Must meet the lot area, setback, height and other requirements applicable to single-family dwellings.
  • Must meet the minimum floor area and width in Section 607.
  • Mobile home parks are a separate use (Section 608) allowed only in certain districts, as conditional uses.

  “it is the intent of this §609 to provide for the placement of mobile homes on individual building sites not located in a mobile home park”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage disposal systems in Tunkhannock Township, administered by the township Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO)

  • Township procedure follows Pennsylvania DEP sewage rules; the township's SEO issues permits and inspects installations.

  “tunkhannock township sewage enforcement permit application procedures processing an application for an onlot sewage disposal system permit includes four stages.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-lot sewage systems in Tunkhannock Township

  • Site evaluation, system design and permit issuance by the SEO come before installation; the procedure also says building permits should not be issued until sewage disposal issues are resolved.

  “system design stage- the applicant selects the type of system, the seo reviews the design, and if approved, the permit is issued.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  On-lot sewage systems in Tunkhannock Township

  • No part of the system may be covered until inspected and given final written approval by the SEO; the SEO may require uncovering.

  “no part of any system may be covered until it is inspected and given final written approval by the seo.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divided or developed as a subdivision or land development in Tunkhannock Township

  • Subject to the township Subdivision and Land Development ordinance (2014 SALDO, posted on the township site, not opened).
  • Conservation design subdivisions are governed by Section 601.

  “404.4 subdividing and developing any area divided into parcels or developed according to the definition of subdivision and land development in article iii shall also be subject to the township subdivision and land development ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New or paved driveway connections to township roads in Tunkhannock Township

  • Driveway permit is required for connections to township roads; fee applies per connection.

  driveway permit fee: 100 USD (per connection)

  “driveway permits (for connections to township roads) establish driveway $100 per connection paving driveway $100 per connection”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land in the township floodplain overlay district (100-year floodplain)

  • Applies only inside the floodplain overlay district; the township floodplain and building permit ordinance governs it and was not opened.

  “401.3 floodplain overlay district the floodplain overlay district is hereby created to be coterminous with the areas which are subject to the base”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and other township permits in Tunkhannock Township

  • Resolution 2026-371 fee schedule effective March 1, 2026.
  • Fees for applications and permits obtained after construction are double the normal amount.
  • Escrow may be required for engineering review, advertising and stenographer costs on subdivision and land development plans.

  zoning permit fee, residential construction (including mobile homes): 75 USD (plus $0.25 per sq ft)

  “tunkhannock township, monroe county resolution 2026-371 fee schedule effective march 1, 2026 applications & permits are not valid until all applicable fees are paid.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Permit applications to Tunkhannock Township

  • Zoning permit application form and fee schedule are posted; the township states permits are issued within 30 days of a complete application.
  • Applications and permits are not valid until all fees are paid.

  “all permits will be issue within 30-days of receipt of complete application”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Tunkhannock Township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for Tunkhannock Township
• Inspections — Building inspections in Tunkhannock Township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Tunkhannock Township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes on private land in Tunkhannock Township

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.