Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania

Yes, for construction covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code. The property owner or an authorized representative must obtain a UCC building permit before beginning covered construction or building work¹. Pennsylvania's UCC applies statewide, and the owner or authorized agent must apply to the building code official and obtain the permit first; owner-builders get no general exemption from that requirement⁷. Municipalities generally administer it locally while opt-out municipalities use the state or certified third-party structure, so the code official and application route depend on the parcel's township or borough⁵. CKCOG handles UCC permits, plan review and inspections for its Northumberland County member municipalities, and it will not issue a building permit until local zoning requirements are satisfied⁸. UCC-regulated work requires inspections for covered construction and specified changes to residential buildings and their systems¹. A residential building subject to the UCC cannot be occupied until a building code official issues the required certificate of occupancy after a compliant final inspection⁹.

The permit office depends on the municipality. For a CKCOG member municipality, contact Central Keystone Council of Governments at (877) 457-9401 or permits@ckcog.com, or visit 1610 Industrial Boulevard Suite 400A, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania⁸. In a municipality using another local or third-party code official, ask the township or borough which agency administers its UCC permits⁵. What stays with the county: Northumberland County's Department of Economic Development & Planning handles subdivision and land-development review and can help with planning, zoning and subdivision questions, but it does not issue building permits, zoning approval or septic permits, at 570.988.4220 or 399 Stadium Drive, Sunbury, Pennsylvania¹⁰. Published state permit fees do not establish the charge for a locally administered application; municipal and third-party enforcement agencies may use separate fee schedules¹¹. Ask the actual code official for the current fee and required forms before submitting.

Zoning varies across Northumberland County: the official list separates municipalities with local zoning ordinances from municipalities without them, and the county advises checking for updates with Planning or the municipality². Local zoning controls minimum lot area and setbacks where it exists⁴. Where zoning does not exist and the county SALDO applies to a subdivision or land development, minimum lot sizes depend on utilities: 6,000 square feet with central water and sewer, 15,000 with central sewer only, 30,000 with central water only, and 43,560 with on-lot water and sewer⁴. In that same no-zoning context, the county SALDO specifies residential setbacks of 25 feet in front, 10 feet at the side and 25 feet at the rear⁴. These SALDO dimensions are not a blanket rule for every existing parcel or municipality, so confirm the applicable ordinance before using them for a site plan.

On-lot sewage permitting and enforcement belong to the local agency serving the parcel, which may be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health agency³. That local agency issues permits for individual and community on-lot systems and retaining tanks, while large-volume systems are an exception³. Only about 7% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the local sewage official's site evaluation an early purchase contingency¹². We could not confirm one countywide inspection schedule; ask the township or borough which local sewage agency and Sewage Enforcement Officer serve the parcel before planning a system.

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing long-term RV occupancy or tiny-home living on a single private lot in Northumberland County. The one confirmed county rule covers campgrounds and RV parks in municipalities without their own subdivision ordinance: full-time residential occupancy is not permitted, and a park needs at least 10 contiguous acres¹³. The practical answer depends first on the township or borough because local zoning varies across the county². Ask the municipality whether the parcel's district allows an RV, a tiny house on a foundation, a tiny house on wheels or temporary camping, and ask what setbacks, duration limits and utility approvals apply. A tiny home used as a residence may also require a UCC permit, inspections and a certificate of occupancy before use^1,9. We could not confirm a countywide rule for off-grid sanitation; ask the local sewage agency how wastewater must be handled.

1. Identify the township or borough, then confirm its current zoning and subdivision authority with that municipality or County Planning².
2. Get zoning or land-development approval first where required; CKCOG member municipalities will not receive a building permit until zoning requirements are satisfied⁸.
3. Contact the local sewage agency serving the parcel and complete the on-lot system review before relying on a homesite³.
4. If the project creates a subdivision or land development, submit it for County Planning Commission approval or advisory review as applicable⁴.
5. If an existing water or sewer provider will serve the development, obtain its letter of intent or executed service agreement⁴.
6. Apply to the municipality's UCC administrator before starting covered work¹.
7. Arrange required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving into the completed home^1,9.

Confirm zoning, SALDO jurisdiction, lot dimensions and setbacks with the township or borough and County Planning before treating a parcel as buildable^2,4. If a land split or development is planned, county approval or advisory review remains part of the process⁴. Test the proposed septic area early because only about 7% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹². For access onto a state route or highway, provide proof of a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit application; a municipal driveway-permit application may also be required for a borough or township street⁴. If any part of the project lies in a flood hazard area, the submission must document compliance with applicable municipal and state floodplain rules⁴. Also confirm private-well rules with the municipality; we could not confirm a countywide private-well permit rule.