Riverside, PA Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

Riverside Borough, in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, runs its own zoning ordinance, and the borough has elected to enforce the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code for building permits¹². Start with the borough zoning officer³. Septic permits are a separate approval from a local sewage agency under state law, and we could not confirm which office issues them inside the borough⁴.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes: borough zoning ordinance applies throughout the borough¹
Zoning districts: A-R, R-S, R-S1, R-M, C, I and LI, plus a manufactured home park overlay and floodplain overlay⁵
Building permit: Yes: borough enforces the state Uniform Construction Code; contact the zoning officer²³
Septic: State-required permit from a local sewage agency; issuing office not confirmed for the borough⁶⁴
Public sewer: Each dwelling must connect to borough-approved central sewage unless A-R lot dimensions are met per dwelling⁷
Subdivision: Regulated by the borough's subdivision ordinance⁸

Who to call

Zoning

Riverside Borough Zoning Officer

Zoning questions and building permits inside Riverside Borough

(570) 205-0496

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Riverside means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Riverside, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

Riverside Borough adopted its own zoning chapter under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, and the chapter applies to all land inside the borough¹. The borough is divided into agricultural residential (A-R), single-family residential (R-S and R-S1), medium-density residential (R-M), commercial (C), industrial (I) and light industrial (LI) districts, with a manufactured home park overlay on A-R land⁵.

Because setbacks, lot sizes and permitted uses depend on the district, read the district article of the borough zoning chapter for your parcel before you plan a building or a home. The borough's zoning page links the zoning chapter and a zoning map³. We did not confirm the borough's rules on RVs, tiny homes or temporary camping, so ask the zoning officer before you park or live in one.

Do you need a building permit in Riverside Borough, and who issues it?

Riverside Borough has elected to administer and enforce the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and adopted the statewide Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code². Pennsylvania requires a building permit for residential construction in municipalities that enforce the code⁹.

The borough's website directs anyone seeking a building permit to the Riverside Borough Zoning Officer³. The borough sets how the code is enforced by resolution, so the inspecting agency can change; the zoning officer is the right first call. We could not confirm the borough's permit fee amounts, which are set by council resolution¹⁰.

How do septic permits work inside Riverside Borough?

Pennsylvania requires a permit for any building served by an individual or community on-lot sewage system⁶. Under Act 537, local agencies issue those permits, and a local agency can be a municipality, a county, or a county health department⁴¹¹.

We could not confirm which local agency handles on-lot sewage permits inside Riverside Borough, so ask the borough office before buying a lot that is not on public sewer. The zoning ordinance also expects each dwelling to be served by borough-approved central sewage, unless the A-R district's dimensional requirements are met per dwelling⁷. Many lots in the borough may therefore connect to sewer rather than need a septic system.

Building a home in Riverside Borough: the steps, in order

Confirm your parcel's zoning district and permitted use in the borough zoning chapter and map⁵.
Ask whether the lot will be served by borough sewer or needs an on-lot system⁷.
If you are dividing or developing land, check the borough's subdivision and land development ordinance⁸.
Call the Riverside Borough Zoning Officer for zoning approval and your building permit³.
Build to the Uniform Construction Code and schedule the required inspections and certificate of occupancy¹²¹³.
Apply to PennDOT for a highway occupancy permit if your driveway meets a state highway¹⁴.

What stays with Northumberland County, and what to check before you buy

Riverside's zoning and building rules apply inside the borough only; for land outside it, see the Northumberland County page. Subdivision and land development in the county is also reviewed under county ordinances where municipal rules do not control lot size or setbacks¹⁵.

Before you buy, check whether the parcel lies in a mapped flood hazard area: the borough has a floodplain overlay and a separate floodplain management chapter⁵, and state rules require a permit for development in a Special Flood Hazard Area¹⁶. Typical home values in Northumberland County are about $176,960¹⁷, and the effective property tax rate is about 1.2%¹⁸.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Riverside Borough, so ask the borough office before you rely on an on-lot system⁴.
We could not confirm the borough's rules on RVs, tiny homes or camping, and its owner-builder rules; ask the zoning officer before you start³.
Building permit fees are set by borough resolution and we could not confirm the amounts¹⁰.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Riverside publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Northumberland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Riverside Borough, Pennsylvania