Bolthole Index

Snyder County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Selinsgrove, Snyder County, Pennsylvania

Selinsgrove Borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning, run by a borough zoning officer and zoning hearing board1. The borough adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its building code2, and its codes page points building permits to Central Keystone COG3. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency, not the county4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, borough zoning with a zoning map, zoning officer and zoning hearing board1
Building permit
Required under the Uniform Construction Code, which the borough adopted; the borough directs permits to Central Keystone COG23
Minimum lot, R-1 single-family
12,000 sq ft and 80 ft wide5
R-1 setbacks
Front 35 ft, rear 30 ft, one side 10 ft, both sides 20 ft combined6
Sewer
Improved property abutting the public sewer must connect7
Septic
Permit from the local sewage agency where no public sewer serves the lot; who that is in Selinsgrove is unconfirmed84
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for most construction; a building permit is still required910

Who to call

Zoning

Selinsgrove Borough Office

Receives borough applications and forms, publishes the zoning map and zoning ordinances, and is the contact for the zoning officer

570-374-2311

[email protected]

One North High Street, Selinsgrove, PA 17870

Building permits

Central Keystone Council of Governments (Building Code Enforcement)

Building permit information and Uniform Construction Code inspections, as directed by the borough's codes page

(570) 522-1326

[email protected]

1610 Industrial Boulevard Suite 400A, Lewisburg, PA 17837

Septic permits

Pennsylvania DEP Act 537 sewage facilities program

State oversight of the local agencies that issue septic permits; the borough office can say which local agency serves a Selinsgrove lot

Planning & zoning

Snyder County Planning Commission

County subdivision and land development ordinance; not the office for zoning inside the borough

(570) 837-4257

9 West Market Street, Middleburg, PA 17842

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 Selinsgrove means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Selinsgrove have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Selinsgrove Borough has its own zoning, with a zoning map administered by a zoning officer and zoning hearing board1. Snyder County does not zone inside the borough; the county's planning page lists Selinsgrove among the boroughs where zoning exists and sends applicants to the local municipality11.

Rules depend on the district. In the R-1 Low Density Residential District, a single-family dwelling needs a lot of at least 12,000 square feet and 80 feet of width5. Required yards are 35 feet in front, 30 feet in the rear, and 10 feet on any one side with 20 feet combined6. Impervious coverage is capped at 25%12, and buildings may not exceed 40 feet in height13. The borough has more districts than R-1, so confirm the district on the zoning map with the Borough Office14.

We could not confirm the borough's rules for RV occupancy, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the zoning officer through the borough office.

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

Yes, for construction work. The borough adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code2, and the code requires the owner to obtain a building permit before construction or building work begins10. The borough's codes page directs building permit questions to Central Keystone COG, not to a borough building department3.

Amounts for code administration fees are set by borough council resolution, so ask for the current schedule15. A homeowner who does all the work personally can sign an exemption affidavit in place of proof of workers' compensation insurance on projects Central Keystone COG administers, but that affidavit does not waive the building permit16. Pennsylvania has no statewide licence for most construction contractors, though municipalities may add their own9.

How do septic permits work inside Selinsgrove?

Where a lot abuts the public sewer, the borough requires owners of improved property to connect without delay, so a septic system is usually not the answer there7. A public water connection requirement was not located.

Where no public sewer serves a lot, Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before an on-lot system is installed or used8. Local agencies, not Snyder County, issue those permits and employ the sewage enforcement officers4. We could not confirm which local agency covers Selinsgrove, so ask the borough office before you plan on a septic system.

In Snyder County, about 5.3% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field17. That is a strict rating: expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. Homeowners who drill their own water well are exempt from the state driller licence18; we could not confirm borough rules on private wells.

Building a home in Selinsgrove: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and dimensional limits with the borough office and zoning map14.
  2. Ask the borough whether public sewer abuts the lot, since connection is required for improved property7.
  3. Apply for the building permit through Central Keystone COG3.
  4. If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT permit is required, and complete applications are usually processed within 30 days19.
  5. Schedule every required inspection; skipped inspections can delay or block the certificate of occupancy20.

What stays with Snyder County and the state, and what to check before you buy?

Subdivision and land development plans are reviewed under the applicable municipal or county ordinance21. Development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit issued by the municipality22. For land outside the borough, see the Snyder County page.

Snyder County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%23, with a median bill of $2,402 a year24. Zoning and permit rules for a specific lot should be confirmed with the Snyder County Planning Commission for plan review and the borough office for zoning25.

Watch-outs

  • Zoning districts other than R-1 have different lot sizes and setbacks, so check the zoning map before you rely on R-1 figures26.
  • We could not confirm Selinsgrove's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum home size; ask the borough zoning officer14.
  • We could not confirm which local sewage agency issues septic permits for lots in Selinsgrove; ask the borough office27.

Sources

  1. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 27 Part 3: Establishment of Districts; Map; Boundaries (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  2. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 5 Part 1: Uniform Construction Code (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  3. Central Keystone Council of Governments (Building Code Enforcement) (ckcog.com)
  4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  5. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 27 Part 4: R-1 Low Density Residential District (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  6. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 27 Part 4: R-1 Low Density Residential District (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  7. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 18 Part 2: Mandatory Sewer Connection (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  8. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. Planning Commission – Snyder County, PA Government, quoted and re-checked
  12. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 27 Part 4: R-1 Low Density Residential District (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  13. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 27 Part 4: R-1 Low Density Residential District (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  14. Selinsgrove Borough Office (selinsgrove.org)
  15. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 5 Part 1: Uniform Construction Code (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  16. Residential Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Residential Building Permits – Central Keystone Council of Governments, quoted and re-checked
  21. Planning Commission – Snyder County, PA Government, quoted and re-checked
  22. Pennsylvania Floodplain Development Guide, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Snyder County Planning Commission (snydercounty.org)
  26. Selinsgrove Code Ch. 27 Part 3: Establishment of Districts; Map; Boundaries (Borough of Selinsgrove), quoted and re-checked
  27. Pennsylvania DEP Act 537 sewage facilities program (pa.gov)

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Selinsgrove

Borough of Selinsgrove’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Selinsgrove borough

    • Adopted as amended from time to time
    • Administration by borough employee, third-party agency, intermunicipal agreement, contract, or L&I for non-one/two-family structures, as set by council resolution
    “the uniform construction code, contained in 34 pa.code, chapters 401–405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this borough.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Selinsgrove borough

    • Zoning map is part of Chapter 27; administered by zoning officer and zoning hearing board
    “the borough of selinsgrove is divided into the following districts: a. r-1 low density residential district.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Selinsgrove borough

    • Districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, RSP, R-C, C-1, CBD, I-1, OS, FW, FF, FA
    • Zoning map is part of the chapter
    “a. r-1 low density residential district. b. r-2 low-medium density residential district. c. r-3 medium-high density residential district. d. rsp residential semipublic district. e. r-c residential commercial district. f. c-1 general commercial district. g. cbd central business district. h. i-1 research and development and light industrial district. i. os open space district. j. fw floodway district. k. ff flood fringe district. l. fa general floodplain district.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwelling in R-1 Low Density Residential District, Selinsgrove borough

    • Two-family: 10,000 sq ft per unit, width 100 ft
    • Townhouses: 23,600 sq ft for first three units plus 3,600 sq ft each additional
    • Other districts not opened

    minimum lot size single-family: >= 12000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 80 ft

    “a. dwelling, single-family. (1) minimum lot size–12,000 square feet. (2) minimum lot width–80 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family dwelling in R-1 Low Density Residential District, Selinsgrove borough

    • Corner lots have two front yards
    • Minimum 15 ft between principal buildings
    • Accessory uses per § 27-1310

    one side yard: >= 10 ft · aggregate side yards: >= 20 ft · front yard: >= 35 ft · rear yard: >= 30 ft

    “(3) minimum any one side yard setback–10 feet. (4) minimum aggregate side yard setback–20 feet. (5) minimum front yard setback–35 feet. (6) minimum rear yard setback–30 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family dwelling in R-1 Low Density Residential District, Selinsgrove borough

    • Two-family 30%; townhouses 55%

    maximum impervious coverage: <= 25 percent

    “(6) minimum rear yard setback–30 feet. (7) maximum impervious coverage–25%.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    All buildings in R-1 Low Density Residential District, Selinsgrove borough

    • Other districts not opened

    maximum building height: <= 40 ft

    “the height of all buildings shall be not greater than 40 feet.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Improved property inside Selinsgrove borough abutting the public sewer system

    • Applies to improved property abutting the sewer
    • Unimproved property must connect promptly once improved
    • Connection requires application, permit and fee under § 18-203/18-204
    • Public water connection requirement not located
    “all owners of improved property in the borough of selinsgrove, abutting upon but not presently connected with the existing sewer system, are hereby required to connect their premises therewith without delay.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Uniform Construction Code administration and enforcement fees inside Selinsgrove borough

    • Amounts set by council resolution; fee schedule not opened
    “fees assessable by the borough for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this ordinance and the code shall be established by the borough council by resolution from time to time.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Selinsgrove borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Selinsgrove borough
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Selinsgrove borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Selinsgrove borough
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Selinsgrove borough
15 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit process

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.

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

← All of Snyder County: county rules, score and offices