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

Ararat Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Ararat Township

  • County profile identifies NEIC at (570) 280-2111 with the building-permit entry.

  “Building Permit: Yes NEIC (570) 280-2111”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Ararat Township

  • The County-hosted official ordinance index identifies Ararat Township Ordinance 2004-3 as a Uniform Construction Code ordinance; the operative PDF could not be text-extracted during this research.

  “Ordinance - 2004 - 3 7-1-2004 - Uniform Construction Code (UC”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage systems inside Ararat Township

  • The County profile identifies JHA Companies as sewage enforcement; DEP explains that local agencies perform septic permitting and enforcement.

  “Sewage Enforcement: JHA Companies Code Enforcement: Still Water Resources Solicitor: Marissa McAndrew Driveway Permit Required: Yes”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development of land within Ararat Township limits

  • Plans must be reviewed, approved, or disapproved by the Ararat Township Planning Commission or properly assigned staff.
  • A person intending to develop or subdivide land must prepare preliminary and final plans under the ordinance.

  “Plans of proposed subdivisions and land developments located Ararat Township having a legally adopted subdivision and land development ordinance shall be submitted to the Commission for review and report. [...] The Commission shall review and take action to approve or disapprove all complete plans”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access inside Ararat Township

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: Yes NEIC (570) 280-2111 Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Permit processPartial

  Subdivision and land-development applications inside Ararat Township

  • This claim concerns subdivision and land development, not the separate building-permit application process.
  • The final plan is due within one year after favorable preliminary-plan action; extensions may be requested under the ordinance.

  final plan submission deadline: <= 1 year (After favorable action by the Commission on the preliminary plan.)

  “Within one (1) year after favorable action by the Commission on the preliminary plan, a final plan with supporting data shall be submitted to the Commission for review.”

Rules another office applies inside Ararat Township

Ararat Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• InspectionsRequired

  Work under the Uniform Construction Code, including UCC-regulated work inside Ararat Township

  • Applies to construction subject to an approved UCC permit.

  “A construction code official shall perform inspections to insure that the construction complies with the approved permit and the Uniform Construction Code. [...] A construction code official shall inspect all construction for which a permit was issued.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Individual and community on-lot sewage systems inside Ararat Township

  • DEP identifies exceptions for large-volume on-lot systems.
  • Ararat Township's identified sewage-enforcement provider is JHA Companies.

  “With certain exceptions (i.e. large volume on-lot systems), local agencies are responsible for issuing permits for retaining tanks or for individual and community on-lot sewage systems which renovate sewage effluent in a soil absorption area or spray field.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Ararat Township
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Ararat Township
• Local zoning — Land inside Ararat Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
• Zoning districts — Land inside Ararat Township
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Ararat 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.