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

Franklin Township’s own rules

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Franklin Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

  • The County's official municipal profile identifies this township at 715 Hawk Road, Montrose, PA 18801 and reports its zoning status as No.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Dwelling-size dimensional zoning controls inside Franklin Township.

  • This is only an absence of Township zoning; it does not negate UCC requirements.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Minimum-lot-size zoning controls inside Franklin Township.

  • This is only an absence of Township zoning; sewage and other non-zoning rules may still constrain a parcel.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• SetbacksNone

  Zoning setbacks inside Franklin Township.

  • This is only an absence of Township zoning; separate construction, road, utility, or floodplain controls may apply.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot-coverage zoning controls inside Franklin Township.

  • This is only an absence of Township zoning; separate construction, road, utility, or floodplain controls may apply.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Building heightNone

  Building-height zoning controls inside Franklin Township.

  • This is only an absence of Township zoning; UCC and other non-zoning requirements may apply.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Living in an RVUnrestricted

  RV occupancy on private land inside Franklin Township, as to Township zoning.

  • The absence finding is limited to Township zoning; it does not negate building, sewage, floodplain, or other non-zoning requirements.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Camping on your landUnrestricted

  Temporary camping on private land inside Franklin Township, as to Township zoning.

  • The absence finding is limited to Township zoning; it does not negate building, sewage, floodplain, or other non-zoning requirements.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

  Tiny-home occupancy inside Franklin Township, as to Township zoning.

  • The absence finding is limited to Township zoning; UCC and other non-zoning requirements remain applicable where triggered.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Manufactured homesUnrestricted

  Manufactured-home occupancy inside Franklin Township, as to Township zoning.

  • The absence finding is limited to Township zoning; UCC and other non-zoning requirements remain applicable where triggered.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  Accessory dwellings inside Franklin Township, as to Township zoning.

  • The absence finding is limited to Township zoning; UCC and other non-zoning requirements remain applicable where triggered.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Sewage enforcement inside Franklin Township.

  • The official County municipal profile identifies John Watts of JHA Companies as the Township's sewage-enforcement contact.

  “Sewage Enforcement: John Watts (JHA Companies)”

Rules another office applies inside Franklin Township

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

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or building work inside Franklin Township that is regulated under the Pennsylvania UCC.

  • Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may be made without a permit if an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.

  “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  UCC-regulated construction inside Franklin Township, Pennsylvania.

  • The UCC regulates building projects in the Commonwealth; this claim does not establish a stricter Township amendment.

  “The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) regulates the codes and standards of building projects in the Commonwealth.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Specified UCC-regulated construction and systems inside Franklin Township.

  • The cited state source identifies construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and swimming pools or hot tubs as cases requiring inspections.

  “Inspections are also necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A building or facility inside Franklin Township before it is used.

  • Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may be made without a permit if an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.

  “A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building or facility can be used.”

• Well permitNot required

  A private homeowner well inside Franklin Township, as to DEP regulation.

  • This addresses DEP regulation only and does not establish whether Franklin Township has a separate local standard.

  “No. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) does not regulate private wells.”

• Permit processPartial

  UCC permit applications handled by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, including work inside Franklin Township when the Department has jurisdiction.

  • The applicant must identify the political subdivision and county; the Department will not process applications that lack this information.
  • The page states that the listed package is for new buildings, additions, and qualifying alterations, with separate requirements for modular or industrialized construction and shell buildings.

  “Without this, we cannot verify that the Department has jurisdiction for this work. We will not process applications that lack this information.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Franklin Township.
• Septic permit — On-lot sewage systems inside Franklin Township.
• Septic inspection — On-lot sewage systems inside Franklin Township.
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation systems inside Franklin Township.
• Mandatory utility hookup — New residential development inside Franklin 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.