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

Harford Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building work inside Harford Township.

  • The county's current Harford Township profile identifies building permits as required; the specific ordinance exceptions and process were not located.

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

• InspectionsLimited

  Construction and development performed under Harford Township's floodplain permit ordinance.

  • During the construction period, the Floodplain Administrator or an authorized official inspects as necessary for compliance with the permit application and applicable municipal laws and ordinances.

  “During the construction period, the Floodplain Administrator or other authorized official shall inspect the premises”

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Harford Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

  • The county profile states that Harford Township has no zoning.

  “Sewage Enforcement: JHA Companies Code Enforcement: NEIC Solicitor: A. James Hailstone Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Township zoning controls on dwelling size inside Harford Township.

  • No township zoning controls are reported; building-code requirements may still apply.

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

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Township zoning controls on lot size inside Harford Township.

  • No township zoning controls are reported; sewage, subdivision, floodplain, and other requirements may still apply.

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

• SetbacksNone

  Township zoning setbacks inside Harford Township.

  • No township zoning controls are reported; the floodplain ordinance separately includes floodplain-specific restrictions.

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

• Lot coverageNone

  Township zoning lot-coverage controls inside Harford Township.

  • No township zoning controls are reported; other applicable laws remain in effect.

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

• Building heightNone

  Township zoning building-height controls inside Harford Township.

  • No township zoning controls are reported; building-code and floodplain provisions may still apply.

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

• Living in an RVUnrestricted

  RV occupancy as a land-use matter inside Harford Township.

  • This finding addresses absence of a township zoning control only; sewage, building, floodplain, and other applicable laws remain in effect.

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

• Camping on your landUnrestricted

  Temporary camping as a land-use matter inside Harford Township.

  • This finding addresses absence of a township zoning control only; sewage, building, floodplain, and other applicable laws remain in effect.

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

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

  Tiny-home occupancy as a land-use matter inside Harford Township.

  • This finding addresses absence of a township zoning control only; building, sewage, floodplain, and other applicable laws remain in effect.

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

• Manufactured homesUnrestricted

  Manufactured-home occupancy as a land-use matter inside Harford Township.

  • This finding addresses absence of a township zoning control only; building, sewage, floodplain, and other applicable laws remain in effect.

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

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  Accessory-dwelling use as a land-use matter inside Harford Township.

  • This finding addresses absence of a township zoning control only; building, sewage, floodplain, and other applicable laws remain in effect.

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

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access inside Harford Township.

  • The county's current Harford Township profile identifies a driveway permit as required; detailed siting and application conditions were not located.

  “Sewage Enforcement: JHA Companies Code Enforcement: NEIC Solicitor: A. James Hailstone Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: No Flood Plain Management Ordinance: Yes”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or development anywhere within Harford Township, including identified floodplain areas.

  • A permit is not required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures.
  • No permit may issue until the Floodplain Administrator determines that other necessary State and Federal permits have been obtained.
  • The ordinance identifies Special Flood Hazard Areas and community-identified flood hazard areas as its identified floodplain areas.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within Harford Township unless a Permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.”

• Permit processPartial

  Floodplain permits for construction or development inside Harford Township.

  • The application must be in writing on township-supplied forms.
  • The application must identify the applicant, owner, contractor, site, other required permits, proposed work and estimated cost, and include a site plan.
  • Applications are accompanied by a municipal fee based on estimated construction cost as determined by the Floodplain Administrator.

  “Application for such a Permit shall be made, in writing, to the Floodplain Administrator on forms supplied by Harford Township.”

Rules another office applies inside Harford Township

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

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot or onsite sewage systems inside Harford Township.

  • Harford Township's county profile identifies JHA Companies as sewage enforcement.
  • parameters: Local agencies are responsible under Act 537, subject to exceptions for large-volume on-lot systems.

  “Local Agencies are responsible for carrying out on-lot or onsite ("septic system") sewage treatment system permitting and enforcement activities.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, construction, alteration, repair, or connection of individual or community sewage systems inside Harford Township.

  • A replacement dwelling with the same size and anticipated use may be exempt if the prior dwelling was in use within one year, unless an active malfunction investigation is underway.
  • Unless a local ordinance requires a permit, the Act provides a ten-acre owner-occupant exception for qualifying contiguous land owned of record on January 10, 1987.
  • A permit-exempt system remains subject to statutory siting and notification provisions.

  “No person shall install, construct, or award a contract for construction, or alter, repair or connect to an individual sewage system or community sewage system or construct, or request bid proposals for construction, or install or occupy any building or structure for which an individual sewage system or community sewage system is to be installed without first obtaining a permit”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Individual and community sewage-disposal systems installed inside Harford Township.

  • The system or structure cannot be covered until the original permitting body or authorized representative approves covering it.
  • After 72 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, from notice of completion, the applicant may cover it unless permission has been refused.

  notice-to-cover period: 72 hours (Sundays and holidays excluded)

  “No system or structure designed to provide individual or community sewage disposal shall be covered from view until approval to cover the same has been given by the body which issued the original permit or its authorized representative.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Harford Township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Harford Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Harford Township.
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation arrangements inside Harford Township.
• Well permit — Private wells inside Harford 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.