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

Jackson Township’s own rules

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Jackson Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

  • The county page was updated January 31, 2024.

  “Sewage Enforcement: Susquehanna County Council of Governments (COG) Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Dwelling size inside Jackson Township, as a zoning dimensional standard.

  • This does not establish an absence of state building-code or health requirements.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Lot size inside Jackson Township, as a zoning dimensional standard.

  • This does not establish an absence of lot-area requirements arising from sewage approval or other non-zoning rules.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• SetbacksNone

  Setbacks inside Jackson Township, as a zoning dimensional standard.

  • This does not establish an absence of sewage-system siting setbacks or other non-zoning restrictions.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage inside Jackson Township, as a zoning dimensional standard.

  • This finding is limited to zoning land-use controls.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Building heightNone

  Building height inside Jackson Township, as a zoning dimensional standard.

  • This finding is limited to zoning land-use controls.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Living in an RVUnrestricted

  Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Jackson Township, as a zoning-land-use matter.

  • Sewage, driveway, floodplain, and other non-zoning rules may still apply.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Camping on your landUnrestricted

  Temporary camping on private land inside Jackson Township, as a zoning-land-use matter.

  • Sewage, driveway, floodplain, and other non-zoning rules may still apply.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

  Tiny-home occupancy inside Jackson Township, as a zoning-land-use matter.

  • Sewage, driveway, floodplain, building-code, and other non-zoning rules may still apply.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Manufactured homesUnrestricted

  Manufactured-home occupancy inside Jackson Township, as a zoning-land-use matter.

  • Sewage, driveway, floodplain, building-code, and other non-zoning rules may still apply.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  Accessory dwellings inside Jackson Township, as a zoning-land-use matter.

  • Sewage, driveway, floodplain, building-code, and other non-zoning rules may still apply.

  “Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access inside Jackson Township.

  • The county profile does not state the application procedure, road classification, or exceptions.

  “Sewage Enforcement: Susquehanna County Council of Governments (COG) Driveway Permit Required: Yes Building Permit: No”

Rules another office applies inside Jackson Township

Jackson 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 sewage enforcement inside Jackson Township.

  • The official county profile identifies Susquehanna County Council of Governments as the Township's sewage-enforcement provider.

  “Sewage Enforcement: Susquehanna County Council of Governments (COG)”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, construction, alteration, repair, connection, or occupancy involving an individual or community sewage system inside Jackson Township.

  • A replacement dwelling of the same size and anticipated use may be exempt if the former dwelling was in use within one year, unless an active malfunction investigation is underway.
  • A limited owner/family residential exemption may apply to a qualifying contiguous tract of ten acres or more owned of record on January 10, 1987, unless a local ordinance requires a permit.
  • Where the statutory permit exemption is used, the owner must notify the local agency before installation and comply with stated siting requirements.

  “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 indicating that the site and the plans and specifications of such system are in compliance with the provisions of this act and the standards adopted pursuant to this act.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Site-suitability testing for individual or community on-lot sewage-system permits inside Jackson Township.

  • The required action is prior to permit issuance and concerns tests used to determine site suitability.

  “Prior to issuing a permit, the sewage enforcement officer shall conduct personally, observe or otherwise confirm in a manner approved by the Department all tests used to determine the suitability of a site for an individual or community onlot sewage system.”

• Permit processPartial

  On-lot sewage permits inside Jackson Township.

  • Application for a sewage permit is in writing to the local agency.
  • The official county profile identifies the Susquehanna County COG as sewage enforcement for Jackson Township.

  “Application for permit shall be in writing to the local agency in accordance with the provisions of section 8 of this act, and shall be made in such form and shall include such data as the department may prescribe.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Jackson Township.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Jackson Township.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Jackson Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Jackson Township.
• Well permit — Private wells inside Jackson 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.