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

Lathrop Township’s own rules

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Lathrop Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

  • The county page identifies a Flood Plain Management Ordinance; this zoning-absence finding does not eliminate floodplain or other non-zoning controls.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Minimum dwelling size inside Lathrop Township, as a zoning dimensional control.

  • This is a zoning-only finding and does not establish compliance with building-code or sewage requirements.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Minimum lot size inside Lathrop Township, as a zoning dimensional control.

  • This is a zoning-only finding and does not eliminate septic siting or subdivision requirements that may otherwise apply.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• SetbacksNone

  Setbacks inside Lathrop Township, as a zoning dimensional control.

  • This is a zoning-only finding and does not eliminate septic, floodplain, road, or other applicable setbacks.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage inside Lathrop Township, as a zoning dimensional control.

  • This is a zoning-only finding and does not eliminate floodplain or other applicable controls.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Building heightNone

  Building height inside Lathrop Township, as a zoning dimensional control.

  • This is a zoning-only finding and does not establish compliance with building-code or floodplain requirements.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Living in an RVUnrestricted

  RV occupancy on private land inside Lathrop Township, as a zoning/land-use matter.

  • This finding addresses the absence of a township zoning restriction only; septic, floodplain, building, and other applicable rules may still constrain use.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Camping on your landUnrestricted

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

  • This finding addresses the absence of a township zoning restriction only; septic, floodplain, building, and other applicable rules may still constrain use.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

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

  • This finding addresses the absence of a township zoning restriction only; building, septic, floodplain, and other applicable rules may still constrain use.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Manufactured homesUnrestricted

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

  • This finding addresses the absence of a township zoning restriction only; building, septic, floodplain, and other applicable rules may still constrain use.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

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

  • This finding addresses the absence of a township zoning restriction only; building, septic, floodplain, and other applicable rules may still constrain use.

  “Driveway Permit Required: No Zoning: No Planning Ordinance: No Comprehensive Plan: County Plan”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot or onsite septic systems inside Lathrop Township.

  • The listed local Sewage Enforcement Officer is John Watts c/o JHA Companies.
  • Act 537 provides that local agencies perform septic permitting and enforcement; large-volume on-lot systems are an exception to the local-agency permit responsibility.

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

• Driveway accessNot required

  Township driveway permits for access inside Lathrop Township.

  • This finding addresses only a Lathrop Township driveway permit; it does not establish that a PennDOT, county, or other road-owner approval is unnecessary.

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

Rules another office applies inside Lathrop Township

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

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, construction, occupancy, or use of a building served by an individual or community on-lot sewage system inside Lathrop Township.

  • The general requirement is subject to 25 Pa. Code § 72.22(c)-(e).
  • Portable chemical toilets for temporary construction, recreation, or temporary facilities are covered by one permit.
  • A permit is not required for a recycling, incinerating, composting, or other water-conservation toilet if the existing on-lot system is not altered.
  • The owner-family 10-acre exemption applies only under the parcel, ownership-date, and occupancy conditions in § 72.22(e), unless a local ordinance requires a permit.
  • A same-size-or-less replacement dwelling exception is unavailable during an active malfunction investigation.

  “without first obtaining a permit from the local agency, except as provided in subsections (c)—(e).”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Individual and community on-lot sewage systems installed inside Lathrop Township.

  • No part of the system may be covered until final inspection and final written local-agency approval.
  • The system must be inspected and approved before the served structure is occupied.
  • After notification of completion, an applicant may cover the system after 72 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, unless final written approval to cover has been refused.

  covering wait after completion notice: >= 72 hours (Sundays and holidays excluded; only if final written approval to cover has not been refused.)

  “The sewage system shall be inspected, approved and covered before the structure is occupied by a person.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Off-grid sanitation using an individual or community on-lot sewage system inside Lathrop Township.

  • A local-agency permit is generally required before installation, construction, occupancy, or use of a served building.
  • A recycling, incinerating, composting, or other water-conservation toilet does not require a permit only where the existing on-lot system is not altered.
  • The owner-family 10-acre exemption and same-size replacement-dwelling exception are subject to the conditions in 25 Pa. Code § 72.22(e) and (h).

  “A permit is not required for the installation of a recycling toilet, incinerating toilet, composting toilet or other type of water conservation device where the existing onlot system will not be altered.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential building construction inside Lathrop Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Lathrop Township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Lathrop Township.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Lathrop Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for structures inside Lathrop 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.