Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Silver Lake Township, Pennsylvania

Silver Lake Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  A new home, addition to an existing home, or structural change inside Silver Lake Township.

  • For a detached cold-storage building under 1,000 square feet, the Township directs applicants to call the Township office for the building permit.
  • parameters are limited to the stated construction categories.

  “you must call Code Inspections, Inc. to obtain your permit”

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Silver Lake Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

  • This finding concerns zoning; Silver Lake Township separately has a planning ordinance and floodplain-management ordinance.

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Zoning minimum dwelling size inside Silver Lake Township.

  • This finding is limited to zoning; building-code requirements may still apply.

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

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Zoning minimum lot size inside Silver Lake Township.

  • Subdivision and sewage rules may still constrain lot creation or development.

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

• SetbacksNone

  Zoning setbacks inside Silver Lake Township.

  • Subdivision design standards or other non-zoning regulations may separately impose setbacks.

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

• Lot coverageNone

  Zoning lot coverage inside Silver Lake Township.

  • Subdivision design standards and floodplain controls may separately apply.

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

• Building heightNone

  Zoning building-height limits inside Silver Lake Township.

  • UCC and floodplain requirements may separately apply.

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions and land developments within Silver Lake Township.

  • The ordinance applies to subdivisions and land developments proposed after its effective date; no lot may be sold and no building permit issued in a subdivision or land development until the plan is approved and recorded and required improvements are constructed or guaranteed.

  “all subdivisions and land developments in the Township”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access inside Silver Lake Township.

  • The reviewed official municipal profile does not provide application procedures, road classifications, or exceptions.

  “Driveway Permit: Yes Building Permit: Yes Zoning: No”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land-development applications inside Silver Lake Township.

  • The applicant pays a fee sufficient to cover administrative costs when filing an application; the reviewed ordinance text did not provide a numeric fee schedule.

  “Fees to be paid by the Applicant shall be established by resolution”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land-development applications inside Silver Lake Township.

  • The Planning Commission reviews plans; plans are forwarded to the County Planning Commission, whose review fee may be required by County resolution; preliminary and final approvals are required before grading and recording respectively, subject to stated ordinance exceptions.

  “No person, firm or corporation proposing to make, or have made, a subdivision or land development within the Township shall proceed with any grading before obtaining from the Silver Lake Township Planning Commission the approval of the preliminary plan of the proposed development, and no deeds shall be recorded for lots in any development, before obtaining from the Silver Lake Township Planning Commission the approval of the final plan of the proposed subdivision or land development, except as otherwise provided herein.”

Rules another office applies inside Silver Lake Township

Silver Lake 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 code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Silver Lake Township, including residential construction subject to the Pennsylvania UCC.

  • The Township identifies Code Inspections, Inc. as its code-enforcement contact for new homes, additions, and structural changes.

  “Pennsylvania's statewide building code, generally known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), has to be followed by builders in the state.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction inside Silver Lake Township for which a UCC permit is issued.

  • The permit holder must ensure construction is accessible for inspection.

  “A construction code official shall inspect all construction for which a permit was issued.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Residential buildings inside Silver Lake Township.

  • A certificate follows a final inspection report indicating UCC and ordinance compliance; a temporary certificate may be issued for safely occupiable portions before all permitted work is complete.

  “A residential building may not be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy issued by a building code official.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Sewage permitting and sewage enforcement inside Silver Lake Township.

  • The Township identifies the Council of Governments as the sewage-permit handler; on-lot conditions and permit requirements were not established by the page.

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

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Silver Lake Township.
• Septic permit — On-lot sewage systems inside Silver Lake Township.
• Septic inspection — On-lot sewage systems inside Silver Lake Township.
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation inside Silver Lake Township.
• Well permit — Private wells inside Silver Lake 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.