Bolthole Index

Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Kittanning, Pennsylvania

Kittanning Borough, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, runs its own zoning ordinance, which divides the borough into 9 districts1. Construction inside the borough follows Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, which the borough adopted as its municipal building code2. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the borough; ask the borough office first.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the borough's own ordinance, 9 districts1
Building code
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the borough2
Building permit
Required under the state code before work starts3
Occupancy permit
Owner-occupants of their own dwelling are exempt from the borough's occupancy permit4
Minimum lot (R-1)
5,000 sq ft for a dwelling5
Septic permit
Issued by a local sewage enforcement agency; borough arrangement unconfirmed6

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Kittanning Municipal Building

The borough's main office. Start here for zoning questions, building permits and the borough code.

724-543-2091

300 South McKean Street, Kittanning, PA 16201

Planning & zoning

Armstrong County Planning and Development

County subdivision and land development review, and county support for municipalities that share Uniform Construction Code inspections.

724-548-3223

402 Market Street, Kittanning, PA 16201

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Kittanning means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Kittanning, PA have zoning?

Yes. The Borough of Kittanning has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 550 of the borough code, which divides the borough into 9 districts1. Armstrong County does not zone for the borough; zoning in the county is handled by each municipality7.

The numbers differ by district, so check the district on your parcel. In the R-1 One-Family Residence District, a dwelling lot must be at least 5,000 square feet5. Buildings may cover no more than 40% of an R-1 lot8 and may be no taller than 35 feet or 2.5 stories9. The R-1 setbacks are 20 feet in front and 25 feet in the rear, with 1 to 3 feet on a side and 10 feet combined for both sides10.

In the AC-1 Agricultural-Conservation District, a single-family detached lot must be at least 10,000 square feet11 and buildings are limited to 3 stories12.

We could not confirm the borough's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum house size. Ask the borough office before you plan any of them.

Do you need a building permit in Kittanning, and who issues it?

Kittanning Borough adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code2, and the code requires a property owner to obtain a permit before starting construction work3. The borough may enforce the code with its own employee, a third-party agency or an agreement with another body2. We could not confirm which of those the borough uses for building permits, so call the borough office at 724-543-209113.

Armstrong County's planning office says 35 municipalities share Uniform Construction Code inspections through the Armstrong County UCC Group, which contracts with Bureau Veritas1415. We could not confirm whether Kittanning is one of them.

Separately, the borough has an occupancy permit for a change in occupancy of a dwelling. Owners who will live in their own dwelling, alone or with a spouse, children, parents, grandparents or siblings, are exempt4.

How do septic permits work in Kittanning?

In Armstrong County, local agencies, not the county commissioners, issue permits for individual on-lot sewage systems, and the Armstrong County Sewage Enforcement Agency is a delegated joint local agency16. Large-volume systems are an exception6.

We could not confirm whether a lot inside the borough is served by public sewer, whether connection is mandatory, or which agency would issue a septic permit if it is not. Ask the borough office at 724-543-209113, and ask Armstrong County Planning and Development at 724-548-3223 who the Sewage Enforcement Officer is for the address15.

Building a home in Kittanning: the steps, in order

  1. Call the borough office to confirm the zoning district of the parcel and its lot, setback and height limits131.
  2. Confirm sewer or septic: public sewer connection, or a local sewage enforcement agency permit6.
  3. If the driveway reaches a state highway, plan for a PennDOT highway occupancy permit, which must be in hand before driveway access is allowed17.
  4. Obtain the building permit before work starts3.
  5. Have construction inspected; the code official inspects all construction for which a permit was issued18.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before the building is used or occupied19.

What stays with Armstrong County, and what to check before you buy

The borough decides zoning and the building code inside its limits. Land outside the borough is a different question: see the Armstrong County page for the county's answers.

Subdivision review is the main county role. The county subdivision and land development ordinance applies to municipalities that have no such ordinance in effect20; we could not confirm whether Kittanning has its own, so ask before splitting a lot.

Floodplains need a check. Armstrong County's subdivision ordinance says no building or development can occur within a floodway21, and construction in a flood plain needs documentation prepared and sealed by a registered design professional22. We could not confirm the borough's own floodplain rules.

Armstrong County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%23, with a median bill of $2,175 a year24.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether the borough requires connection to public sewer or water, or who issues septic permits for a lot inside the borough; ask the borough office at 724-543-209113.
  • RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings and manufactured homes are not confirmed for Kittanning; the county's RV rules for municipalities without local regulations do not apply inside a borough that has its own zoning251.
  • Dimensional limits vary by zoning district, and the borough's zoning map was not reviewed, so confirm the district of any parcel before you buy26.

Sources

  1. Article II: Zoning Districts and Zoning Map - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 282 Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 275 Building Construction - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article III: Zoning Districts Regulations - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  6. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  7. Citizen’s Guide to Subdivision and Land Development, quoted and re-checked
  8. Article III: Zoning Districts Regulations - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article III: Zoning Districts Regulations - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article III: Zoning Districts Regulations - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article III: Zoning Districts Regulations - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article III: Zoning Districts Regulations - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked
  13. Borough of Kittanning Municipal Building (kittanning-borough.com)
  14. co.armstrong.pa.us, quoted and re-checked
  15. Armstrong County Planning and Development (co.armstrong.pa.us)
  16. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  17. Part XIV. Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration, quoted and re-checked
  18. Part XIV. Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration, quoted and re-checked
  19. Part XIV. Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration, quoted and re-checked
  20. Armstrong County Planning, quoted and re-checked
  21. Armstrong County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  22. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance of Armstrong County, quoted and re-checked
  26. Article II: Zoning Districts and Zoning Map - Borough of Kittanning, PA (Ch. 550) (Borough of Kittanning), quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Kittanning

Borough of Kittanning’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Kittanning borough

    • Adopted 5-3-2004 by Ord. No. 426-2004.
    • Enforcement may be by borough employee, third-party agency, intermunicipal agreement, contract, or the PA Department of Labor and Industry for structures other than one- or two-family dwellings and utility/miscellaneous structures, as determined by borough resolution.
    “the uniform construction code as contained in title 34 of the pennsylvania code, chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as the municipal building code for kittanning borough.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Inspection of premises on application for an occupancy permit inside Kittanning borough

    • Inspection is discretionary ('may cause an inspection').
    • Owner-occupants and certain relatives are exempt from the occupancy permit.
    • Construction inspections under the UCC not separately verified.
    “the building inspector of said borough may cause an inspection to be made of the premises.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Change in occupancy of dwellings and other structures inside Kittanning borough

    • Owners occupying their own residential dwelling as principal residence (with spouse, children, parents, grandparents or siblings) are exempt.
    • Fee set by borough resolution.
    • If no permit or written refusal within seven days of application, the owner may proceed (§ 275-5).
    • Amended 2-1-2021 (Ord. 543-2021) and 4-4-2022 (Ord. 547-2022).

    decision period: 7 days

    “provided, however, that owners of the residential dwellings which are to be occupied by those owners, or the owners together with the owner's spouse, children, parents, grandparents and/or siblings, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Kittanning borough

    • Chapter 550 zoning ordinance adopted 12-28-1966 by Ord. No. 55-1966; nine districts R-1, R-2, R-3, P-1, B-1, B-2, B-3, M-1, AC-1.

    zoning districts: 9 districts

    “for the purpose of this chapter, the borough of kittanning is hereby divided into nine zoning districts, differentiated according to permitted uses and building regulations”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Kittanning borough

    • Zoning map is referenced in § 550-6; map itself not reviewed.
    “for the purpose of this chapter, the borough of kittanning is hereby divided into nine zoning districts, differentiated according to permitted uses and building regulations”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District, inside Kittanning borough

    • Applies to one- and two-family structures in R-1, R-2, R-3 (note c).
    • Minimum lot frontage 50 ft, depth 100 ft.

    minimum dwelling lot size: >= 5000 sq ft

    “(3) minimum dwelling lot size: c 5,000 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District, inside Kittanning borough

    • Values in feet; garages: front 50 ft, side 3 ft, rear 3 ft (8 ft if on alley).

    front: >= 20 ft · side: 1 to 3; both sides 10 ft · rear: >= 25 ft

    “(4) minimum setback and yard requirements. c (a) front: 20. (b) side: 1 to 3; side, both: 10. (c) rear: 25.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    AC-1 Agricultural-Conservation District, inside Kittanning borough

    • Incorporates R-3 district coverage by reference (40% for one- and two-family structures).

    lot coverage: same as R-3 district

    “(15) minimum lot coverage: same as r-3 district.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District, inside Kittanning borough

    • Applies to one- and two-family structures.

    maximum height: <= 35 ft · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

    “(8) maximum building height: c stories: 2.5; feet: 35.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Kittanning or Armstrong County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Kittanning borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Kittanning borough
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Kittanning borough
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Kittanning borough
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Kittanning borough
13 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Kittanning publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Armstrong County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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