Building permits, zoning and land rules in Clarion County, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required for UCC-covered work; the parcel's municipality administers enforcement and uses a contractor for inspections¹²³

Zoning

No countywide zoning ordinance; parcel rules depend on the municipality, plus county airport controls on structure height in the airport flight path⁵⁴⁹

Septic

Permit through the responsible local agency; confirm the Sewage Enforcement Officer with the municipality⁶⁷

RV living

Private-land residential use was not confirmed countywide; ask the parcel's township or borough¹⁰

Tiny home

No countywide siting answer; UCC permitting and the parcel municipality's land-use rules both matter¹¹¹²

Owner-builder

An owner may do uncompensated work on the owner's residence, but permits and inspections still apply^1314115

Private well

Commercial drillers need state licensing and rig permits; any parcel-level permit should be confirmed locally¹⁶

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Clarion County, Pennsylvania?

Yes. Construction and building work covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before work starts in Clarion County.¹ All Clarion County municipalities opted into total UCC enforcement, and they use contractors for inspections.²³ Required inspections follow permitted work, and a UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a regulated building or facility can be used.¹⁵¹⁷

An owner may perform uncompensated construction work on the owner's own residence, but owner-builder status does not waive the UCC permit, inspection or occupancy requirements.¹³¹⁴¹ A qualifying agricultural building can be excluded from the Construction Code Act, but the definition bars habitable space and does not erase separate municipal land-use, fire, health or environmental requirements.¹⁸

Who issues building permits in Clarion County, and how do you reach them?

Clarion County does not provide one permit counter for every residential project. Start with the township or borough containing the parcel and ask for its current building code official, application, inspection contractor and fee schedule; all county municipalities opted into UCC enforcement and use contractors for inspections.²³ The permit must be issued before covered work begins.¹

For a new lot line, sale of part of a tract or commercial structure, contact the Clarion County Planning Department at the listed number.¹⁹²⁰ Clarion County's subdivision ordinance applies where a municipality has not adopted its own, while New Bethlehem Borough handles projects under its own ordinance.⁸ Current local building, inspection, subdivision and septic fees were not confirmed, so request the applicable schedules before budgeting. Septic permits are not part of the building permit; see the septic section below.⁶ Pennsylvania's published state UCC fee schedule applies only where that state schedule governs, not automatically to every locally administered project.²¹

Does Clarion County have zoning?

Clarion County has no single countywide zoning ordinance, so a parcel cannot be evaluated from the county answer alone.⁵ Municipal rules vary, and the county reports that four of its 34 municipalities have their own zoning ordinance.⁴ Pennsylvania directs zoning questions to the township, borough or city where the activity will occur.¹²

Ask the parcel municipality about allowed use, setbacks, minimum dwelling size, accessory structures, RV occupancy and tiny-home siting before closing. The county subdivision and land-development ordinance still applies where a municipality lacks its own ordinance.⁸ The county's Airport Zoning Ordinance is not traditional zoning, but it controls structure height in the flight path to the Clarion County Airport runways and restricts landfill location near the airport, so land near the airport needs additional review.⁹ No countywide numeric minimum dwelling size, setback or lot-coverage standard was confirmed. The absence of countywide zoning is not a promise that a particular parcel has no land-use controls.

How do septic permits work in Clarion County?

On-lot sewage permitting and enforcement in Clarion County are handled by the responsible local agency, which may be a municipality or joint agency, rather than one county septic desk.⁶²² Ask the parcel municipality to identify its current Sewage Enforcement Officer. The local agency issues permits for retaining tanks and ordinary individual or community on-lot systems, with large-volume systems treated separately.⁷ The system must remain uncovered until approval to cover is given, subject to the statutory waiting provision.²³

Budget for site testing and design early: only 0.3% of mapped county soils avoid a “very limited” rating for conventional septic drain fields.²⁴ A narrow permit exemption can apply to certain owner or immediate-family residences on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, but acreage alone is not enough.²⁵ A new residence using a composting or similar toilet still needs an approved method for washwater or excess liquid.²⁶

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Clarion County?

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing residential RV occupancy on private land in Clarion County. Ask the parcel's township or borough whether its zoning, nuisance, sewage and occupancy rules allow the proposed setup; municipal zoning differs across Clarion County.⁴¹² State-park campsite limits do not answer whether someone may live in an RV on private property.²⁷

Plan a tiny home intended as a dwelling as a code-regulated residence unless the municipal building code official gives a different written determination, because Pennsylvania requires a permit before UCC-covered residential construction begins.¹²⁸ Local land-use rules still control where the dwelling may sit.¹² Manufactured homes have specialized UCC treatment, but site work, foundations, utility connections, later additions and some relocations remain regulated.²⁹ Confirm sewage approval before using an RV or tiny home as a residence.⁷

Building a home in Clarion County: the steps in order

1. Identify the parcel's township or borough, then ask for its building code official, inspection contractor and zoning contact.²³¹²
2. Ask the responsible local agency to identify its Sewage Enforcement Officer and evaluate the proposed on-lot sewage site before fixing the house location.⁶⁷
3. For a new lot line, partial-tract sale or commercial structure, contact the Clarion County Planning Department; county subdivision rules apply unless the municipality has its own ordinance.²⁰¹⁹⁸
4. Obtain the UCC permit before covered work and schedule each required inspection.¹³⁰
5. Apply to PennDOT if a new or changed driveway enters state-highway land or connects to PennDOT drainage.³¹
6. Obtain municipal approval before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area.³²
7. Pass the final inspection and obtain the certificate of occupancy before using the home.³³

What should you check before buying land in Clarion County?

Confirm the exact municipality first, because building-code administration, zoning contacts and the septic authority are local.²¹²⁶ Ask for a written land-use determination covering the intended home, RV, accessory buildings, setbacks and road access. If the tract will be divided or developed, the county Planning Department can explain the applicable subdivision review.²⁰⁸

Treat septic feasibility as a purchase contingency: 0.3% of mapped county soils avoid severe limits for a conventional drain field, so a parcel-level evaluation matters.²⁴ Check mapped flood hazards because municipal approval is required before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area.³² Determine whether access is from a state or local road; a driveway involving state-highway land needs a PennDOT permit, while no countywide rule for other driveway access was confirmed.³¹ For completed construction, public electric or gas connection requires written proof that required inspections passed.³⁴ Commercial well drillers need state licensing and rig permits, but local private-well approval was not confirmed.¹⁶

Watch-outs

• Do not mistake the absence of countywide zoning for unrestricted land: township or borough rules may govern the parcel.⁵⁴
• Do not start UCC-covered construction before the municipal building code official issues the permit, even if you are doing the work yourself.¹¹⁴
• Clarion County's mapped soils are overwhelmingly rated very limited for conventional drain fields, so verify septic feasibility before committing to a house site.²⁴
• The county Planning Department has announced a move to the Clarion County Complex while retaining its mailing address; call before visiting.²⁰

Sources

1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
2. Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
4. Clarion County 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan, quoted and re-checked
5. Clarion County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (2026 county census)
6. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
7. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
8. Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
9. Clarion County Department of Public Safety Hazard Mitigation Plan, quoted and re-checked
10. Clarion County 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan, quoted and re-checked
11. PA Dept. of Labor & Industry — Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
12. Local Registrations, Permits, Zoning (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Regulations, Chapter 403 (2026 county census)
14. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
18. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
20. Clarion County Planning Department (co.clarion.pa.us)
21. UCC Buildings Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
22. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
25. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
26. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
28. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
29. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
31. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
32. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
34. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 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.