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

At a glance

Building permit

Required; the township's code/zoning officer signs off on every project²

Building code

2018 International Residential Code and 2018 International Building Code⁴

Permit fee

$70 plus $3.00 per $1,000 of construction over $2,000, a $4.50 state training fee and inspector fees⁵

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance adopted December 3, 2024¹

Septic

On-lot applications go to Hess and Fisher Engineering³

RV and tiny homes

Not confirmed; ask the zoning officer⁶

Floodplain

Separate floodplain permit for any development in a floodplain⁷

Who to call

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

Does Lawrence Township, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for your land?

Yes. Lawrence Township zoning was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 3, 2024¹, and the township's own zoning officer applies it⁶. The ordinance is codified as Chapter 125 on eCode360, and the township notes that Ordinance 2026-01 amendments are not yet on eCode360¹.

The zoning officer checks a project against its district before it goes ahead⁶. That is why the district matters more than anything else you read online about the township.

We could not confirm the township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks or building height. Ask the zoning officer before you buy, and request the district's setback table, which the township posts as a form⁶.

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

Yes. Building projects inside Lawrence Township need a permit, and the township's code/zoning officer must sign off on all of them². The township enforces the 2018 International Residential Code and 2018 International Building Code⁴.

Applications run through PennSafe Building Inspection Services, LLC, and the completed packet returns to the township's code/zoning officer⁸. Additions and new structures such as garages and sheds need a site plan showing dimensions from property lines⁸.

The township charges $70.00 for building permits plus $3.00 per $1,000 of construction over $2,000, a $4.50 state training fee and inspector fees⁵. Separate zoning permit fees may apply; we could not confirm them.

How do septic permits work inside Lawrence Township?

The township's own page sends on-lot sewage applications, complaints and perk tests to Hess and Fisher Engineering³. Septic permits come from the sewage local agency, not the township building permit⁹.

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before installing or occupying a building served by an onlot system, with a narrow exemption for some owner or family residences on tracts of at least 10 acres⁹. Whether that exemption can apply to your parcel depends on conditions you must confirm with the sewage agency.

Clearfield County's soils are demanding: only 1.3% of the county's soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field¹⁰. Expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. Public sewer in the township is run by CMA, not the township³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Lawrence Township?

We could not confirm whether Lawrence Township allows living in an RV or tiny home on private land. The answer sits in the township's zoning ordinance, so the zoning officer is the person to ask⁶.

Pennsylvania's statewide campground rules do not answer the question: they cover stays at state park campgrounds, not a parcel you own¹¹.

A manufactured home is a different case. The state's building code governs permits, utility connections and occupancy certificates for manufactured housing, but it does not settle local zoning or septic approval¹². Confirm the district's rule with the zoning officer first.

Building a home in Lawrence Township: the steps, in order

1. Call the zoning officer and confirm your parcel's district and whether the use you want is allowed⁶.
2. Get a floodplain check; a mapped floodplain adds a separate $50.00 permit⁷.
3. Contact Hess and Fisher Engineering about the on-lot sewage application and site evaluation³.
4. Download the PennSafe application packet, attach a site plan and return it to the code/zoning officer for sign-off⁸.
5. Pay the permit fees: $70.00 plus $3.00 per $1,000 over $2,000, and a $4.50 state training fee⁵.
6. Schedule inspections as construction proceeds; Pennsylvania requires a certificate of occupancy before a residential building is occupied¹³.

What stays with Clearfield County, and what should you check before buying?

Clearfield County does not issue building permits or zoning inside the township; the township does². The county planning office reviews subdivision and land development plans only where a municipality has no ordinance of its own¹⁴. Check with the township whether it handles subdivision itself; its code lists a subdivision chapter we could not confirm.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit¹⁵. Private wells are not regulated by the state's DEP¹⁶; ask the township whether it has its own well rule. Clearfield County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%¹⁷. For land outside the township, see the Clearfield County page.

Watch-outs

• Ordinance 2026-01 amends the zoning map and is not yet on eCode360, so the online code and interactive map may be out of date; ask the zoning officer for the current district¹.
• The township lists two phone numbers, one on its building permits page and one on its zoning page, so call the number on the page matching your question⁸⁶.
• Permit sign-off by the township is separate from the PennSafe inspection fees, which are charged in addition to the township fee⁵.
• We could not confirm township rules on owner-builders, certificates of occupancy, wells or accessory dwellings; ask the code/zoning officer before you commit to a plan⁸.

Sources

1. Lawrence Township zoning page (Lawrence Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Lawrence Township building permits page (Lawrence Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Hess and Fisher Engineering (on-lot sewage applications) (lawrencepa.gov)
4. Lawrence Township building permits page (Lawrence Township), quoted and re-checked
5. Lawrence Township building permits page (Lawrence Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Lawrence Township Zoning Officer (lawrencepa.gov)
7. Lawrence Township floodplain permit (lawrencepa.gov)
8. Lawrence Township Code/Zoning Officer (building permits) (lawrencepa.gov)
9. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. 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
11. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Planning, quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Private Water Wells, quoted and re-checked
17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.