Bolthole Index

Erie County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Corry, Pennsylvania

Corry, Pennsylvania (Erie County) has its own zoning ordinance, and building or changing a structure inside city limits requires a written application to the city Zoning Officer first12. Erie County does not issue that permit inside Corry. Septic permits in Pennsylvania come from a local agency, and we could not confirm which one covers Corry addresses3. Land outside the city follows its township's rules, not these.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city has its own zoning districts and zoning map14
Building permit
Required: written application to the city Zoning Officer before building, enlarging or changing use2
Certificate of occupancy
Required before you use or occupy a permitted building5
Mobile homes in R-1
Not permitted in the R-1 Single-Family Residential district6
Minimum lot (public water and sewer)
7,000 sq ft and 60 ft wide in residential districts7
Septic
Local agency issues on-lot sewage permits; the agency for Corry addresses is unconfirmed3
RV or tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the Zoning Officer4
Property tax
Erie County effective rate 1.6%8

Who to call

Zoning

City of Corry Zoning Office

Zoning questions, building/zoning permit applications and certificates of use and occupancy inside Corry city limits

814-663-7041 ext. 108

svollentine@corrypa.gov

100 South Center Street Corry, PA 16407

Septic permits

Erie County Department of Health

Countywide health department; Erie County's planning documents list it as the agency that regulates on-lot septic and sewer systems under Act 537. Which municipalities it serves directly is unconfirmed.

814-451-6700

ecdhinfo@eriecountypa.gov

606 West Second Street, Erie, PA 16507

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Corry, PA have zoning, and what does it cover?

Yes. The City of Corry divides itself into zoning districts and publishes a zoning map that sets the boundaries4. Zoning here is the city's own job, not Erie County's: the county reports that most of its municipalities have enacted their own zoning9.

Dimensional rules differ by district. In the R-1 Single-Family Residential district, buildings may cover at most 30 percent of the lot10 and may rise to 3 stories or 35 feet11. In residential districts where a lot has both public water and public sewer, the minimum lot is 7,000 square feet and 60 feet wide7.

The zoning code was opened only for these tables. We could not confirm setbacks, a minimum house size or accessory dwelling rules, so ask the Zoning Office before you design anything.

Can you put a mobile home, RV or tiny home on a lot in Corry?

In the R-1 Single-Family Residential district, the permitted use is single-family detached dwellings "except mobile homes", so a mobile home is not allowed there6. Other districts may differ, because that finding covers one district only6.

We could not confirm a Corry rule on living in an RV, camping on private land, or tiny-home occupancy inside city limits. Do not assume silence means permission, since a lot inside the city is zoned. Ask the City of Corry Zoning Office12 which district the parcel is in and whether the use is allowed there.

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

Yes. Inside Corry, it is unlawful to erect, enlarge, construct, reconstruct or structurally alter a building or other structure, or to change its use, without first filing a written application with the Zoning Officer and obtaining the required permit2. The application must be on the form the Zoning Officer prescribes, with the fee set by City Council and a plat plan; the Zoning Officer may require a survey at your expense when accurate information is missing13.

A permit expires if work does not start within 12 months, and new residential construction must be substantially complete within 2 years of starting13. You also need a zoning certificate of use and occupancy before anyone uses the building, applied for at the same time as the permit5.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code also requires a building permit before construction work begins14. We could not confirm whether the city or a third-party agency handles UCC plan review and inspections inside Corry, so ask the Zoning Office how that is split. The city's fee schedule was also not confirmed.

How do septic permits work inside Corry?

Pennsylvania assigns septic permitting to local agencies, which can be a municipality, a joint municipal group, a county or a county health department15. The Erie County Department of Health describes itself as regulating on-lot septic and sewer systems under Act 53716, but the sources do not say which agency covers each municipality, and we could not confirm who permits septic systems for addresses inside Corry.

Before you buy, find out whether the lot connects to public sewer. We could not confirm a rule on sewer connection distance or on wells inside the city. The Erie County Department of Health17 and the Corry Zoning Office12 are the two places to ask. Septic is a separate approval from the city zoning permit.

Building a home in Corry: the steps, in order

  1. Call the City of Corry Zoning Office12 to confirm the parcel's zoning district and whether your use is allowed4.
  2. Settle sewer or septic: ask whether public sewer is available, and if not, ask the Erie County Department of Health who permits on-lot systems for the address173.
  3. File the written building/zoning permit application with the fee and a plat plan, and apply for the certificate of use and occupancy at the same time135.
  4. If the driveway meets a state road, get a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit18.
  5. Confirm UCC plan review and inspection arrangements with the city14.
  6. Do not move in until the certificate of use and occupancy is issued5.

What stays with Erie County, and what to check before you buy in Corry?

Land outside Corry is under different rules. See the Erie County page for unincorporated land and townships.

County-level figures only give context. Erie County's effective property tax rate is 1.6 percent8, and the median property tax bill is $2,754 a year19. The county's septic soil rating is poor: the share of soils rated not limited for a conventional drain field is 0 percent20, so a lot off public sewer will likely need a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system.

Floodplain development is a municipal permit in Pennsylvania21. Corry's code has a floodplain chapter, but we could not confirm its terms, so ask the Zoning Office whether the parcel sits in a flood zone.

Watch-outs

  • Corry's zoning findings cover the R-1 district for mobile homes, lot coverage and height; other districts may differ6.
  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits for addresses inside Corry, so call the Erie County Department of Health before relying on any lot without public sewer17.
  • A building permit does not cover occupancy: Corry requires a separate zoning certificate of use and occupancy before you use a building5.

Sources

  1. § 156.021 Zoning Districts (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 156.132 Application for Building/Zoning Permit and Zoning Certificate of Use and Occupancy (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  3. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  4. § 156.021 Zoning Districts (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 156.132 Application for Building/Zoning Permit and Zoning Certificate of Use and Occupancy (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 156.055 R-1 Single-Family Residential (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 156.063 Lot Size and Area, Height Regulations and Yard Requirements (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  8. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  9. Subdivisions and Land Development, quoted and re-checked
  10. § 156.063 Lot Size and Area, Height Regulations and Yard Requirements (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 156.063 Lot Size and Area, Height Regulations and Yard Requirements (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Corry Zoning Office (corrypa.org)
  13. § 156.132 Application for Building/Zoning Permit and Zoning Certificate of Use and Occupancy (Corry), quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  16. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  17. Erie County Department of Health (eriecountypa.gov)
  18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  20. 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
  21. Pennsylvania Floodplain Development Guide, quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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 Corry

Corry’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting, enlarging, constructing, reconstructing, or structurally altering a building or structure, or changing/extending/displacing a use, inside Corry city.

    • A written application must first be filed with the Zoning Officer and the required permit obtained.
    “It shall be unlawful to erect, enlarge, construct, reconstruct or structurally alter any building and/or other structure or change the use, intensity of use or extend or displace the use of any building, other structure and/or land in the city without first filing an application with the Zoning Officer in writing and obtaining the required permit.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Buildings, structures, or land inside Corry city for which a permit is required.

    • Use or occupancy may not begin until the Zoning Officer issues the zoning certificate of use and occupancy.
    • The certificate application must be made when the permit application is filed.
    “It shall be unlawful to use and/or occupy any building, other structure and/or land for which a permit is required until a zoning certificate of use and occupancy for such building, other structure and/or land has been issued by the Zoning Officer. The application for issuance of a certificate of use and occupancy shall be made at the same time an application for a permit is filed with the Zoning Officer.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Corry city limits.

    • District boundaries are shown on the zoning map.
    “The city is divided into the districts stated in this chapter as shown by the district boundaries on the zoning map.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Corry city limits.

    • District boundaries are determined by the zoning map.
    “The city is divided into the districts stated in this chapter as shown by the district boundaries on the zoning map.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building/zoning permit and zoning certificate applications inside Corry city limits.

    • Application must be submitted in the form prescribed by the Zoning Officer and accompanied by the City Council-established fee.
    • A plat plan is required as specified by § 156.132(F).
    • Where complete accurate information is unavailable, the Zoning Officer may require a survey at the applicant's expense.

    permit expiration if work not started: 12 months (From permit issuance) · substantial completion period for new residential construction: 2 years (From date construction is started)

    “If work described in any permit is not started within 12 months from the date of issuance, the permit shall expire and a written notice shall be given by the Zoning Officer to the persons affected.”

Rules another office applies inside Corry

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential districts inside Corry city with both public water and public sewer.

    • Site remains subject to specified building-coverage and parking requirements.
    • No more than one-half of the open area may be devoted to off-street parking or parking access.

    minimum lot area: 7000 square feet (Lots with both public water and public sewer) · minimum lot width: 60 feet (Lots with both public water and public sewer)

    “Lots with both public water and public sewer | Minimum Area | 7,000 sq. feet Minimum Width | 60 feet”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential district inside Corry city limits.

    maximum building coverage: 30 percent (R-1)

    “Max. bldg. coverage | 30% | 40% | 30% | 85% | 50% | 85% | 80% | 80% | 25%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential district inside Corry city limits.

    maximum height: 3 stories (R-1) · maximum height: 35 feet (R-1)

    “Max. height (stories)(1) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 Max. height (feet) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 60 | 60 | 35”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Mobile homes in the R-1 Single-Family Residential district inside Corry city limits.

    • This claim is limited to R-1; other districts may differ.
    “Single-family detached dwellings, except mobile homes;”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Corry or Erie County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Corry city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Corry city limits.
  • Inspections — New residential construction inside Corry city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 district inside Corry city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside Corry city limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Corry publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Erie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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