Bolthole Index

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

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

Hanover Township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance with ten districts12, and its Code Enforcement Office handles building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy3. Septic permits come from a Pennsylvania "local agency" under state law4; we could not confirm which agency serves the township.

At a glance

Zoning
Township ordinance with districts R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MHP, C-1, C-2, MU, I-1, I-2 and C-OP2
Building permit
Required; issued through the township Code Enforcement Office53
Septic
Permit from a local agency under state law; agency for the township not confirmed4
R-1 minimum lot
10,000 sq ft6
R-1 front / rear setback
30 ft front, 25 ft rear7
R-1 lot coverage
30% maximum8

Who to call

Building permits

Hanover Township Code Enforcement Office

Building permits, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Hanover Township

(570) 825-1247

Zoning

Hanover Township Zoning Officer

Zoning questions, zoning permit applications and zoning maps for Hanover Township

(570) 825-1246

Also useful

Hanover Township Municipal Building

Main township office; hosts the code enforcement and zoning offices

570-825-8522

1267 Sans Souci Parkway, Hanover Township, PA 18706

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 Hanover Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Hanover Township, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance1. The ordinance divides the township into R-1 single family, R-2 two family, R-3 multi-family, R-MHP mobile home park, C-1, C-2, MU, I-1, I-2 and C-OP districts2. The ordinance lists no separate agricultural district6.

Dimensions depend on the district. In R-1, the minimum lot is 10,000 square feet6, the front yard setback is 30 feet and the rear yard setback is 25 feet7, lot coverage tops out at 30%8, and buildings are limited to 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet9. Other districts differ, so read the table for the parcel's own district. The Zoning Officer answers district questions at (570) 825-124610.

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

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting work11. Inside Hanover Township, the township's Code Enforcement Office reviews applications and plans, issues permits, inspects during construction and issues certificates of occupancy3. Call the office before any construction or alteration to learn whether a permit is required3. Agricultural buildings are excluded from the Uniform Construction Code12. The township's code chapters on construction codes and occupancy permits exist, but we could not confirm their details; ask the Code Enforcement Office.

How do septic permits work in Hanover Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before an on-lot sewage system is installed4. A local agency may be a municipality, a group of municipalities, or a county health department13. We could not confirm which agency serves Hanover Township, so ask the township main office at 570-825-852214 before you plan a septic system, and confirm whether public sewer is required at the parcel.

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

We could not confirm Hanover Township's rule on living in an RV or a tiny home. Luzerne County's own zoning ordinance applies only in municipalities under county zoning jurisdiction, and Hanover Township zones itself115, so the county's RV rule should not be read as the township's. Ask the Zoning Officer at (570) 825-124610 before buying.

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

  1. Ask the Zoning Officer which district the parcel is in and whether the use, lot size and setbacks fit102.
  2. Confirm the septic permit path with the local agency that serves the parcel4.
  3. If the driveway meets a state highway, get a state permit16.
  4. Apply for the building permit through the Code Enforcement Office3.
  5. Schedule inspections during construction and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in17.

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

Hanover Township sets zoning and issues building permits inside its own limits13; the county's zoning ordinance does not cover it. For land outside the township, see the Luzerne County page. Luzerne County's median property tax bill is $2,506 per year18. The township has also scheduled a public hearing on a draft data center ordinance, so check current zoning amendments with the township office14.

Watch-outs

  • Lot size and setback numbers here are for R-1 only; other districts differ, so confirm the parcel's district with the Zoning Officer10.
  • We could not confirm Hanover Township's septic agency, RV rules or owner-builder rules; call the township office at 570-825-852214.
  • Luzerne County's property tax figure is county-wide, not township-specific18.

Sources

  1. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance as amended (township site) (Hanover Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance as amended (township site) (Hanover Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Hanover Township Code Enforcement Office (hanovertownship.org)
  4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. PA Dept. of Labor & Industry — Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
  6. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance as amended (township site) (Hanover Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance as amended (township site) (Hanover Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance as amended (township site) (Hanover Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance as amended (township site) (Hanover Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Hanover Township Zoning Officer (hanovertownship.org)
  11. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  14. Hanover Township Municipal Building (hanovertownship.org)
  15. Zoning | Luzerne County, PA, quoted and re-checked
  16. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  18. Median property tax bill: 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Hanover Township

Hanover Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Hanover Township, Luzerne County, PA

    • Source is the township-hosted 2018 'as amended' zoning ordinance PDF; adoption/effective date not confirmed from the quoted text.
    “for the purpose of this ordinance, hanover township is hereby divided into zoning districts as designated below”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Hanover Township

    • Districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MHP, C-1, C-2, MU, I-1, I-2, C-OP (per Section 404).
    “r-1 single family residential district r-2 two family residential district r-3 multi-family residential district r-mhp residential mobile home park district”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 single family residential district, Hanover Township (first value in Section 504 table)

    • Table footnotes on R-3, R-MHP and MU columns were not resolved.
    • Other districts (R-2 6,000 sq ft; R-MHP 10 acres; MU 1 acre; C-OP 2 acres, etc.) differ.
    • No separate agricultural district exists in the Section 404 list.

    minimum lot size R-1: >= 10000 sq ft

    “minimum 3 zoning district lot size r-1 r-2 r-33 r-mhp4 mu3 c-op c-1 c-2 i-1 1-2 10,000 sq. ft. 6,000 sq. ft. 6,000 sq. ft. 10 acres 1 acre 2 acre”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 single family residential district, Hanover Township (first column of Section 504 table)

    • Side yard: 8 ft one side, 20 ft both sides in R-1.
    • Rear yard 25 ft in R-1.
    • Other districts differ; footnotes not resolved.

    front yard setback R-1: >= 30 ft · rear yard setback R-1: >= 25 ft

    “front yard setback feet 30 25 25 100 50 35 15 50 50 50 1 rear yard setback feet 25 20 25 100 35 50 15 20 50 50 maximum side yard setback one side 8 6 6 75 25 12 5 10 20 50 side yard setback both sides 20 15 15 75 25 30 10 20 50 75”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 single family residential district, Hanover Township (first column of Section 504 table)

    • Other districts differ (R-2 60%, R-3 60%, etc.).

    maximum lot coverage R-1: <= 30 percent

    “lot coverage bldg. height 30% 60% 60% 35% 50% 10% 75% 50% 50% 50%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 single family residential district, Hanover Township (first value in building height row)

    • Other districts' heights not fully captured.

    maximum building height R-1: <= 2 1/2 stories or 35 ft

    “21/2 stories or 35 ft. 21/2 stories or 35 ft. 21/2 stories or 35 ft. 2 stories or 25 ft”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Hanover Township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Hanover Township
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Hanover Township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Hanover Township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates/permits of occupancy inside Hanover Township
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny 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
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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

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