Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Plymouth Borough, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required; borough publishes building permit applications²³

Zoning

Borough's own zoning ordinance (Chapter 231)¹

Zoning districts

Conservation, agricultural, suburban, residential, business, mining and industrial districts⁵

Septic

Permit from a local agency under state law; agency for the borough unconfirmed⁴⁶

Mobile homes and RVs for living

Mobile homes may not be lived in outside a permitted trailer park⁷

Floodplain

Extra requirements for development in the 100-year floodplain⁸

Who to call

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

Does Plymouth Borough, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and mobile homes?

Yes. Plymouth Borough, Luzerne County, has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 231, adopted in 1979¹. The borough is divided into districts: C-1 conservation, A-1 agricultural, S-1 suburban residence, R-1 one-family, R-2 two-family, R-3 apartment, B-1 to B-4 business, M-1 mining and M-2 and M-3 industrial⁵. Zoning is the borough's call, so Luzerne County's own zoning ordinance, which covers a separate list of municipalities, does not decide a Plymouth parcel.

For mobile homes, the borough ordinance says no trailer, trailer coach or mobile home may be used outside a permitted trailer park as living quarters, except a temporary office during construction on a zoning officer's temporary permit⁷. Living in a travel trailer or RV on a lot inside the borough therefore looks prohibited, and the borough's zoning officer should confirm before you buy. We did not confirm district-by-district lot sizes, setbacks, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the borough for the zoning map, which is kept at the Plymouth planning commission office⁵.

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

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code applies to buildings statewide, and Luzerne County building work needs a UCC building permit before construction starts². Inside the borough, the construction code is adopted in Chapter 90 of the borough code, with separate articles for building, residential, fire, existing building and energy conservation codes⁹.

The borough's forms page lists a Building Permit Application, a Zoning Permit Application, a Zoning Verification form and an Occupancy Permit / Rental Application³. We could not confirm from the borough's pages whether the borough's own code official or a third-party agency does plan review and inspections, so call the Municipal Offices first and ask who inspects. A new residential building may not be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy¹⁰.

How do septic permits work inside Plymouth Borough?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before a building served by an individual or community on-lot sewage system is installed, constructed, occupied or used⁴. Local agencies can be a municipality, a group of municipalities, a county health department or a joint county health department, with the state Department of Environmental Protection providing oversight⁶.

We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits for Plymouth Borough, or whether the borough's sewer code requires you to connect to public sewer. Ask the borough's Municipal Offices whether your lot is served by public sewer before you plan an on-lot system³.

Building a home in Plymouth Borough: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the zoning district and that your use is allowed by asking the borough for zoning verification³.
2. Check whether the lot is in the identified 100-year floodplain; development there carries added requirements⁸.
3. If the project divides land, expect subdivision and land development review under the borough's Chapter 207¹¹.
4. Settle sewage service: public sewer or an on-lot system permitted by the local agency⁴.
5. Apply for the zoning permit and the building permit with the borough³.
6. A driveway or road connecting to a state highway needs a PennDOT permit¹².
7. Schedule the required inspections and get a certificate of occupancy before moving in¹⁰.

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

Outside the borough, Luzerne County's rules apply only in the municipalities under its own zoning jurisdiction; see the Luzerne County page for land outside Plymouth. Inside the borough, check three things before you buy: the zoning district on the borough's map, the floodplain status⁸, and who serves the lot with sewer or septic⁶.

Pennsylvania has no statewide license for most construction contractors, and a municipality may add its own licensing rule, so ask the borough whether it requires one for the work you plan¹³. Luzerne County's effective property tax rate is¹⁴%, with a median bill of $¹⁵ a year.

Watch-outs

• Zoning for Plymouth Borough comes from the borough's own Chapter 231, not Luzerne County's zoning ordinance, so county RV and setback rules do not decide a lot inside the borough¹.
• Mobile homes may not be used as living quarters outside a permitted trailer park, apart from a temporary construction office on a zoning officer permit⁷.
• Development in the identified 100-year floodplain carries extra requirements under the borough's building code amendment and its flood damage prevention chapter⁸.
• We could not confirm which local agency issues septic permits for the borough; ask the Municipal Offices³.

Sources

1. Article III: Establishment of Districts - Borough of Plymouth, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Plymouth), quoted and re-checked
2. PA Dept. of Labor & Industry — Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
3. Plymouth Borough Municipal Offices (code enforcement and zoning permits) (plymouthboroughpa.gov)
4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Article III: Establishment of Districts - Borough of Plymouth, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Plymouth), quoted and re-checked
6. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Article VI: Supplementary Provisions - Borough of Plymouth, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Plymouth), quoted and re-checked
8. Article III: Establishment of Districts - Borough of Plymouth, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Plymouth), quoted and re-checked
9. Chapter 90: Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Plymouth, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Plymouth), quoted and re-checked
10. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Article III: Establishment of Districts - Borough of Plymouth, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Plymouth), quoted and re-checked
12. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
15. 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.