Bolthole Index

Monroe County, Pennsylvania

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

Pocono Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 470, with R-1, R-2, RD, C and I districts1. Building permits fall under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, which requires a permit before any work starts2. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency under state Act 537, not from the zoning office3. For land outside the township, see the Monroe County page.

At a glance

Zoning
Township's own zoning chapter (Chapter 470) with R-1, R-2, RD, C, I and CD districts1
Building permit
Required under the state Uniform Construction Code2
Septic
Permit from a local agency under Act 537; township's own agency unconfirmed3
Height limit, R-1 and R-2
35 feet principal building, 25 feet accessory4
Minimum lot, RD district
2 acres and 200 feet wide5
Driveway on a state road
PennDOT highway occupancy permit6
Campgrounds
A use in the RD Recreation District; private-land RV living not confirmed7

Who to call

Zoning

Pocono Township municipal office

Zoning, building permits and the township's staff for Pocono Township; the municipal directory lists the township's zoning officer, building code official and Zoning Hearing Board

570-629-1922

etomas@poconopa.gov

205 Old Mill Road Tannersville, PA 18372

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

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

Yes. Pocono Township, Monroe County, adopts and enforces its own zoning in Chapter 470, with R-1, R-2, RD, C, I and CD districts plus overlays8. The Zoning Hearing Board handles special exceptions and the Board of Commissioners handles conditional uses1. Rules differ by district. In the C Commercial District, single-family homes are permitted, the minimum lot is 1 acre and 100 feet wide, and yards are 75 feet front, 20 feet side and 25 feet rear910. In the RD Recreation District the minimum lot is 2 acres and 200 feet wide, with a 50-foot front yard and 40-foot rear yard511. In R-1 and R-2, principal buildings are limited to 35 feet and accessory buildings to 25 feet4. Where on-lot water and sewage need more room, the required lot area increases to meet DEP requirements12.

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

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before any construction work starts2. Enforcement is generally municipal or through a certified third-party agency, so the application goes to whoever enforces the code for Pocono Township13. We could not confirm which office enforces the code inside the township, so call the township office listed below to confirm14. Inspections are required for new homes and for electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work15. A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used16. Qualifying agricultural buildings are excluded from the state code, though township zoning still applies17.

How do septic permits work inside Pocono Township?

Septic permits for Pocono Township are issued by a local agency under Pennsylvania's Sewage Facilities Act, which may be a municipality, a joint municipal agency or a county health department18. No septic system may be installed, and no building occupied, without a permit19. The system must be inspected, approved and covered before anyone occupies the building20. We could not confirm which agency or sewage enforcement officer serves Pocono Township, so ask the township office before you buy14. Soils matter: only about 3.4% of Monroe County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system21.

Can you live in an RV, camper or tiny home in Pocono Township?

We could not confirm a township rule for living in an RV or tiny home on private land in Pocono Township; ask the township zoning officer before you buy14. What the code shows is narrower: campgrounds are a use in the RD Recreation District, governed by a separate section of Chapter 4707. Mobile home parks appear in the R-2 district under their own standards22. Pennsylvania's state park camping limits do not answer the private-land question23.

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

  1. Confirm the district and permitted uses with the township zoning officer14.
  2. Check lot area, yards and height for that district1.
  3. Arrange a site evaluation and septic permit through the local sewage agency3.
  4. If the driveway meets a state road, obtain a PennDOT highway occupancy permit6.
  5. Apply for the UCC building permit and schedule inspections2.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in16.

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

The county does not apply zoning to Pocono Township: each of the 20 Monroe County municipalities has its own zoning and subdivision ordinances24. Subdivision and land development inside the township fall under its separate Chapter 39025. For county planning questions, the Monroe County Planning Department is the county's contact. Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%26 and the median property tax bill is $4435 a year27. Floodplain rules also apply in the township; ask the township office whether a parcel lies in a floodplain.

Watch-outs

  • Township building-permit, septic and RV rules were not fully confirmed; call the Pocono Township office at 570-629-1922 before you buy14.
  • A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit even where the township approves the lot6.
  • Minimum lot area can be increased to meet DEP on-lot sewage requirements, so a lot that meets the district minimum may still fail septic testing12.

Sources

  1. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  3. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  7. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. Pocono Township municipal office (monroecountypa.gov)
  15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  16. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  19. Act 537 Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, quoted and re-checked
  20. 25 Pa. Code § 72.30. Inspection, quoted and re-checked
  21. 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
  22. Article IV: Basic District Regulations - Township of Pocono, PA (Zoning Ch. 470) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  23. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. 2025 Annual Report, quoted and re-checked
  25. Chapter 470 Zoning - Township of Pocono, PA (table of contents) (Pocono Township), quoted and re-checked
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  27. 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 Pocono Township

Pocono Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Pocono township; township's own zoning chapter (Chapter 470) with R-1, R-2, RD, C, I, CD districts

    • Zoning Hearing Board handles special exceptions; Board of Commissioners handles conditional uses
    “the regulations for this district are intended to provide suburban residential areas in the township with limited public utility services where low-density single-family residential development may occur.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts in Pocono township (R-1, R-2, RD, C, I, CD, EP overlay, resort re-use overlay)

    “§ 470-18 r-2 medium density residential district. a. intended purpose. the regulations for this district are intended to provide suburban residential areas”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    C Commercial District inside Pocono township (single-family dwellings are permitted by right there)

    • Minimum lot area is increased as required to meet DEP on-lot water and sewage requirements (§ 470-16 e)

    minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

    “(a) minimum lot area: one acre. (b) minimum lot width: 100 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RD Recreation District inside Pocono township

    • Side yard is 40 ft when adjacent to R-1, R-2 or an existing residential dwelling
    • Well 15 ft and septic 10 ft

    front yard depth: >= 50 feet · side yard width: >= 25 feet (40 ft adjacent to R-1/R-2 or residential dwelling) · rear yard depth: >= 40 feet

    “(a) front yard depth: 50 feet. (b) side yard width: 25 feet; except when adjacent to the r-1 and r-2 residential districts or any existing residential dwelling, a minimum side yard of 40 feet is required. (c) rear yard depth: 40 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    C Commercial District inside Pocono township

    • RD district has the same 35% residential / 80% other limit

    maximum impervious coverage, residential uses: <= 35 percent (80% for other uses)

    “(c) maximum impervious coverage: 35% for residential uses; 80% for other uses.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-2 Medium Density Residential District (R-1 is stated identically) inside Pocono township

    • R-1 § 470-17 has the same 35/25 ft limits

    principal building height: <= 35 feet · accessory building height: <= 25 feet

    “(2) building height. (a) principal building: 35 feet. (b) accessory building: 25 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Campgrounds in RD Recreation District inside Pocono township

    • Campgrounds are a commercial use governed by § 470-48; private-land camping outside campgrounds not located
    “[18] water slides. [19] campgrounds. (see § 470-48.) (c) retail establishments specifically related to the service of tourists”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile home parks in R-2 Medium Density Residential District inside Pocono township

    • Subject to § 470-71 mobile home park standards, which were not opened
    “(k) mobile home parks. (see § 470-71.) (l) antennas and communication equipment buildings. (see § 470-44.)”
  • Septic permitLimited

    On-lot sewage disposal and lot sizing for lots inside Pocono township

    • Permit issuer and inspection authority not established from opened pages; DEP sewage module review sets lot-size adjustments
    “the minimum lot area required in this chapter shall be increased as required to meet dep requirements for on-lot water supply and sewage disposal.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural operations (farms) in R-1 inside Pocono township

    • Conditional use requires Board of Commissioners review and approval (§ 470-38); farm standards in § 470-41
    “the following uses are permitted subject to the review and approval by the board of commissioners (see § 470-38.): (a) agricultural operations (farms). (see § 470-41.)”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Pocono township

    • Separate Chapter 390 Subdivision and Land Development; text not read
    “§ 470-132 compliance with subdivision and land development provisions.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways onto state highways inside Pocono township

    • Highway occupancy permit from PennDOT implied by heading; text not read
    “§ 470-94 driveway access to state highways; highway occupancy permit; liability.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Pocono township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Pocono township
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Pocono township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Pocono township
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Pocono township
9 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Building in a floodplain

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

← All of Monroe County: county rules, score and offices