Bolthole Index

Monroe County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Stroudsburg borough, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, requires a zoning permit from the borough zoning officer before any building is erected, altered or added to1. The borough writes and enforces its own zoning ordinance2. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code separately requires a building permit before work starts3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the borough, so ask the borough office.

At a glance

Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance, administered by the borough zoning officer2
Zoning permit
Required before building, altering or adding to a building or changing land use1
Building permit
Required under the state Uniform Construction Code before work starts3
Occupancy permit
Required before initial use or a change of use4
Septic
Local agency permits; borough-specific rules not confirmed5
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for most construction work6
Driveway on a state road
PennDOT highway occupancy permit7

Who to call

Zoning

Borough of Stroudsburg (zoning and codes enforcement officer, building code official)

Zoning permits, occupancy permits and code enforcement inside Stroudsburg borough; the directory lists a Zoning & Codes Enforcement Officer and a Building Code Official

570-204-7056

700 Sarah Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360

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 Borough of Stroudsburg means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Stroudsburg, PA have zoning?

Yes. Stroudsburg borough has its own zoning ordinance, administered by the borough zoning officer, with a zoning hearing board that hears appeals2. The ordinance sorts land into districts: the headings show residential districts R-1, R-2 and R-3 and a mixed-use district, plus an official zoning map8.

The district text, minimum lot size, setbacks, building height and minimum dwelling size are not something we could confirm, so check the district for your parcel with the borough office before you buy9. Monroe County reports that every municipality in the county has its own zoning and subdivision ordinances, so county land-use rules do not substitute for the borough's10.

Subdivision and land development inside the borough is regulated by the borough's own subdivision chapter11.

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

Two permits matter. First, the borough requires a zoning permit, approved by the borough zoning officer, before any construction, alteration or addition to a building; skipping it is a violation of the zoning chapter1. Second, Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before starting any work3.

The borough's directory lists a Zoning & Codes Enforcement Officer and a Building Code Official, so start there9. We could not confirm the borough's building-code chapter or its fee schedule, so ask the office for the current fees. Before the building can be used, a certificate of occupancy is needed12, and the borough separately requires an occupancy permit from the zoning officer for initial use or a change of use4.

How do septic permits work in Stroudsburg?

In Pennsylvania, local agencies issue permits for individual and community on-lot sewage systems, and the local agency may be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department5. We could not confirm which agency handles septic permits inside Stroudsburg borough, or whether public sewer connection is mandatory on your street; the borough lists a Health Officer and Water & Sewer department, so call the borough office to ask.

Monroe County's soils are a caution: only a small share of county soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation or an engineered system on any lot that is not on public sewer13. Pennsylvania also requires final inspection and written approval before any part of an on-lot system is covered14.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Stroudsburg?

We could not confirm Stroudsburg borough's rules for RV occupancy, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. The use tables in the zoning ordinance decide these by district, so ask the zoning officer before parking an RV for living or placing a tiny home9.

Pennsylvania's state park campground limits do not answer the question for private land inside a borough15. A manufactured home that is installed inside the borough still has to meet local zoning and utility approvals16.

Building a home in Stroudsburg: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and what it allows with the borough zoning officer9.
  2. Get a zoning permit from the borough zoning officer before construction1.
  3. Get the Uniform Construction Code building permit before work begins3.
  4. Arrange septic or sewer approval through the local agency5.
  5. If the driveway meets a state highway, apply for a PennDOT highway occupancy permit7.
  6. Keep work accessible for inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in174.

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

Outside borough limits, Monroe County land is governed by the township's own rules, because every municipality in the county has its own zoning10.

County-level figures: Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%18. Flood hazard areas need a municipal floodplain development permit before development19. Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license for most construction work, and municipalities may add their own6.

Watch-outs

  • Both a borough zoning permit and a Uniform Construction Code building permit are needed; getting one does not replace the other13.
  • We could not confirm septic authority, public sewer connection rules or well rules inside the borough; call the borough office before relying on an on-lot system5.
  • Lot size, setbacks and height depend on the zoning district and were not confirmed; get the district rules in writing before you buy8.

Sources

  1. Chapter 27 Part 1 Title, Purpose and Interpretation - Borough of Stroudsburg, PA (Borough of Stroudsburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 27 Part 1 Title, Purpose and Interpretation - Borough of Stroudsburg, PA (Borough of Stroudsburg), quoted and re-checked
  3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 27 Part 1 Title, Purpose and Interpretation - Borough of Stroudsburg, PA (Borough of Stroudsburg), quoted and re-checked
  5. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 27: Zoning - Borough of Stroudsburg, PA (Borough of Stroudsburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. Borough of Stroudsburg (zoning and codes enforcement officer, building code official) (stroudsburgboro.com)
  10. 2025 Annual Report, quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Stroudsburg, PA - eCode360 table of contents (Borough of Stroudsburg), quoted and re-checked
  12. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. 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
  14. 25 Pa. Code § 72.30. Inspection, quoted and re-checked
  15. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Borough of Stroudsburg

Borough of Stroudsburg’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Zoning permit for construction, alteration or addition of buildings inside Stroudsburg borough (zoning permit only; building/UCC permit not verified)

    • Zoning permit must be approved by and acquired from the borough zoning officer; failure to obtain it is a violation of Chapter 27.
    “hereafter, there shall be no use of any land, construction, erection, alteration, or addition of any building or part of a building, or land or construction or erection of any stationary sign unless a zoning permit has been approved by and acquired from the borough zoning officer. failure to obtain a zoning permit shall constitute a violation of this chapter.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Initial use or occupancy of a building or land parcel, or change of use, inside Stroudsburg borough

    • Application is in writing on forms furnished by the borough.
    • Added by Ord. 646, 4/13/1988.
    “§ 27-109 occupancy permit. [added by ord. 646, 4/13/1988, § 1] prior to the initial use or occupancy of any building or land parcel or for any change of use of any existing building or land, an occupancy permit shall be secured from the zoning officer.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Stroudsburg borough

    • Chapter 27 is administered by the borough zoning officer; a zoning hearing board hears appeals.
    “§ 27-108 zoning permit required prior to land use or building construction. hereafter, there shall be no use of any land, construction, erection, alteration, or addition of any building or part of a building, or land or construction or erection of any stationary sign unless a zoning permit has been approved by and acquired from the borough zoning officer.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts inside Stroudsburg borough

    • Headings show R-1, R-2, R-3 residential and MU mixed-use districts plus an official zoning map attachment; district text not opened.
    “part 3 classification of districts § 27-301 establishment of districts. § 27-302 classes of districts. § 27-303 zoning map.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Stroudsburg borough

    • Substantive requirements in Chapter 22 not opened.
    “chapter 22 subdivision and land development (§ 22-101 – § 22-705)”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Stroudsburg borough
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Stroudsburg borough
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Stroudsburg borough
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling unit area inside Stroudsburg borough
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in R-1 and other districts inside Stroudsburg borough
17 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Borough of Stroudsburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Monroe County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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