Unincorporated Franklin County

County sources do not establish an independent county building permit trigger; applicants must use the municipality with jurisdiction

Building code

Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, as adopted and updated by the Commonwealth

Permit validity

Varies by municipality and UCC agency; Pennsylvania UCC default invalidation occurs if work does not begin within 180 days or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days, and permits may not remain valid more than 5 years

Owner-builder

Varies by municipality and UCC agency

Contractor requirements

Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act registration applies to covered home improvement contractors performing over $5,000 of home improvement work per year

1. 01
   Identify the applicable borough or township because Franklin County is not the general building permit authority.
2. 02
   Obtain any required municipal zoning, floodplain, driveway, septic, subdivision, or land development approvals.
3. 03
   If the work is UCC regulated, apply through the municipality's designated code office or third party agency.
4. 04
   Complete inspections through the municipal or third party code official and obtain final approval if required.

Typical processing time: No countywide estimate posted because the county is not the general building permit authority

Source: Franklin County Planning Department for county planning functions; no countywide general building permit department found ↗

Inspection hours

Varies by municipality and code agency

Typical sequence: Foundation, building systems, framing, wallboard, and final inspection under the Pennsylvania UCC unless exempt

Source: Franklin County Planning Department for county planning functions; no countywide general building permit department found ↗