Franklin Township, PA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- PA Uniform Construction Code, 34 Pa. Code Ch. 401-405
- Enforcement
- Third-party Building Code Official(s)
- Fees
- Set by Board of Supervisors resolution
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 plus costs
- Adjudication
- Magisterial District Judge
Summary
Franklin Township administers building permits through the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code rather than a homegrown building code. Section 5-101 adopts 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as the Township's Building Code, and hires one or more third-party Building Code Officials to review and enforce it. Permit fees are set by Board of Supervisors resolution.
Franklin Township, in order to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. § 7210.101 et seq., and pursuant to § 501 of the Act, hereby adopts the Uniform Construction Code contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference as the Building Code of Franklin Township. ... Fees assessable by Franklin Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the code shall be established by Franklin Township by resolution from time to time. ... Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this Part or who fails to carry out an order made pursuant to this Part or who violates any condition attached to a permit, approval or certificate, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a Magisterial District Judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5, Part 1 of the Franklin Township Code, adopted by Ordinance 2004-06 on June 16, 2004, is Franklin Township's building-permit law, and it works by incorporation rather than by writing its own construction standards. , adopts the Uniform Construction Code contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, as the Building Code of Franklin Township. Rather than staff its own building department, the Township retains one or more Building Code Officials or third-party agencies to administer and enforce the code on the Township's behalf, and a Board of Appeals is established by resolution to hear code disputes, jointly with other municipalities if enforcement is shared.
Older Township building ordinances that predate July 1, 1999, and that equal or exceed the UCC's requirements stay in force until they fall short of the state minimum. Fees for permit administration and enforcement aren't fixed in the ordinance text; Section 5-101 leaves them to be set, and changed, by Board of Supervisors resolution from time to time, so a resident applying for a permit should check the Township's current fee resolution rather than the code itself for the dollar amount.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required permit, or violating a permit condition, an approval or a certificate issued under Chapter 5 is prosecuted as a summary offense before a Magisterial District Judge under Section 5-102. A conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000 plus costs, and up to 90 days in jail if the fine and costs go unpaid. Each day a violation continues after notice, or each separate section violated, is a distinct offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Franklin Township have its own building code?
Who reviews and inspects building permits in Franklin Township?
How much does a building permit cost in Franklin Township?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin Township
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