Franklin Township, PA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard, state road
- 75 ft (Conventional/Community Sewer), 50 ft otherwise
- Front yard, other roads
- 50, 40, or 35 ft by design type
- Side yard, individual
- 10 to 20 feet depending on design
- Side yard, aggregate
- 30 to 50 feet depending on design
- Rear yard
- 25 to 50 feet depending on design
- Parking lot setback
- 50 feet from all roads and lot lines
Summary
Franklin Township's Agricultural-Residential District table at § 27-404 sets front yards of 50 to 75 feet, side yards of 10 to 20 feet individually, and rear yards of 25 to 50 feet, scaled to whether a lot uses conventional design, open space design, individual or community sewer.
Provisions Residential Use Requirements Other Use Requirements Conventional Open Space Design Individual Sewer Community Sewer ... Minimum ... front yard setbacks (feet): State roads 75 50 50 75 All other roads 50 40 35 50 Minimum side yard setbacks (feet): Individual 20 15 10 20 Aggregate 50 30 30 50 Minimum rear yard setbacks (feet) 50 30 25 50
Full Breakdown
Section 27-404, Area and Bulk Provisions, prints one table for every conventional and residential use permitted in the AR District, broken into four columns: Conventional, Open Space Design, Individual Sewer, and Community Sewer. Front yard setbacks depend on the road: lots fronting a state road must set back 75 feet under Conventional or Community Sewer standards, dropping to 50 feet for Open Space Design or Individual Sewer; lots on any other road need only 50 feet under Conventional or Community Sewer, 40 feet for Open Space Design, or 35 feet for Individual Sewer.
Side yards are measured two ways: an individual side yard runs 20 feet for Conventional and Community Sewer lots, 15 feet for Open Space Design, and just 10 feet for Individual Sewer lots, while the aggregate of both side yards must total 50 feet for Conventional and Community Sewer, or 30 feet under the other two columns. Rear yards follow the same pattern: 50 feet for Conventional and Community Sewer, 30 feet for Open Space Design, and 25 feet for Individual Sewer. A separate line item covers parking lots, which must sit back 50 feet from all roads and adjoining property lines regardless of design type, exclusive of parking tied to individual dwelling units.
These figures apply specifically to the AR Agricultural-Residential District, the zoning classification covering the bulk of the township's farmland and horse properties around Kemblesville and Landenberg.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a structure inside a required yard setback is enforced the same way as any other Chapter 27 violation: the Zoning Officer issues a written enforcement notice under § 27-2304 describing the encroachment and the correction needed, and unresolved violations can draw a civil judgment before a Magisterial District Judge of up to $500 plus court costs and attorney fees, with each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back does my house need to be from the road in Franklin Township?
What are the side yard requirements?
Is the rear yard setback different from the side yards?
What if I build too close to the property line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin Township
Compare Franklin Township to another location·View the Pennsylvania building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.