Scranton, PA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

The Scranton Zoning Ordinance sets a maximum structure height for each zoning district as part of the district's bulk schedule. The City's lower-density residential districts (R-1A, R-1) cap principal-building height at modest residential limits typical of PA Home Rule cities, while higher-density R-3, the Central Business District and the mixed-use districts allow taller buildings consistent with Scranton's downtown skyline. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code §§401-405) adopts the International Building Code, which adds building-height and area limits based on construction type (Type I through Type V) and occupancy classification on top of the zoning cap - the more restrictive of the two controls. Special structures such as cell towers, water tanks, church spires and mechanical penthouses are typically excluded from the height calculation or addressed under specific conditional-use provisions. Height variances require Zoning Hearing Board approval under the MPC at 53 P.S. §10910.2, with the applicant proving unnecessary hardship. The City's Hillside / Steep Slope provisions and Floodplain Overlay may further restrict building height and footprint in environmentally sensitive areas around the Lackawanna River and the surrounding hillsides.