Before You Build in Scranton, PA: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Scranton exempts most residential fences with a fair market value under $500 from a zoning permit, but a permit is still required in the Floodplain Overlay and Airport Hazard Overlay zones. Larger fences and any work in an overlay district need a zoning approval letter or building permit from the Bureau of Code Enforcement.

Scranton's Zoning Ordinance allows fences on the property line and does not require neighbor consent. Boundary and partition-fence disputes are resolved under Pennsylvania common law in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas, not by the City Zoning Officer.

Scranton's Zoning Ordinance regulates fence height, location, and visibility but does not prescribe a closed list of allowed residential materials. Wood, vinyl, ornamental metal, chain link, and masonry are all permitted within the Chapter 445 height limits, with extra review in historic districts.

Outdoor swimming pools in Scranton must be enclosed by a barrier at least 4 feet high with openings no wider than 2 inches and self-latching gates. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code 401-405), which adopts IRC Appendix G and the 2018 ISPSC, layers on top of the city standard.

Under Scranton's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 445, Ord. 54-2023), fence panels may not exceed 4 feet in a front yard or 6 feet 6 inches in side and rear yards. Fences abutting an alley are capped at 4 feet. Fences may be installed on the property line.

Scranton requires a building permit for any swimming pool, hot tub, or spa deeper than 24 inches under Chapter 201 and the PA Uniform Construction Code. Permits are issued by the Bureau of Code Enforcement and fees follow the Chapter 203 schedule effective January 1, 2023.

Every outdoor pool in Scranton must be enclosed by a barrier at least 4 feet high with no opening wider than 2 inches and self-catching gate latches, under Chapter 445 Article V. The PA UCC layers on the 48-inch, self-closing, self-latching standard of IRC Appendix G and the 2018 ISPSC.

Pools in Scranton must comply with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (15 USC 8003) requiring anti-entrapment drain covers, plus the PA UCC adoption of the 2018 ISPSC for circulation, electrical bonding, alarms, and barriers. Public and apartment-complex pools also need a PADEP Bathing Place permit.

Scranton is a Home Rule city in Lackawanna County (population approximately 76,000) operating under a Home Rule Charter adopted in 1976 pursuant to Pennsylvania Act 62 of 1972 (the PA Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law). The Scranton Zoning Ordinance is maintained as a separate document from the codified Scranton Code on eCode360 at https://ecode360.com/SC1148; the last comprehensive zoning amendment dates from approximately 2015. Pennsylvania has no statewide accessory dwelling unit preemption statute, so ADU permissibility, density, owner-occupancy requirements, and design standards in Scranton are determined entirely by the Scranton Zoning Ordinance under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. §10101 et seq.). Property owners must consult the Zoning Ordinance and the Scranton Department of Licensing, Inspections and Permits (LIP) for whether ADUs (variously called accessory apartments, in-law suites, or second dwelling units) are permitted by right, by special exception, or by conditional use in the applicable residential district.

Converting a Scranton garage into habitable space (a bedroom, in-law suite, home office, or ADU) requires both (1) zoning approval under the Scranton Zoning Ordinance for the change of use (because the converted space is no longer accessory parking and may count toward floor area or trigger an ADU classification) and (2) a building permit under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa Code §401.7. Conversions must meet the 2018 International Residential Code for habitable spaces (egress windows under IRC R310, ceiling height under IRC R305, ventilation, smoke and CO alarms under IRC R314/R315), and Scranton's local off-street parking minimums in the Zoning Ordinance must still be satisfied.

Sheds and similar accessory structures in Scranton are regulated through two layers: (1) the Scranton Zoning Ordinance, which sets dimensional standards (size, height, setbacks, lot coverage, location relative to the principal dwelling) by district; and (2) the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa Code §403.1, which exempts non-residential utility sheds under 1,000 square feet from UCC permitting but does not exempt them from local zoning compliance. Scranton property owners typically need a zoning permit from the Department of Licensing, Inspections and Permits even when no building permit is required, especially on Scranton's older narrow lots in the Hill Section, West Scranton, and Green Ridge neighborhoods where rear-yard space is constrained.

Scranton, PA (Lackawanna County, population approximately 76,000) regulates residential fire pits through Chapter 243 (Fire Prevention) of the Scranton Code of Ordinances, which adopts the BOCA National Fire Prevention Code, supplemented by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405. Recreational fires must be set back from structures, contained in approved devices, and continuously attended.

Scranton restricts open burning through Chapter 243 (Fire Prevention) of the Codified Ordinances, which adopts the BOCA National Fire Prevention Code, supplemented by Pennsylvania DEP air-quality rules at 25 Pa. Code Section 129.14. Burning of leaves, yard waste, household garbage, treated wood, plastic, and tires is prohibited. Only compliant recreational fires (seasoned wood, contained, attended) and approved cooking fires are allowed.

Tree trimming in the City of Scranton is governed by Chapter 434 (Trees and Weeds), Article I (Trees) (https://ecode360.com/11608793) and Chapter 358 (Shade Tree Commission, https://ecode360.com/11603607). The ordinance applies to street, highway, lane, alley, and avenue trees within the public right-of-way and to trees on public parks and other City-owned grounds. It is unlawful to top any tree (severe cutting back of limbs to stubs larger than 5 inches in diameter) as a normal practice without permission of the Shade Tree Commission or City Forester. Routine trimming of a wholly private tree typically does not require a City permit; pruning of right-of-way and street trees does.

Scranton residents are served by Pennsylvania American Water, the regulated investor-owned utility under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The City of Scranton does not impose year-round watering days. Restrictions are triggered by Pennsylvania American Water's PUC-approved drought contingency plan or by a Governor-declared drought emergency under the Emergency Management Services Code (35 Pa.C.S.) implemented through 4 Pa. Code Chapter 119 (Prohibition of Nonessential Water Uses) and Chapter 118 (Reductions of Major Water Use). The PA DEP Drought Task Force coordinates the four-stage advisory framework: Normal, Drought Watch, Drought Warning, Drought Emergency.

Tree removal in the City of Scranton is governed by Chapter 434, Article I (Trees) (https://ecode360.com/11608793) and Chapter 358 (Shade Tree Commission) (https://ecode360.com/11603607). It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or city department to remove any tree in the right-of-way or on City-owned grounds without first obtaining permission from the Shade Tree Commission and/or City Forester. The Shade Tree Commission or City Forester may order removal of trees that are in unsafe condition or are injurious to sewers, sidewalks, electric power lines, gas lines, water lines, or other public improvements. Routine removal of a private residential tree generally does not require a City permit.