Do I Need a Remodel Permit in Franklin County, PA?

Who issues the permit depends on your address

Identify the borough or township, obtain its land-use directions, and confirm its UCC agency before construction. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election.

• Your borough or township

  Controls local land-use review and identifies the UCC permit process for its municipality. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election, Borough of Chambersburg: Applications and permits.

• Borough of Chambersburg and its building-code agency

  The borough handles land-use review; its published permit information directs applicants to PA Municipal Code Alliance for building-code permits. Source: Borough of Chambersburg: Applications and permits, Borough of Chambersburg: Land Use and Community Development.

• Certified third-party agency where applicable

  Pennsylvania lists agencies eligible to provide residential UCC code services in opt-out municipalities or under municipal contract. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election, Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Certified third-party building agencies.

Do I need a permit? Job by job

Short answers for the remodel jobs homeowners ask us about most. Your exact scope decides the answer, so confirm with the permit office for your parcel.

The typical permit steps in Franklin County

1. Identify the property’s borough or township and ask for its zoning and UCC permit instructions. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election, Borough of Chambersburg: Applications and permits.
2. For Chambersburg, start with borough land-use review, then follow its direction to the building-code agency. Source: Borough of Chambersburg: Applications and permits.
3. If a municipality uses a third-party agency, confirm that agency’s current residential scope using the state list and local office. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election, Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Certified third-party building agencies.

HOA approval and historic districts are separate

Your HOA may require a separate review. Check association rules before starting an exterior project. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election.

Check with the borough or township for any local historic or design review before exterior changes. Source: Borough of Chambersburg: Land Use and Community Development, Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election.

How Real Elite handles permits

On a job we build, we confirm which office has jurisdiction over your parcel, pull the permits the scope needs, and schedule the inspections. Start with a free site visit: we walk the project with you, tell you what we expect the permit path to be, and put it in a written estimate. If something on this page doesn’t match what the county tells you, the county is right.

Quick questions

Does Franklin County issue one permit for every township?

No. Start with the borough or township for the property. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election.

Who handles a Chambersburg remodel?

The borough lists remodeling under its land-use process and directs applicants to its building-code agency. Source: Borough of Chambersburg: Applications and permits.

When is a third-party inspector involved?

A certified agency may provide UCC services under municipal contract or for residential work in an opt-out municipality. Source: Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election, Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Certified third-party building agencies.

Official sources

Last checked October 11, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the county before you file.

• Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Municipal UCC election
• Pennsylvania Labor and Industry: Certified third-party building agencies
• Borough of Chambersburg: Applications and permits
• Borough of Chambersburg: Land Use and Community Development

Where we work in Franklin County

• Chambersburg, PA
• Greencastle, PA
• Fort Loudon, PA
• Mercersburg, PA
• Waynesboro, PA
• Fayetteville, PA