Barndominium Builders in Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton barndominium sites are shaped by two rivers. The city sits where the Lehigh River meets the Delaware River, so before anyone talks about floor plans, a lot's position relative to the flood zone and the Bushkill Creek deserves a look. Easton itself is a compact, historic city with little open land; most new houses inside it go on infill or replacement lots, and parcels with real acreage are found in Forks, Palmer, Williams and the other townships around it. Pennsylvania Barndominium Builders takes on projects in both. Some owners want a steel kit they can raise with their own crew, some need a plan drawn to squeeze a shop and living space onto a city lot, and some hand us the whole job as a turnkey build. Within the city, the Department of Planning and Codes handles zoning, permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy, and its Zoning Administrator also serves as Floodplain Administrator. Sewage from the city and several neighboring municipalities is treated by the Easton Area Joint Sewer Authority. Tell us about your parcel through the survey, and we will look at the municipality, flood zone and utility service before design begins.
Easton at a glance
- County
- Northampton County
- Municipality
- City
- Building permit
- City code office
- Local facts on this page
- 5, each linked to its source
Before you build in Easton
The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.
City of Easton Department of Planning and Codes (Bureau of Codes)
The Department of Planning and Codes oversees projects from planning review through permitting, inspections and the certificate of occupancy. Its code staff review applications and inspect new construction, and a lot in the identified flood hazard area also needs the Floodplain Administrator's sign-off. A parcel in a surrounding township is permitted by that township instead.
Source: Department of Planning and Codes, City of Easton (easton-pa.com)
- One department for planning and codes
- The City's Department of Planning and Codes is responsible for land use planning, zoning administration and code enforcement. Its staff oversee projects from the initial planning and review stages through permitting, inspections and the issuance of certificates of occupancy.
- Historic district review
- The City's permit guidance says anyone constructing a building needs the permits required by the Uniform Construction Code, and that facade work or signage may also require a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic District Commission.
- Floodplain administrator
- Chapter 298 of the City code, adopted in 2014, appoints the Zoning Administrator as Floodplain Administrator. That official issues a floodplain permit only after confirming the work conforms to all applicable codes and that other required permits, such as those under the Sewage Facilities Act, have been obtained.
- Where the sewage goes
- The Easton Area Joint Sewer Authority treats wastewater for its member communities, the City, West Easton, Forks, Palmer, Tatamy and Wilson, and for several non-member municipalities. Each municipality owns and operates its own collection system; City staff run the treatment plant under a long-term contract.
- At the confluence of two rivers
- The City's climate action plan notes that Easton lies at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, with the Bushkill Creek among its local streams, and that drinking water and sewer service come from the Easton Suburban Water Authority and the Easton Area Joint Sewer Authority.
Source: Department of Planning and Codes, City of Easton (easton-pa.com)
Source: When do I need a permit?, City of Easton Code Enforcement FAQ (easton-pa.com)
Source: Article IX: Administration, Chapter 298 Floodplain Management, City of Easton Code (ecode360.com)
Source: About EAJSA, Easton Area Joint Sewer Authority (eajsa.com)
Source: Water & Wastewater Management, City of Easton (easton-pa.com)
Building on land around Easton
Easton's own land is mostly spoken for: steep blocks above the rivers, a historic downtown, and neighborhoods where a new house replaces an old one. Low ground near the Delaware River, the Lehigh River and the Bushkill Creek can fall inside the City's identified flood hazard area, mapped from FEMA's flood maps dated July 16, 2014 or their later revisions, where the Floodplain Administrator must approve the work. The larger parcels that suit a shop-and-home barndominium are mostly in the surrounding Northampton County townships, where public sewer covers some areas and on-lot septic, permitted by the local Sewage Enforcement Officer after soil tests, covers others. A pole barn home frame suits many of those rural lots.
Where we build in this part of Pennsylvania
Allentown, Bethlehem & the Lehigh Valley
Barndominium Kits and Plans in Easton
A kit you finish with your own crew, a custom plan, or a turnkey build. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we price against your land rather than a rate card.
Barndominium Kits
Barndominium kits for sale in Pennsylvania: steel and pole barn packages sized to your municipality's snow and wind values, delivered and put up.
Custom Plans
Custom barndominium plans for Pennsylvania land: floor plans and house plans fitted to your slope, your sewage area and your municipality's code.
Turnkey Builds
Turnkey barndominiums in Pennsylvania: land checks, plans, permits, site work, shell and finishes under one contract, from raw land to move-in.
Pole Barn Homes near Easton
A pole barn home puts the living space inside a wood-framed building set on posts, the same bones as a farm building, finished as a house. Whether it suits a parcel near Easton depends on the local answers above: who reviews the plans, what the zoning allows, and how the lot handles sewage.
Pole Barn HomesHave land in or around Easton? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.
Building in Easton: questions
Start the surveyHow much does it cost to build a barndominium near Easton?
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Easton?
Can I build a barndominium in Easton's floodplain?
Keep reading
What usually comes next once you know what Easton allows.
Cost to Build a Barndominium in Pennsylvania
Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.
Read itCan You Build a Barndominium in Pennsylvania?
Zoning, sewage and who inspects, before you buy the land.
Read itHow Long Does It Take?
From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.
Read itSources for this page
The published pages behind the Easton facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.
- Department of Planning and Codes, City of EastonBuilding permit authority; One department for planning and codeseaston-pa.com
- When do I need a permit?, City of Easton Code Enforcement FAQHistoric district revieweaston-pa.com
- Article IX: Administration, Chapter 298 Floodplain Management, City of Easton CodeFloodplain administratorecode360.com
- About EAJSA, Easton Area Joint Sewer AuthorityWhere the sewage goeseajsa.com
- Water & Wastewater Management, City of EastonAt the confluence of two riverseaston-pa.com
Other places we build around Easton
Across a municipal or county line the permit office, zoning and sewage agency can change, so each place has its own page.
Building in Easton?
Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.