The wide, shallow Susquehanna River with rocky ledges and wooded islands below a long forested ridge, farmland on the near bank.
Franklin County, Pennsylvania Harrisburg, Carlisle & the Capital Region

Barndominium Builders in Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Franklin County barndominium projects are mostly rural ones: farm ground and wooded lots in townships such as Antrim, Guilford, Greene, Montgomery and Southampton, stretching from the Mason–Dixon line up to the mountain ridges in the north and west. Owners searching for barndominium builders in PA who have land here can work with us in whichever way suits them. We ship steel barndominium kits for self-builders, prepare custom plans fitted to the acreage and its access, and take on turnkey builds from the first survey stakes to the certificate of occupancy, with pole barn homes and steel-frame houses offered alongside. The permit path runs through the township or borough, not the courthouse in Chambersburg. Some townships, Antrim among them, issue a land use permit themselves and send building permits to a third-party code agency, and the septic permit usually has to be in hand first. Point us to the parcel through the survey, and we will line up the right offices, the zoning district and the sewage route for that site.

Franklin County at a glance

County
Franklin County
Building permit
Each municipality, not the county
Local facts on this page
5, each linked to its source

Before you build in Franklin County

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.

Set by each municipality in the countyWho issues the permit

Each township or borough in Franklin County (its building code official, often a third-party agency)

The municipality where the land sits controls the permits. In Antrim Township, for instance, a Land Use Permit comes from the Township for zoning, and the building permit comes from one of the third-party Uniform Construction Code officials the Township authorizes. The county Planning Department reviews subdivision and land development plans only; the Chambersburg page covers the borough.

Source: Land Use and Building, Antrim Township (twp.antrim.pa.us)

Two permits in Antrim Township
Antrim Township says most construction projects need two permits: a Land Use Permit from the Township to confirm zoning compliance, and a Building Permit from its authorized Uniform Construction Code official. The Township implements the code by outsourcing to third-party officials, and requires a Land Use Permit for any building over 100 square feet.

Source: Land Use and Building, Antrim Township (twp.antrim.pa.us)

Township-hired sewage officers
Antrim Township has two Sewage Enforcement Officers, hired by the Township to test septic locations, issue septic permits and inspect systems. Its on-lot maintenance program divides the Township into three districts, with tanks pumped and inspected every three years after the first pumping (page read 26 Sep 2026).

Source: On-Lot Septic Disposal Systems, Antrim Township (twp.antrim.pa.us)

County review of subdivision plans
The Franklin County Planning Department reviews subdivision and land development plans for the county's municipalities. It is moving to digital submission, which is already the only accepted route for plans in Antrim, Guilford, Metal, Montgomery and Southampton townships (page read 26 Sep 2026).

Source: Planning, Franklin County (franklincountypa.gov)

Preserved farmland
The Franklin County Planning Commission's 2025 annual report counts 212 new plans reviewed that year, and records 971.45 acres of farmland preserved in 2025, bringing the county's total to 20,618.59 acres under agricultural conservation easements.

Source: 2025 Annual Report, Franklin County Planning Commission (franklincountypa.gov)

Erosion control thresholds
The Franklin County Conservation District states that an erosion and sediment pollution control plan is required for earth moving of 5,000 square feet or more, and that disturbance of 1 acre or more requires an NPDES permit for construction activities.

Source: Erosion and Sediment Control/NPDES Program, Franklin County Conservation District (franklinccd.org)

Building on land around Franklin County

Franklin County land is largely agricultural, with the Cumberland Valley's farm belt through the middle and forested ridges on its edges. Before you buy, confirm three things with the township: whether its zoning allows a new dwelling on the parcel, whether the farm is one of the county's preserved farms under a conservation easement, and who the Sewage Enforcement Officer is for soil testing, since the septic permit is needed before the building permit. A barndominium pad, driveway and drain field together can pass 5,000 square feet of earth disturbance, which calls for a written erosion and sediment control plan. The steel construction page explains how a clear-span frame fits a working rural property.

Where we build in this part of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Carlisle & the Capital Region

Pole Barn Homes near Franklin County

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 Franklin County depends on the local answers above: who reviews the plans, what the zoning allows, and how the lot handles sewage.

Pole Barn Homes

Have land in or around Franklin County? 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 Franklin County: questions

Start the survey
How much does it cost to build a barndominium near Franklin County towns like Chambersburg?
Most of the variation comes from the rural site: driveway length, well depth, the on-lot sewage system and how much grading the pad needs. Utility connections matter more for a lot in or near a borough. The barndominium cost guide has sourced per-square-foot ranges by size and finish, and we price your build after you describe the parcel in the survey.
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Franklin County?
Yes, and it comes through the township or borough. In Antrim Township, for example, you need a Land Use Permit from the Township and a Building Permit from one of its third-party code officials, and a septic permit from the Township's Sewage Enforcement Officer where there is no sewer. Other municipalities use similar arrangements with their own agencies. We confirm the sequence for your parcel first.
Are pole barn homes common on Franklin County farmland?
Post-supported farm buildings are a familiar sight here, and a pole barn home uses a similar frame for a house. It is still permitted and inspected as a dwelling, with the same zoning, septic and code steps as any other home. Owners who want to put it up themselves can start from our barndominium kits.

Other places we build around Franklin County

Across a municipal or county line the permit office, zoning and sewage agency can change, so each place has its own page.

Building in Franklin County?

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.