Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Scranton, Wilkes-Barre & the Poconos

Barndominium Builders in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Luzerne County barndominium sites run from former coal-patch lots in the Wyoming Valley to farm and woodland parcels in the Back Mountain, the Hazleton area and the townships of the southern and western county. Pennsylvania Barndominium Builders designs and builds steel-frame and pole-frame barndominiums for owners across that range. We supply barndominium kits for owners who want to put the shell up with their own crew, draw custom plans around a specific parcel, and manage turnkey builds from clearing and grading to move-in. The county has 76 municipalities, and the building permit comes from the city, borough or township where your land sits, through its own code official or the inspection agency it uses. What makes Luzerne different is the county's zoning role: its Department of Planning and Zoning administers zoning for 19 of those municipalities and subdivision rules for 27, so on many rural parcels the zoning permit comes from the county while the building permit stays local. Getting that split right early saves weeks. Send us the parcel through the survey, and we will confirm which office handles zoning, subdivision, sewage and the building permit before design begins.

Luzerne County at a glance

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

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Luzerne 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 of Luzerne County's 76 municipalities, or the code agency it uses (not the county)

Building permits come from the city, borough or township where the land sits. The county's Department of Planning and Zoning issues zoning permits only in the 19 municipalities under the county zoning ordinance, and administers subdivision and land development in 27. The other municipalities, with their own ordinances, handle zoning themselves.

Source: Zoning, Luzerne County (luzernecounty.org)

County zoning in 19 municipalities: The Department of Planning and Zoning administers zoning for 19 of the county's 76 municipalities under the 2021 Luzerne County Zoning Ordinance, effective since March 24, 2021, with a zoning map updated to conditions as of March 15, 2023. The department publishes lists of the municipalities inside and outside its jurisdiction (read 26 Sep 2026).
Floodplain rules through county zoning: Where it has zoning jurisdiction, the department administers floodplain management through the county zoning ordinance. Owners can call about floodplains that may affect their property, and floodplain maps can be viewed by appointment at the department office.
County subdivision rules in 27 municipalities: The department administers subdivision and land development for 27 municipalities under the County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, with major plans decided by the Luzerne County Planning Commission. For the other 49 municipalities, which have their own ordinance, it gives advisory review comments within 30 days.
Erosion plans and county stormwater: The Luzerne Conservation District runs the erosion control and NPDES programs for DEP. A project adding more than 10,000 square feet of impervious area or disturbing more than 20,000 square feet needs a district-approved erosion control plan inside the stormwater site plan filed with the municipality under the Luzerne County Stormwater Management Plan.
Smaller sites still need a municipal permit: Below those sizes, the District does not review the erosion control plan unless the municipality requires it, but the project still needs a municipal stormwater permit, and a plan is required on site at 5,000 square feet of disturbance. Disturbing more than one acre requires a district-approved plan and an NPDES permit.

Building on land around Luzerne County

Luzerne County land needs three checks before you commit. The first is jurisdiction: whether the parcel sits in one of the municipalities under county zoning and subdivision rules, or in one with its own. The second is ground history, since parts of the valley were mined, and old workings, fill or stripping can affect where a foundation goes. The third is water: floodplain along the Susquehanna and its creeks, and whether the lot has public sewer. Without it, the on-lot sewage permit comes from the municipality's sewage enforcement officer, after soil testing, before the building permit. Stormwater is permitted locally under the county plan, with the Conservation District reviewing larger sites. Our site preparation page covers the grading side of a new build.

Where we build in this part of Pennsylvania

Scranton, Wilkes-Barre & the Poconos

Barndominium Kits and Plans in Luzerne County

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.

See every service

Pole Barn Homes near Luzerne 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 Luzerne 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 Luzerne 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.

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Building in Luzerne County: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium near Wilkes-Barre and the rest of Luzerne County?

It varies with the parcel. A lot with public sewer near the valley towns avoids septic work, while a rural parcel may need a well, an on-lot system, clearing and a longer drive. Ground conditions and floodplain design can add cost too. Our barndominium cost guide sets out sourced per-square-foot ranges, and we price your parcel once you complete the survey.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Luzerne County?

Yes, from the municipality where the land sits. Each city, borough and township handles building permits through its own code official or a code agency it retains. Separately, if the municipality is under county zoning, the zoning permit comes from the Luzerne County Department of Planning and Zoning. Ask both offices before you apply.

How do I find out who zones my Luzerne County land?

The county publishes a list of the municipalities under its zoning jurisdiction and those outside it. If your land is under county zoning, the department's zoning analysts confirm the parcel's district by phone; otherwise the municipality's own zoning officer does. Our permitting service can make those calls for you.

Do you build pole barn homes near Luzerne County towns?

Yes. We design and build them on rural Luzerne County parcels and supply the frame as a kit for owner-builders. See our pole barn homes page for details.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Luzerne County 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 it

Can You Build a Barndominium in Pennsylvania?

Zoning, sewage and who inspects, before you buy the land.

Read it

How Long Does It Take?

From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.

Read it

Sources for this page

The published pages behind the Luzerne County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Other places we build around Luzerne County

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

Wilkes-Barre

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Lackawanna County

Pennsylvania county

Scranton

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

Monroe County

Pennsylvania county

Building in Luzerne 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.

Start the survey