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

Barndominium Builders in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton barndominium buyers usually face a choice between an infill lot inside the city and open acreage out in the Abingtons or along the valley ridges, and that choice decides almost everything about the permit path. Pennsylvania Barndominium Builders designs and builds barndominiums, pole barn homes and steel-frame houses across Northeastern Pennsylvania, and owners with land in and around Scranton are part of that work. Some want a complete kit to assemble with their own crew; others want plans drawn to fit a particular parcel, or a turnkey build handled from excavation to the final inspection. Inside city limits, the City's Bureau of Code Enforcement issues the permit, and a certificate of occupancy comes only after a final inspection confirms the building meets the construction code and the City's zoning. Because this is anthracite country, we also suggest that owners check a parcel's mining history early, alongside zoning and utilities. Start with the survey: tell us where the land is and what you want to build, and we will work out which office, zoning district and sewer or on-lot route apply before any drawings begin.

Scranton at a glance

County: Lackawanna County
Municipality: City
Building permit: City code office
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Scranton

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-issued permitWho issues the permit

City of Scranton Bureau of Code Enforcement (Department of Community Development)

Inside Scranton, construction, grading, excavating and land development all need a permit from the City's Bureau of Code Enforcement, filed by the owner or a City-licensed contractor. Electrical and plumbing applications come from master tradespeople. The Building Code Official issues the certificate of occupancy after a final inspection. Dunmore, the Abingtons and the rest of the valley issue their own permits.

Source: Chapter 203: Contractors, Permits and Inspections, City of Scranton (ecode360.com)

One permit office for building and earthwork: Scranton's Code (Chapter 203, amended in its entirety in 2022, effective 1 Jan 2023) makes it unlawful to construct a building, or to carry out land development, grading, excavating or blacktopping, without first applying to the Bureau of Code Enforcement and obtaining a formal permit.
Who may file the application: A Scranton building permit application is filed by the property owner or by a contractor licensed by the City in that field. Electrical permit applications must be filed by a master electrician, and plumbing or heating applications by a master plumber or mechanical contractor (City Code § 203-7, read 26 Sep 2026).
Occupancy after a final inspection: A new home in Scranton may not be occupied without a certificate of occupancy. It is issued by the Director or Building Code Official after a final inspection finds the building compliant with the Uniform Construction Code and with the City's zoning, planning and property maintenance codes (City Code § 203-12).
Zoning shared with the Abingtons: Lackawanna County's list of municipal ordinances on file (dated 1 Jun 2026) shows Scranton under the Scranton-Abingtons cooperative zoning ordinance dated 20 Dec 2023, shared with Clarks Summit, Dalton, Dunmore, Newton Township, Waverly Township and other member municipalities.
Mine subsidence cover for a new build: The Department of Environmental Protection sells Mine Subsidence Insurance because homeowner's policies usually exclude damage from the collapse of abandoned underground coal and clay mines. Coverage is available for complete and under-construction buildings, and the program offers a site-specific request for mining information at a property.

Building on land around Scranton

Scranton sits in the Lackawanna Valley, with steep ground on either side and older mining beneath much of the valley floor. Where a parcel in the surrounding townships has no public sewer, an on-lot system means a soil test and an on-lot sewage permit from the local agency's Sewage Enforcement Officer before the building permit. Flood maps for every municipality in Lackawanna County come from the countywide digital FEMA flood maps dated August 2020, so check a creekside parcel against them. It is also worth asking the DEP mine subsidence program for a site-specific mining report before buying. Our site preparation page covers how we handle grading and foundations on uneven valley ground.

Where we build in this part of Pennsylvania

Scranton, Wilkes-Barre & the Poconos

Barndominium Kits and Plans in Scranton

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.

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Pole Barn Homes near Scranton

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 Scranton 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 Scranton? 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 Scranton: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium near Scranton?

The parcel moves the price as much as the plan does. A city infill lot may need demolition, retaining walls or new sewer and water connections, while acreage outside town may need a long driveway, a well and an on-lot sewage system. The barndominium cost guide sets out sourced per-square-foot ranges by size and finish, and we price your project once we know the land through the survey.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Scranton?

Yes. Inside city limits, the City's Bureau of Code Enforcement issues the permit, and grading or excavating for the site is covered by the same permit requirement. The application comes from the owner or a City-licensed contractor, and the home needs a certificate of occupancy after its final inspection. In Dunmore, the Abingtons or any other neighboring municipality, that borough or township issues the permit instead.

Can I build a barndominium on land with old mine workings nearby?

Often, yes, but find out before you buy. Much of the Lackawanna Valley was mined underground, and homeowner's insurance usually excludes subsidence damage. The DEP Mine Subsidence Insurance program lets you check a property's risk and request mining information for the site, and its coverage can be placed on a building while it is under construction. Foundation design then follows what the site investigation finds.

Which zoning rules apply to a Scranton lot?

Scranton shares a cooperative zoning ordinance with several Abington-area municipalities, adopted in December 2023. The district your parcel sits in decides whether a detached home is allowed, along with setbacks and height, and the certificate of occupancy depends on meeting it. Our custom plans are drawn after we confirm the district, and pole barn homes follow the same zoning review as any other house.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Scranton 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 Scranton facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Other places we build around Scranton

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

Lackawanna County

Pennsylvania county

Wilkes-Barre

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Luzerne County

Pennsylvania county

Stroudsburg

Monroe County, Pennsylvania

Building in Scranton?

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