Administrative overview · FIPS 42053
Forest County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Forest County Conservation District & Planning; building permits and UCC enforcement are handled by the applicable Township/Borough or its appointed Building Code Official
For a project in or near Forest County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Forest County Conservation District/Planning permit assistance: 814-755-3450; Forest County general office: 814-755-3537; local building-code agency varies
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Forest County Conservation District, 526 Elm Street, Box 4, Tionesta, PA 16353; County offices, Box 3, same address
Operating hours
N/A for countywide building permitting; local municipality and code-agency hours vary
Review expectation
N/A countywide; Pennsylvania UCC generally requires a code official to grant or deny a complete permit application within 30 business days, with local agency timing varying.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Forest County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Forest County Conservation District/Planning permit assistance: 814-755-3450; Forest County general office: 814-755-3537; local building-code agency varies.
How long might review take?
N/A countywide; Pennsylvania UCC generally requires a code official to grant or deny a complete permit application within 30 business days, with local agency timing varying.
How are inspections scheduled?
Start with the Township/Borough where the project is located to identify the appointed Building Code Official or certified third-party agency and schedule inspections. Forest County Conservation District/Planning can answer permit-direction questions at 814-755-3450; its directions state that applications may be mailed to 526 Elm Street, Box 4, Tionesta, PA 16353 and that excavation requires Pennsylvania 811 notice at least three business days before work.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC), 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405 and referenced current ICC codes as adopted by Pennsylvania, including applicable 2021 ICC editions for 2026 permits. Forest County municipal permitting is local; the county's municipal permit directions identify the Township/Borough as the building-fee and ordinance authority. Exemptions are controlled by the Pennsylvania UCC and the local Township/Borough or Building Code Official. Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may proceed without a prior permit only when the application is submitted to the BCO within three business days. Minor-work, accessory-structure, agricultural, zoning, floodplain, sewage, driveway, and stormwater exemptions or permits must be confirmed locally; the county directions require the applicable stormwater section and a site sketch.