Administrative overview · FIPS 42055
Franklin 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
Franklin County Planning Department and Franklin County Planning Commission; building permits, zoning, and UCC enforcement are handled by the applicable municipality
For a project in or near Franklin 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
Franklin County Planning Department: 717-261-3855; local building-code agency varies by municipality
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Franklin County Planning Department, Administration Building, 272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; closed weekends and county-observed holidays; municipal/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, while local review and county subdivision review timing varies.
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 Franklin 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 Franklin County Planning Department: 717-261-3855; local building-code agency varies by municipality.
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, while local review and county subdivision review timing varies.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact the township or borough where the project is located to identify its Building Code Official or certified third-party agency, file the UCC application and plans, and schedule required inspections. Franklin County Planning handles subdivision/land-development review; its official development-review form directs questions to 717-261-3855 and requires the municipality to be identified.
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. Franklin County's official planning material states that municipalities control zoning and land use; the county reviews subdivision and land-development plans but does not replace local building-code enforcement. Exemptions are controlled by the Pennsylvania UCC and the applicable municipality 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 repairs, accessory structures, agricultural work, zoning, floodplain, sewage, driveway, and occupancy requirements vary locally and must be confirmed with the municipality.