Bolthole Index

Adams County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Bendersville, Pennsylvania

Bendersville Borough, Pennsylvania (Adams County) hands all building permits, zoning and code enforcement to the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance1. Adams County does not run zoning inside the borough, because the borough administers its own zoning ordinance2. Septic permits come from a local sewage enforcement officer under Act 5373; we could not confirm who holds that role for the borough.

At a glance

Building permit
Required under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code; the borough sends permits to the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance41
Zoning
The borough has its own zoning ordinance, administered through the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance21
Septic
Permit from the local agency before a building on an on-lot system is used; borough sewage officer not confirmed53
Floodplain
Borough floodplain permit required for development in a floodplain area6
Mobile homes
Individual mobile homes outside a park need a borough building permit and single-family lot, setback, sewer and water standards7
Owner-builder
Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license for most work; the borough's own owner-builder rule is not confirmed8

Who to call

Zoning

Bendersville Borough office

The borough's front office; points permit, zoning and code questions to the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance

(717) 677-8112

125B Rampike Hill Rd PO Box 448 Bendersville, PA 17306

Building permits

Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance

Building permits, zoning and code enforcement for Bendersville Borough

717-496-4996

[email protected]

1013 Wayne Ave. Chambersburg, PA 17201

Online permits →

Septic permits

Municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer (the borough or its designated agency)

On-lot septic permits under Act 537; Adams County has no county septic office

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Bendersville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Bendersville, PA?

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires property owners to obtain a building permit before starting any work9. Bendersville Borough does not run its own counter: the borough states that all permits, zoning and code enforcement are handled by the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance1. Adams County itself does not issue building permits10.

Before a new home can be occupied, a certificate of occupancy is required under the state code11. Whether the borough adds its own occupancy rule is something we could not confirm, so ask the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance.

Who issues building permits and zoning approval in Bendersville Borough?

The Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance handles building permits, zoning and code enforcement for Bendersville Borough1. Its office is at 1013 Wayne Ave. in Chambersburg, and applications start on its permit applications page12. For zoning and building permits, applications must be supported by duplicate scaled plans and compliance information1.

The borough office, open Monday to Thursday, is the place to start with general questions13. Adams County's own zoning office covers only Germany and Menallen Townships and East Berlin Borough, so it is the wrong counter for a Bendersville parcel14.

Does Bendersville have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Bendersville Borough administers its own zoning ordinance rather than using the county's2. The county ordinance's lot sizes and setbacks therefore do not apply inside the borough14.

We could not confirm the borough's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, setbacks or building height for ordinary residential districts. Ask the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance for the zoning district of your parcel and the dimensional schedule before you buy.

One rule is confirmed: an individual mobile home outside a mobile home park needs a borough building permit, and its lot size, setback, sewer and water requirements match those for a single-family home7. All mobile homes must connect to sewer and water systems approved by the Department of Environmental Resources15.

How do septic permits work in Bendersville?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before a building served by an on-lot sewage system is installed, built, occupied or used5. In Adams County that local agency is typically a municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer, and the county has no septic office16.

We could not confirm who holds the sewage enforcement role for Bendersville Borough, or whether the borough is on public sewer for your street. Ask the borough office before you assume either. Only about 14% of soils in Adams County rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system on an unsewered lot17.

Floodplain and driveway permits in Bendersville

A borough permit is required before any construction or development in an identified floodplain area in Bendersville, and none issues until required state and federal permits are in hand6. Inspections during construction apply to work under a floodplain permit18.

A driveway onto a state road needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit19. For a proposed mobile home park, the borough code ties building permits to getting that highway occupancy permit first20.

Building a home in Bendersville: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance for the zoning district and what your use needs1.
  2. Ask the borough office whether your lot is on public sewer or needs an on-lot system, and who the sewage enforcement officer is13.
  3. Check the floodplain map and, if you are in a floodplain, apply for the borough floodplain permit6.
  4. Apply for the building permit with duplicate scaled plans1.
  5. Get inspections during construction and a certificate of occupancy before moving in2111.

What stays with Adams County, and what to check before you buy in Bendersville?

Adams County reviews subdivision and land development plans in an advisory role, but each municipality makes final approval22. For land outside the borough, see the Adams County page.

County figures: Adams County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%23. The median property tax bill is $3,569 a year24. The county's typical home value is $340,60425.

Watch-outs

  • The borough's own residential zoning dimensions, RV and tiny home rules, and owner-builder rules are unconfirmed; ask the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance before you buy1.
  • State park camping limits do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot in Bendersville26.
  • Well rules inside the borough are unconfirmed; Pennsylvania has no statewide permit for homeowners drilling their own water well on their own land27.

Sources

  1. Bendersville Borough Home (Borough of Bendersville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Adams County - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  3. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  4. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Borough of Bendersville Code, Chapter 8, Part 2: Administration (Borough of Bendersville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Borough of Bendersville Code, Part 8: Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks (Borough of Bendersville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  10. Adams County Office of Planning & Development - FAQs (2026 county census)
  11. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance (pacodealliance.com)
  13. Bendersville Borough office (bendersville.adamscountypa.gov)
  14. Adams County - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  15. Borough of Bendersville Code, Part 8: Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks (Borough of Bendersville), quoted and re-checked
  16. PA DEP - Act 537 Sewage Facilities Program (2026 county census)
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Borough of Bendersville Code, Chapter 8, Part 2: Administration (Borough of Bendersville), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Borough of Bendersville Code, Part 8: Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks (Borough of Bendersville), quoted and re-checked
  21. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Electronic Submission of Documents for Review, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  26. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Bendersville

Borough of Bendersville’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Floodplain construction and development inside Bendersville borough.

    • The located provision coordinates floodplain requirements with the Commonwealth-adopted IBC, IRC, and 34 Pa. Code; it does not establish borough-wide UCC adoption details.
    “The floodplain administrator shall consider the requirements of 34 Pa. Code and the 2015 IBC and the 2015 IRC, or the latest revision thereof as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Construction progressing under a borough floodplain permit inside Bendersville borough.

    • The inspection duty stated is during the construction period and applies to compliance with permit-application information and applicable municipal laws and ordinances.
    “During the construction period, the floodplain administrator or other authorized official shall inspect the premises to determine that the work is progressing in compliance with the information provided on the permit application and with all applicable municipal laws and ordinances.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Individual mobile-home lots in a mobile-home park inside Bendersville borough.

    • The 75-foot width is measured at the building setback line and excludes easements or rights-of-way.

    minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet (Individual mobile home lot located in a mobile home park) · minimum lot width: >= 75 feet (At building setback line, exclusive of easement or rights-of-way)

    “Individual mobile home lots located in a mobile home park shall contain at least 10,000 square feet of lot area and shall not be less than 75 feet wide at the building setback line exclusive of easement or rights-of-way.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Individual mobile homes maintained as single-family dwellings inside Bendersville borough.

    • An individual mobile home outside a mobile-home park needs a borough building permit.
    • Its lot size, setbacks, sewer, and water requirements must match those for a single-family home; mobile-home placement and base-enclosure requirements also apply.
    “If a mobile home is erected and maintained as a single-family dwelling other than in a mobile home park, the lot size, setback, sewer, and water requirements shall be the same as for a single family home, and in addition, placement and base enclosure requirements shall be the same as for mobile homes placed in mobile home parks.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Mobile homes inside Bendersville borough.

    • Mobile homes must connect to sewer and water systems approved by the Department of Environmental Resources.
    “Sewer and Water. All mobile homes shall be connected to sewer and water systems approved by the Department of Environmental Resources.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Mobile homes inside Bendersville borough.

    • The systems must be approved by the Department of Environmental Resources.
    • For mobile home parks, connection to the borough public water supply is required.
    “Sewer and Water. All mobile homes shall be connected to sewer and water systems approved by the Department of Environmental Resources.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Proposed mobile-home parks inside Bendersville borough.

    • A state or borough highway occupancy permit is required under the applicable state and borough rules and regulations.
    • No building permits issue until the highway occupancy permit is obtained.
    “The plan shall contain a statement that a State or Borough highway occupancy permit is required pursuant to State and Borough rules and regulations. No building permits will be issued until a highway occupancy permit is obtained.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction or development within an identified floodplain area inside Bendersville borough.

    • No permit may issue until the floodplain administrator determines that required state and federal permits have been obtained.
    • The ordinance is identified as Ord. No. 2020-2, dated 7/28/2020.
    “A permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Borough of Bendersville.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Mobile-home-park permits inside Bendersville borough.

    • Initial, annual renewal, and transfer fees are set by Borough Council; the located code provision does not state dollar amounts.
    • Initial fees are due when the plot plan is filed for final approval.
    “An initial permit fee for each mobile home park will be assessed; plus additional fees for each mobile home space shown by the plot plan. These fees will be established by the Bendersville Borough Council and will be due when the plot plan is filed for final approval.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Permits, zoning, and code enforcement inside Bendersville borough.

    • The borough directs these functions to Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance.
    • For zoning/building permits, applications must be supported by duplicate scaled plans and compliance information.
    “All Permits, Zoning and Code Enforcement will be handled by Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Bendersville or Adams County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Bendersville borough.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Bendersville borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Bendersville borough.
  • Setbacks — Buildings and dwelling lots inside Bendersville borough.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Bendersville borough.
9 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Bendersville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Adams County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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