Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Butler Township, Pennsylvania

Butler Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Butler Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

  • Uses, occupancy, erection, construction, reconstruction, moving, and structural alteration must conform to the regulations and procedures for the applicable zoning district.

  “the land and water courses contained within the boundaries of Arendtsville Borough and Butler Township are hereby designated into the following districts”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of a recreational vehicle as a permanent residence in any campground inside Butler Township.

  • This claim is limited to permanent-residence use in a campground.

  “as a permanent residence shall be prohibited.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage matters inside Butler Township.

  • Adams County identifies KPI Technology as Butler Township's Sewage Enforcement Officer.
  • DEP describes on-lot sewage administration as largely local-government administration.

  “Sewage Enforcement Officer KPI Technology”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applicants in Butler Township.

  • Land-development and stormwater approvals precede zoning application where applicable.
  • Applicants must submit the applicable well, sewer, and driveway permits with the zoning application.
  • Zoning approval is required before the building-permit application.
  • Building applications require two detailed drawing sets and workers' compensation coverage information from the contractor.
  • Township and MDIA fees are due at permit pickup.

  “Here is the information you will need to acquire permits for Butler Township.”

Rules another office applies inside Butler Township

Butler Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or building work in Pennsylvania, including Butler Township.

  • Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may be made without a permit if an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.
  • Butler Township's instructions require zoning approval before applying for a building permit.

  “The UCC states that before beginning any construction or building work, the property owner or an authorized representative must obtain a UCC building permit”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building projects in Pennsylvania, including projects inside Butler Township.

  • Butler Township lists a permit officer affiliated with MDIA.

  “The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) regulates the codes and standards of building projects in the Commonwealth.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Specified residential and commercial construction or system work in Pennsylvania, including Butler Township.

  • The statewide UCC page identifies construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, pools, hot tubs, and specified manufactured or industrialized housing work as cases requiring inspections.

  “Inspections are also necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and the installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings or facilities in Pennsylvania, including Butler Township.

  “before a building or facility can be used”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder residential construction inside Butler Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Butler Township.
• Setbacks — Principal dwellings inside Butler Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Butler Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Butler Township.

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.