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

Union Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Union Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

  • Adams County states its county zoning ordinance applies only in Germany and Menallen Townships; Union Township is administered as an other municipality.
  • The current township zoning ordinance text and district schedule were not located on an official page during this review.

  “All other municipalities have adopted and administer their own Zoning Ordinance.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Onlot sewage facilities inside Union Township.

  • DEP describes local agencies as individual municipalities or groups of municipalities, including county health departments.
  • Adams County identifies Union Township's Sewage Enforcement Officer as Dean Shultz.

  “Contact the municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development within a floodplain inside Union Township.

  • This requirement applies to development within a floodplain.
  • The county says every Adams County municipality except New Oxford Borough participates in the NFIP; Union Township is an Adams County township.

  “Development activities require a permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Union Township

Union 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 code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building work inside Union Township subject to Pennsylvania's statewide UCC.

  • The source states the UCC must be followed by builders in the state.

  “Pennsylvania's statewide building code, generally known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), has to be followed by builders in the state.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Specified construction, building-system, pool, hot-tub, manufactured-housing, and industrialized-housing work inside Union Township subject to the Pennsylvania UCC.

  • Inspections are necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.
  • Manufactured and industrialized housing projects require inspections for site preparation, foundation construction, repairs, and changes in occupancy.

  “Inspections are also necessary in several cases”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A building or facility inside Union Township subject to the Pennsylvania UCC before it can be used.

  “A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Pennsylvania UCC building-permit applications for work inside Union Township when the state UCC process applies.

  • The listed complete package applies to new buildings, structures, and facilities; additions; and alterations exceeding Alterations-Level 1 work to legally occupied buildings.
  • Department applications must identify the political subdivision and county; applications without those items will not be processed.

  “The following items (1-9) constitute a complete UCC application package”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Union Township.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Union Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Union Township.
• Minimum lot size — Single-family residential and agricultural/rural districts inside Union Township.
• Setbacks — Single-family residential and agricultural/rural districts inside Union 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.