Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Alsace Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required; apply at the Alsace Township office²⁶

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance (chapter 255 of the township code)¹

Building code

Uniform Construction Code chapter in the township code³

Septic permits

Application through the township office; Technicon Enterprises is the sewage enforcement officer⁴

Residential application fee

$50, non-refundable²

Subdivision

Regulated by the township (chapter 195)⁷

RV living, tiny homes, minimum home size

Not confirmed; ask the township zoning officers⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Alsace Township, PA?

Yes. Alsace Township's own code includes a Uniform Construction Code chapter³, and the township's permit page lists building permits for residential and commercial work, plus separate permits for sheds, decks, fences, driveways, pools, wells and septic systems². Pennsylvania's statewide code must be followed by builders in the state⁹.

The township takes a $50 application fee for residential projects and $150 for non-residential ones, and no work may start until the permit is issued, paid for and on site². Work done without a permit doubles the permit fees². Berks County does not issue the building permit; the municipality or its code agency does⁶.

Who issues building permits in Alsace Township, and how do you reach them?

Applications go to the Alsace Township office at 65 Woodside Ave, Temple, open Monday through Thursday, 610-929-5324¹⁰. Technicon Enterprises Inc. is the board-appointed building and code officer; reach them at 610-286-1622 for plan questions and to schedule inspections². They need at least 24 hours' notice for an inspection².

A complete application includes a plot plan showing existing and proposed improvements, distances to property lines, and well and septic locations, and contractors must attach workers' compensation and liability insurance certificates².

Does Alsace Township have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Alsace Township has its own zoning ordinance, which defines zoning districts and regulates what can be done in each⁸. It appears as chapter 255 of the township code¹. Berks County does not administer municipal zoning; each municipality does⁵.

We could not confirm district-by-district rules for RVs, tiny homes, minimum home size, lot size or setbacks. Call the township zoning officers at 610-286-1622 with the parcel's address before you buy⁸. Alsace is not listed among the Berks municipal groups that adopted joint zoning with a neighbor, so its ordinance is likely its own.

How do septic permits work in Alsace Township?

Any septic permit application must go through the Alsace Township office first, and the township forwards it once the permit and deposit are received⁴. Technicon Enterprises serves as the sewage enforcement officer, tests the site, and issues permits for septic tanks, cesspools, holding tanks and sand mounds⁴. Pennsylvania's onlot program is run by a local agency, and an owner applies through the local sewage enforcement officer¹¹.

A state-described permit is valid for three years, and a complete application is approved or denied within seven days¹². By township ordinance, onlot systems must be pumped every three years and holding tanks pumped and inspected every year, with proof sent to the township⁴. Across Berks County, about 22% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a thorough site evaluation or an engineered system¹³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Alsace Township?

We could not confirm Alsace Township's rule on living in an RV, a tiny home or a manufactured home. The township's zoning ordinance governs what is allowed in each district⁸, and we have not confirmed what it says about occupied RVs or tiny homes. Ask the zoning officers at 610-286-1622 before you move anything onto a lot⁸. Any occupied dwelling still needs a certificate of occupancy under the state code¹⁴.

Building a home in Alsace Township: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the zoning district and allowed use with the township zoning officers⁸.
2. If you are dividing land, check the township's subdivision and land development chapter⁷.
3. Have the site tested and apply for the septic permit through the township office⁴.
4. File the building permit application with a plot plan and the $50 residential fee².
5. If the driveway meets a state road, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required before access¹⁵.
6. Schedule each inspection with 24 hours' notice², and obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in¹⁴.

What stays with Berks County, and what to check before you buy in Alsace Township

Berks County does not set Alsace Township's zoning, and its planning commission refers parcel-specific zoning questions to the township⁵. For land outside the township, see the Berks County page. Berks County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%¹⁶. Pennsylvania does not regulate private homeowner wells, so water quality and maintenance are the owner's responsibility¹⁷, though the township lists a well permit among its own permits². If the lot is in a flood plain, flood-plain documentation is required with the building permit¹⁸.

Watch-outs

• We did not confirm Alsace Township's district rules, setbacks or minimum lot sizes; read the zoning ordinance and zoning map with the township office before you buy⁸.
• Starting work before a permit is approved, paid for and picked up doubles the permit fees².
• A project that adds 1,500 square feet or more of new impervious surface needs a stormwater management plan reviewed by the Township Engineer².
• Septic permits are handled by the township's sewage enforcement officer, not by Berks County, and a septic permit is separate from the building permit⁴.

Sources

1. Alsace Township, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Alsace Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Technicon Enterprises Inc. (building and code officer) (alsacetownship.org)
3. Alsace Township, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Alsace Township), quoted and re-checked
4. Alsace Township septic permits (Technicon Enterprises, sewage enforcement officer) (alsacetownship.org)
5. Berks County - Multi-Municipal Planning, quoted and re-checked
6. PA Department of Labor & Industry - Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
7. Alsace Township, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Alsace Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Alsace Township zoning officers (Technicon Enterprises) (alsacetownship.org)
9. Uniform Construction Code | Department of Labor and Industry | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, quoted and re-checked
10. Alsace Township Office (alsacetownship.org)
11. Onlot Sewage Program - Home Buyer's / Builders Guide, quoted and re-checked
12. Onlot Sewage Program - Home Buyer's / Builders Guide, quoted and re-checked
13. 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
14. PART XIV, quoted and re-checked
15. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
17. Private Wells, quoted and re-checked
18. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 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.