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

Maxatawny Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, additions, agricultural buildings, decks, pools, sheds, fences, garages, driveways and work in a flood plain inside Maxatawny township

  • Construction may proceed after the zoning and building permit is issued.
  • Some work is exempt: re-roofing without structural alterations, replacement windows, doors and siding, and non-structural alterations, unless they affect means of egress.
  • Fences and walls require a permit and must be set back two feet from the property line.

  “permits are required for, but not limited to, all new construction, additions, agricultural buildings, decks, pools, hot tubs, sheds, fences/walls, garages, driveways”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Maxatawny township

  • The applicant or contractor must call the township to schedule inspections after the permit is issued.
  • Open permits are closed out by the township when inspections are not called in.

  “please remember the applicant or contractor needs to call to get inspections done when receiving a permit!”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Maxatawny township limits, under the township's own zoning ordinance and zoning map

  • The index lists zoning code and zoning map amendments from the 1970s; the current codified zoning ordinance text was not located or opened.
  • Zoning hearing board and planning commission are listed on the township website.

  “amending zoning map by rezoning a certain part of r-1 medium density residential to l-i light industrial”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts named in the township ordinance index: R-1 Medium Density Residential, L-I Light Industrial, A-2 Agricultural Residential, C-1 Commercial

  • District names come from index titles only; the district map and district text were not opened.
  • List is incomplete and may be superseded by a recodified ordinance.

  “re-zoning certain area of c-1 commercial district to a-2 agricultural residential district”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual and community sewage disposal systems inside Maxatawny township

  • Index title only (1976 sewage permit fees ordinance); the sewage enforcement officer appointment and current septic ordinance were not verified.
  • State Sewage Facilities Act rules still apply.

  “establishing fees for the installation of an individual or community sewage disposal system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Maxatawny township

  • Index entries show a township subdivision regulation (1971-5) amended in later years; the current subdivision and land development ordinance was not opened.
  • Subdivision improvement guarantees are referenced in a 1978 amendment entry.

  “amending 1971-5 subdivision regulation, defining”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways and impervious additions in Maxatawny township

  • Every impervious addition requires storm water controls.
  • Street access rules under the township's street encroachment ordinances were not reviewed.

  “sheds, fences/walls, garages, driveways, outdoor furnaces, windmills, solar panels”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Any work within a flood plain in Maxatawny township

  • Flood-plain permit requirement is listed alongside zoning and building permits; the flood hazard ordinance text (index entries from 1975 onward) was not opened.

  “any change of means of egress, any work within a flood plain.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential solar panel installations in Maxatawny township (only the solar fee is stated on the page)

  • General building and zoning fees are on a separate 'zoning fees' page that was not opened.
  • Fee amounts may change; the page does not state an effective date.

  residential solar application fee: 90 USD (residential solar panels only) · commercial solar application fee: 350 USD (commercial solar panels only)

  “*$90.00 - residential application fee, $350.00 - commerical application fee”

• Permit processPartial

  Residential and commercial zoning and building permit applications in Maxatawny township

  • Residential applications: two sets of complete documents, a detailed plot plan, and detail sufficient to show code compliance.
  • Commercial applications: three sets, signed and sealed by a licensed design professional.
  • The full step-by-step process and review timelines were not published on the page reviewed.

  “all residential building and zoning permit applications shall be submited in two (2) sets of complete documents, a detailed plot plan”

Rules another office applies inside Maxatawny Township

Maxatawny 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)

  New construction and alterations inside Maxatawny township, enforced by the township under the state Uniform Construction Code

  • The UCC is a state code enforced locally by the township, per the township's own statement.

  “maxatawny township enforces the state uniform construction code (ucc).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building on their own land inside Maxatawny township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Maxatawny township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district of Maxatawny township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the R-1 Medium Density Residential district of Maxatawny township
• Setbacks — Main building yard setbacks in the R-1 and A-2 districts of Maxatawny 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.