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

Ruscombmanor Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residential construction inside Ruscombmanor township; the township zoning/building permit application is the core approval.

  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is released; for lots over 1,000 sq ft of new impervious area a stormwater plan must be approved first.
  • Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work require their own applications.
  • Erosion and sediment control approval from the conservation district applies where applicable.

  “complete the zoning/building permit application. if electrical, plumbing, and/or mechanical work is being performed, please be sure to complete all appropriate applications.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Ruscombmanor township limits, Berks County, Pennsylvania; the township administers its own zoning ordinance.

  • Township-adopted Zoning Ordinance 2025 (file Zoning-Ordinance-2025.pdf on ruscombmanor.org); its section notes show amendments by ord. 2024-02, ord. 2024-2 and ord. 2025-02 (3/26/2025).
  • An older Zoning Ordinance of 1973, as amended, is also posted on the township site; the 2025 file was treated as current, and that choice was not confirmed by the township office.
  • Zoning permits and uses are conditioned on the district rules in Articles II and III.

  “ruscombmanor township is hereby divided into seven (7) classes of districts which shall be designated as follows”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Ruscombmanor township limits; district boundaries are on the township's official zoning map.

  • Section 200 lists seven classes: R-1 residential, R-2, R-2A, C (retail commercial), HC (highway commercial), LI-1 and LI-2 (limited industrial). The extracted text renders some labels oddly (for example 'r-l' and 'l1-2'); confirm against the printed map.
  • The zoning map itself was not opened; district boundaries were not determined for any parcel.

  “the boundaries of said districts shall be as shown on the map attached to and made a part of this ordinance, which map shall be known as the official zoning map of ruscombmanor township”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family and other uses in the R-1 residential district inside Ruscombmanor township (the only residential district with a single-family lot table in Section 302.1).

  • Section 302.1 table has two rows: on-site sewer & water and public sewer & water.
  • Farm accessory buildings are exempt from the accessory-building height note in the same table.
  • The table is extracted from a PDF; column alignment was read from the text layer and should be checked against the printed page.

  minimum lot size (net lot area), on-site sewer & water: >= 65340 sq ft (on-site sewer & water) · minimum lot width, on-site sewer & water: >= 175 ft (on-site sewer & water) · minimum lot size (net lot area), public sewer & water: >= 30000 sq ft (public sewer & water) · minimum lot width, public sewer & water: >= 125 ft (public sewer & water)

  “on-site sewer & water public sewer & water 65,340 sq. ft. 175 ft. 15% 80% 60 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 residential district inside Ruscombmanor township, on-site or public sewer and water.

  • Table lists minimum front yard, minimum side yard (footnote 2 referenced) and minimum rear yard; the same values appear in both sewer rows.
  • Corner lots: the front yard is designated by the zoning officer under the corner-lot definition in Article I.
  • Side-yard footnote (2) text was not located in the extracted passage.

  minimum front yard: >= 60 ft (on-site and public sewer & water) · minimum side yard: >= 25 ft (on-site and public sewer & water) · minimum rear yard: >= 30 ft (on-site and public sewer & water)

  “on-site sewer & water public sewer & water 65,340 sq. ft. 175 ft. 15% 80% 60 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 residential district inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Table gives maximum building area of 15% for both sewer rows.
  • Minimum open area is 80% on-site and 60% with public sewer & water (reported as open area, not as a coverage limit).

  maximum building area (lot coverage): <= 15 percent of lot (on-site and public sewer & water) · minimum open area, on-site sewer & water: >= 80 percent of lot (on-site sewer & water) · minimum open area, public sewer & water: >= 60 percent of lot (public sewer & water)

  “on-site sewer & water public sewer & water 65,340 sq. ft. 175 ft. 15% 80% 60 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 residential district inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Maximum height of principal building is 35 ft in both sewer rows.
  • Accessory-building height column is not cleanly extracted from the PDF text and is not stated as a parameter; check the printed table.
  • Farm buildings are exempt from the accessory-building height note.

  maximum height, principal building: <= 35 ft (on-site and public sewer & water)

  “on-site sewer & water public sewer & water 65,340 sq. ft. 175 ft. 15% 80% 60 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New residential construction on a lot served by an on-lot septic system inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Applies only where the lot is not on public sewer ('if applicable').
  • The checklist asks for the septic system location on the plot plan.

  “provide proof of edu from the sewer authority or on-lot septic permit from the sewage enforcement officer (if applicable)”

• Well permitRequired

  New residential construction with a private well inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Township checklist calls for a driveway and/or well application 'if applicable'; the application form and well-permit fee were not located.
  • The plot plan must show the well.

  “complete the driveway and/or well application (if applicable)”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Zoning Section 502.2 refers to the township's subdivision and land development ordinance of 1987, as amended; that ordinance was not located or opened, so its lot-creation and improvement rules are not stated here.
  • Land development approval is referenced as a commercial permit prerequisite where applicable (permit checklist).

  “the township of ruscombmanor subdivision and land development ordinance of 1987, as amended”

• Driveway accessLimited

  New residential construction that requires a driveway onto a township road, inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Township checklist calls for a driveway application only 'if applicable'; the test for applicability is not stated.
  • PennDOT highway occupancy permit applies to state road access 'if applicable'.

  “complete the driveway and/or well application (if applicable)”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential zoning/building permit applications inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Fee is shown on a 2024 township checklist; no newer fee schedule was located, so it may have changed.
  • Separate fees for electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications were not stated.

  nonrefundable residential application fee: 100 USD (payable to the township)

  “submit nonrefundable application fee ($100) check payable to township”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Published (with conditions) — Commercial building permit applications inside Ruscombmanor township.

    “submit application fee ($500) check payable to township”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and building permit applications inside Ruscombmanor township.

  • Checklist lists the zoning/building permit application, plot plan with distances to each property line, two sets of building plans for residential work, workers' compensation proof for each contractor, and the $100 fee.
  • Checklist names LTL Consultants, Ltd. as the township contact (610-987-9290).
  • Other approvals listed, each 'if applicable': stormwater plan (over 1,000 sq ft impervious), sewer authority or SEO permit, PennDOT highway occupancy permit, public water connection approval, conservation district E&S plan.

  “complete the zoning/building permit application. if electrical, plumbing, and/or mechanical work is being performed, please be sure to complete all appropriate applications.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building their own home inside Ruscombmanor township
• Building code adopted — Construction code adoption inside Ruscombmanor township
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside Ruscombmanor township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Ruscombmanor township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a single-family dwelling inside Ruscombmanor 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.