Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania

Borough of Shoemakersville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Decks inside Shoemakersville borough (only construction type for which a building permit is stated in the zoning ordinance reviewed)

  • A zoning permit from the zoning enforcement officer is also required
  • General building permit rules for other construction not located

  “prior to constructing a deck, a zoning permit must be obtained from the zoning enforcement officer and a building permit must be obtained from the building inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Shoemakersville borough, Berks County, PA

  • Ordinance listed on the borough site as Zoning (463-2023) with a 2023 zoning map

  “in order to carry out the objectives of this zoning ordinance, the borough of shoemakersville has been divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Shoemakersville borough

  • Nine districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-2
  • Official zoning map (2023) published separately as a PDF on the borough site

  “the borough of shoemakersville has been divided into the following zoning districts: r-1 r-2 r-3 r-4 c-1 c-2 c-3 i-1 i-2 low density residential district suburban density residential district medium density residential district planned development residential district town center district highway commercial district business development district light industrial district general industrial district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, inside Shoemakersville borough

  • General regulations of Article VI also apply
  • Column headings in the extracted table are run together; lot size read as the first figure

  minimum lot size: >= 10000 square feet · minimum lot width at street line: >= 60 feet

  “minimum requirements: lot size lot width at street line at building setback line building setback rear yard side yard total one side 10,000 square feet 60 feet 80 feet 30 feet 40 feet 30 feet 10 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-3 Medium Density Residential District, inside Shoemakersville borough

    “lot size lot width at street line lot width at building setback line building setback rear yard 5000 square feet 40 feet 40 feet 20 feet 15 feet 4000 square feet 30 feet 30 feet 20 feet 15 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, inside Shoemakersville borough

  • Figures read in table order: building setback 30 ft, rear yard 40 ft, side yard total 30 ft, one side 10 ft; the extracted table has run-together headings

  building setback: >= 30 feet · rear yard: >= 40 feet · side yard, one side: >= 10 feet · side yard, total: >= 30 feet

  “minimum requirements: lot size lot width at street line at building setback line building setback rear yard side yard total one side 10,000 square feet 60 feet 80 feet 30 feet 40 feet 30 feet 10 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, inside Shoemakersville borough

  • Building coverage and impervious area both capped

  maximum building coverage: <= 25 percent · maximum impervious area: <= 25 percent

  “maximum permitted: building height building coverage impervious area 35 feet 25 percent 25 percent minimum requirements: lot size”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, inside Shoemakersville borough

  • Section 616 provides exceptions for chimneys, antennas, and similar appurtenances

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Section 616 height exceptions)

  “maximum permitted: building height building coverage impervious area 35 feet 25 percent 25 percent minimum requirements: lot size”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes inside Shoemakersville borough (R-3 district; mobile home parks)

  • Mobile home parks are a conditional use approved by borough council
  • Park minimum area one acre; density not above four dwelling units per acre; lots at least 40 by 100 feet
  • Section 626: permanent concrete foundation, anchoring, and utility connections required
  • Individual mobile homes are listed as a by-right use in R-3 (Section 422); permissibility in other districts not reviewed

  mobile home park minimum area: >= 1 acre

  “1. mobile home park, subject to: a. the minimum area of a mobile home park shall be one (1) acre. b. the overall density of the mobile home park shall not exceed four (4) dwelling units per acre. c. the minimum dimensions of a mobile home lot shall be forty (40) feet by one hundred (100) feet.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Floodway and flood fringe land inside Shoemakersville borough

  • Floodplain management ordinance 426-2012, as amended, applies; its text was not opened
  • No structures in the floodway; permitted-district structures may be placed in the flood fringe
  • No outside storage of materials in floodway or flood fringe

  “the provisions of the borough of shoemakersville's floodplain management ordinance, ordinance number 426-2012, as from time to time amended, shall apply, provided that: 1. no structures shall be placed within the floodway. 2. structures permitted within the applicable zoning district may be placed within the flood fringe. 3. materials shall not be stored outside of buildings within the floodway and flood fringe.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Shoemakersville borough
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Shoemakersville borough
• Inspections — Inspections inside Shoemakersville borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Shoemakersville borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Shoemakersville borough

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.