Building permits, zoning and septic in Spring Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permits

Required for most construction, including new homes; township applications apply¹

Zoning

Spring Township has its own zoning ordinance, administered by Code Enforcement²³

Septic permits

Local-agency septic approval generally required; contact the township Sewage Enforcement Officer⁴³

RV living and tiny homes

We could not confirm residential permission; ask the township Zoning Officer about the proposed use³

Owner-builders

Pennsylvania has no general statewide contractor license requirement for most work; covered home construction still requires a building permit⁵⁶

Driveway permits

Township driveway permit required for new, enlarged or widened driveways⁷

Private wells

Commercial well drillers need state licensing and permits; township well requirements remain unconfirmed⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

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

Spring Township requires building permits for most construction projects, including new homes, additions, structural alterations, creating habitable space, and regulated plumbing, electrical and mechanical work.¹ Spring Township accepts applications in person, by mail or by fax, and does not currently accept applications by email.¹

Spring Township lists wallpapering, painting, tiling, cabinetry, finishing work, siding, replacing shingles, and same-size window and door replacement as work that does not require a residential building permit.¹ Pennsylvania’s exclusion for qualifying agricultural buildings requires the structure to contain no habitable space; a barn intended for living cannot rely on that exclusion.⁹

Who handles building inspections and zoning in Spring Township?

Spring Township’s Code Enforcement Department combines the Building Code Official, Zoning Officer and Sewage Enforcement Officer roles; the department also uses a state-licensed third-party agency for commercial plan review and inspections.³ Contact the department at 610-678-5393 or [email protected], at 2850 Windmill Road, Sinking Spring, PA 19608.³

For a Spring Township home application, submit 3 sets of construction drawings and the associated plumbing, electrical and mechanical applications when the project includes those systems.¹⁰ Pennsylvania requires inspections for permitted residential construction and a certificate of occupancy before a covered residential building can be used or occupied.¹¹¹²

Does Spring Township have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Spring Township has a zoning ordinance, and the township Code Enforcement Department administers and enforces that ordinance.²³ Spring Township Engineering & Planning makes zoning maps available in the township’s front lobby, with pricing based on the current fee schedule.¹³

We could not confirm Spring Township’s rules for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, or district-specific lot sizes and house setbacks; ask the township Zoning Officer to review the parcel and proposed use before buying.³ For a tiny home used as a covered residential building, Pennsylvania’s building-permit and occupancy requirements still apply.⁶¹²

How do septic permits work inside Spring Township?

For a Spring Township parcel needing an on-lot sewage system, contact the township Sewage Enforcement Officer through Code Enforcement.³ Pennsylvania generally requires a local-agency septic permit before installing a system, contracting for construction, or constructing or using a building served by an on-lot system.⁴ Pennsylvania requires approval before a completed sewage-disposal system is covered.¹⁴

A composting or incinerating toilet does not eliminate wastewater planning for a new Spring Township residence: Pennsylvania requires an on-lot system or other approved disposal method for washwater or excess liquid.¹⁵ For public-sewer work, Spring Township provides a sewer-lateral application for new laterals and repairs and requires compliance with township specifications.¹⁰

Building a home in Spring Township: what are the steps?

1. Ask Spring Township’s Zoning Officer to review the proposed home’s use and placement under the township zoning ordinance.²³
2. Resolve on-lot sewage approval with the township Sewage Enforcement Officer before contracting for covered septic construction; Pennsylvania requires the septic permit in advance.³⁴
3. Submit the township building application, construction drawings and applicable system applications in person, by mail or by fax.¹⁰
4. Obtain the required building permit before covered work begins, keep construction accessible, and notify the construction code official when inspection work is ready.⁶¹¹
5. Complete the final inspection and obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before moving into a covered home.¹¹¹²

What should you check before buying land in Spring Township?

Spring Township requires a driveway permit for a new driveway or enlargement; residential driveways need at least 2 feet from side and rear property lines, and the entrance may not exceed 20 feet at the street connection.⁷ Work on state highway land or connecting to a PennDOT drainage facility also requires the applicable state highway occupancy permit.¹⁶

Pennsylvania requires municipal floodplain development approval before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area.¹⁷ Commercial water-well drillers need state licensing and permits; we could not confirm Spring Township’s own well requirements, so ask township Codes before planning a private supply.⁸³ For land outside Spring Township, use the Berks County guide; municipal zoning ordinances are administered by the individual municipality.¹⁸

Watch-outs

• Spring Township does not accept building applications by email, even though the Codes office has an email contact.¹⁰³
• Pennsylvania’s lack of a general contractor license requirement does not waive building permits for covered owner-built homes in Spring Township.⁵⁶
• We could not confirm Spring Township’s residential RV or tiny-home permissions; ask the township Zoning Officer for an answer tied to the parcel and proposed use.³

Sources

1. Township Permits - Township of Spring (Spring Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Township Permits - Township of Spring (Spring Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Spring Township Code Enforcement Department (springtwpberks.org)
4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Township Permits - Township of Spring (Spring Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Spring Township Building Code Official — applications (springtwpberks.org)
11. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Spring Township Engineering & Planning (springtwpberks.org)
14. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Multi-Municipal Planning — Joint Zoning, quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 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.