Upper Tulpehocken Twp, PA Zoning, Building Permits & Septic

Upper Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania requires a building permit under the Uniform Construction Code for any construction¹. The township also requires a zoning permit², and a sewage permit must be issued before a permit for new residential construction³. Applications go to the township office, not to Berks County⁴.

At a glance

Building permit: Required for any construction under the Uniform Construction Code; apply at the township office¹⁴
Zoning: The township has its own zoning; a zoning permit is needed for any construction or in-home business²
Septic: Township sewage enforcement officer issues permits; required before new residential construction⁵³
Driveway: Township driveway permit for new or resurfaced driveways; PennDOT permit if entering Route 183 or Old Route 22⁶
Inspections: Several inspections required during construction; no real estate transfer inspections⁷
Owner-builder: Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor licence for most construction work⁸

Who to call

Building permits

Upper Tulpehocken Township office (zoning officer and code official: Kraft Municipal Group)

Zoning permits, Uniform Construction Code building permits and driveway permits for Upper Tulpehocken Township

610-488-7170

6501 Old Route 22, Bernville, PA 19506

Septic permits

Upper Tulpehocken Township Sewage Enforcement Officer

On-lot sewage permits, perc and probe testing coordination

717-813-6492

6501 Old Route 22, Bernville, PA 19506

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Upper Tulpehocken Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Upper Tulpehocken Township, PA?

Yes. Upper Tulpehocken Township follows Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, and the township's own page states that a building permit is needed for any construction activities¹⁹. The permit list on the township page includes new residential construction, agricultural buildings, sheds, decks, additions, garages, pole buildings and roof or electric service work⁹.

Several inspections are required during the building process⁷. Pennsylvania also requires a certificate of occupancy before a residential building may be used or occupied¹⁰. The township's own rule on occupancy was not confirmed; ask the township office.

Pennsylvania sets no statewide contractor licence for most construction work, which matters for owner-builders⁸. We could not confirm a township-specific owner-builder rule, so ask the township office before you start.

Who issues building and zoning permits in Upper Tulpehocken Township?

The township, not Berks County, handles both. Complete applications and the fee are submitted directly to the township office, and fees are due when the application is submitted⁴. Kraft Municipal Group is the listed zoning officer and code official¹¹.

The Berks County Planning Commission does not administer municipal zoning: Berks County's own page says zoning ordinances are regulated and administered by each individual municipality¹². For parcel questions, call the township office listed below.

A fee schedule is published on the township documents page, along with zoning hearing board and conditional use applications¹³.

Does Upper Tulpehocken Township have zoning?

Yes. The township requires a zoning permit whenever any type of construction is planned, or for an in-home business². The township publishes a zoning map and a separate Strausstown village zoning map on its documents page¹⁴.

Berks County itself does not run countywide zoning, so the township's ordinance is the one that applies to a parcel here¹⁵. We could not confirm district-level answers on RVs, tiny homes, minimum lot size or setbacks. Ask the township zoning officer which district your parcel is in, and read the district standards before you buy.

Subdivision is also regulated locally: minor, preliminary and final subdivision applications are listed on the township's documents page¹⁶.

How do septic permits work in Upper Tulpehocken Township?

Septic permits are issued by a sewage enforcement officer employed by or contracted to the township⁵. The officer coordinates perc and probe testing, and after approved testing an independent septic design must be submitted before a sewage permit can be issued¹⁷.

A sewage permit must be in hand before the permit for residential new construction can be issued³. Order matters: do the soil testing and septic design first, then apply for the building permit.

On soil, about 21.8% of Berks County's soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field¹⁸. That is a strict rating, so expect most lots to need a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. The township's septic rule applies to lots 10 acres or larger, including those otherwise exempt under the state Act³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Upper Tulpehocken Township?

We could not confirm the township's rules on living in an RV, camping, tiny homes or manufactured homes. The township zoning ordinance governs those questions, and its text was not available to us. Pennsylvania's statewide RV rules cover state park campgrounds only and do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land¹⁹.

Because a zoning permit is needed for any construction², ask the township zoning officer in writing before you place an RV, tiny home or manufactured home on a parcel. A manufactured home that is resold or relocated is also covered by the Uniform Construction Code²⁰.

Building a home in Upper Tulpehocken Township: the steps, in order

Ask the township zoning officer which district the parcel is in and what it allows².
Arrange perc and probe testing through the township sewage enforcement officer, then submit the independent septic design¹⁷.
Get the sewage permit, which comes before the permit for new residential construction³.
Apply for the zoning permit and the Uniform Construction Code building permit at the township office, with fees⁴.
Get a driveway permit from the township; a PennDOT permit is also needed if the driveway enters Route 183 or Old Route 22⁶.
Pass the required inspections during construction⁷.
Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in¹⁰.

What stays with Berks County and the state?

Berks County does not issue building or zoning permits inside the township¹². Subdivision and land-development plans may also be reviewed by the Berks County Planning Commission, with fees submitted through the township²¹. For land outside the township, see the Berks County page.

Pennsylvania does not regulate private homeowner wells, and homeowners who drill their own well on their own land do not need a driller licence²². Before you buy, also check floodplain status: municipalities must issue a floodplain development permit before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area²³. Berks County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%²⁴.

Watch-outs

A building permit, a zoning permit and a driveway permit are three separate approvals here, and a sewage permit must come before the permit for new residential construction¹.
Driveways that enter Route 183 or Old Route 22 need a state permit from PennDOT in addition to the township driveway permit⁶.
We could not confirm township rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size, setbacks, wells, floodplain or short-term rentals; call the township office at 610-488-7170 before you buy⁹.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Upper Tulpehocken Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Berks County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Tulpehocken Township, Pennsylvania