Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Washington Township, Berks County, PA

At a glance

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance applies (Chapter 131)¹

Building permit

Required under the Uniform Construction Code; the township adopted a construction code chapter³⁴

Zoning districts

R2 – Suburban Residential confirmed; full district list not confirmed⁶

Subdivision

Regulated by the township's subdivision and land development chapter⁷

Septic

Permit from a local sewage agency; which agency serves the township is unconfirmed⁵

Driveway on a state road

PennDOT highway occupancy permit⁸

Owner-builder

No statewide contractor license for most construction work⁹

Who to call

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

Does Washington Township, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

Washington Township has its own zoning ordinance, published as Chapter 131 of the township code, and the township zoning hearing board hears variances under it¹. Berks County does not administer municipal zoning; each municipality regulates and administers its own ordinance².

One district is confirmed on the township's own notices: R2 – Suburban Residential, where a March 2026 hearing notice cites the district's section of the ordinance⁶. In that district the notice states a maximum impervious surface coverage of 20 percent, which means driveways, roofs and patios count against a hard cap¹⁰.

We could not confirm the full district list, minimum lot sizes, setbacks, or whether RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are allowed. Ask the township office, and request the zoning map posted on the township website, before you commit to a parcel¹¹.

Do you need a building permit in Washington Township, and who issues it?

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before you construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or change the occupancy of a residential building⁴. Washington Township has adopted construction code provisions in Chapter 45 of its township code³.

The township's website lists building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and driveway permit applications¹². We did not read the township's code text, so we could not confirm who the building code official is or whether a third-party agency handles inspections; the township office can tell you³.

Berks County does not issue these permits; the county's Planning Commission handles subdivision and land-development reviews that arrive through the municipality¹³.

How do septic permits work in Washington Township?

Septic permits in Pennsylvania come from a local agency, which may be a municipality, a group of municipalities, a county or a joint county health department⁵. A permit is required before installing or using a building served by an onlot system¹⁴.

We could not confirm which agency or sewage enforcement officer serves Washington Township. The township office is the right first call¹¹. State rules also exempt some systems serving an owner's or immediate family's residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, under specific conditions, so check the exemption terms before relying on it¹⁴.

USDA rates about 21.8 percent of soils in Berks County as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system¹⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Washington Township?

We could not confirm what Washington Township's zoning ordinance says about living in an RV, a tiny home or a manufactured home on a lot. Pennsylvania's state park camping rules do not answer that question; they apply only to state park campgrounds¹⁶.

A manufactured home still brings state construction-code requirements for utility connections, grading and later alterations, though the state rule does not decide local zoning or septic approval¹⁷. Ask the township zoning officer in writing before buying¹¹.

Building a home in Washington Township: the steps, in order

1. Call the township office and confirm your parcel's zoning district and what the zoning ordinance allows there¹¹¹.
2. Confirm who issues septic permits for your address and schedule a site evaluation⁵.
3. If you are dividing land, expect township subdivision and land development review⁷.
4. Apply for the building permit and trade permits the township lists¹²⁴.
5. If the driveway meets a state highway, obtain a PennDOT highway occupancy permit⁸.
6. Keep work accessible for inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in¹⁸.

What stays with Berks County, and what to check before you buy

Berks County does not zone land inside the township; parcel-specific zoning questions go to the township². For rules on land outside Washington Township, see the Berks County page.

Before buying, check flood hazard status, since the township must issue a floodplain development permit for work in a Special Flood Hazard Area¹⁹. Berks County's effective property tax rate is 1.8 percent²⁰. Private wells are not regulated by the state for homeowners who drill their own²¹.

Watch-outs

• Pennsylvania has many townships named Washington; confirm you are dealing with Washington Township in Berks County, whose office is in Barto¹¹.
• We could not confirm minimum lot sizes, setbacks or occupancy rules for RVs and tiny homes; ask the township zoning officer before you buy⁶.
• The township's impervious surface cap in R2 is 20 percent, so large driveways or outbuildings may need a variance from the zoning hearing board¹⁰.

Sources

1. Township of Washington, PA Code (eCode360) table of contents (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Multi-Municipal Planning — Joint Zoning, quoted and re-checked
3. Township of Washington, PA Code (eCode360) table of contents (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
4. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Washington Township Zoning Hearing Board public notice (March 2026) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Township of Washington, PA Code (eCode360) table of contents (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Washington Township Zoning Hearing Board public notice (March 2026) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
11. Washington Township municipal office (Barto) (washtwpberks.org)
12. Washington Township building permit forms (washtwpberks.org)
13. Fee Schedule for Reviews, quoted and re-checked
14. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
16. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
21. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.