Bolthole Index

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

Camp Hill borough, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania adopts and administers its own zoning, with residential districts in its Chapter 2001. Building permits are required under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code2, and the borough's codes office is the place to start3. On-lot septic permits come from a local Sewage Enforcement Officer, not the county4.

At a glance

Zoning
Borough zoning code (Chapter 200) with LDR, P and MDR residential districts1
Building permit
Required under the statewide Uniform Construction Code2
Septic
Local Sewage Enforcement Officer under Act 5374
Minimum lot (LDR)
6,000 sq ft net lot area per dwelling unit5
Height (LDR)
35 feet or 3 stories, whichever is more restrictive6
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for owners working on their own primary residence7

Who to call

Building permits

Camp Hill Borough Codes Enforcement & Zoning

Zoning, building permits and code enforcement inside the borough

(717)737-3456

2145 Walnut St. Camp Hill, PA 17011

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 Borough of Camp Hill means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Camp Hill, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Camp Hill borough has its own zoning: the borough codifies Chapter 200 Zoning with residential districts1. The residential districts are Low Density Residential (LDR), Park (P) and Medium Density Residential (MDR)8.

In the LDR district, a single-family detached dwelling needs at least 6,000 square feet of net lot area per dwelling unit5. In MDR, the minimum is 5,000 square feet per dwelling unit9. LDR setbacks for a single-family home are 25 feet front, 7 feet on each side and 30 feet rear, with reduced setbacks for some older lots10. Impervious coverage in LDR is capped at 50 percent11, and height at 35 feet or 3 stories, whichever is more restrictive6. Dwellings in LDR need a principal building at least 18 feet wide and long, which matters for tiny homes12.

Do you need a building permit in Camp Hill, and who issues it?

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before starting construction or building work13, and the UCC is typically administered by the municipality or a certified third-party agency14. The Camp Hill borough website lists a Codes Enforcement & Zoning office whose staff role is zoning officer and building code official3.

We could not confirm the borough's permit fees or which code chapters apply; ask the borough office. Inspections are required for work under a permit, and a certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building is used15.

How do septic permits work in Camp Hill?

Pennsylvania requires a permit for an onlot sewage system, and local agencies approve or deny it through a Sewage Enforcement Officer before installation16. Cumberland County's septic permits are issued by each municipality's certified SEO, not by the county4.

We could not confirm whether a Camp Hill lot is on public sewer or which agency covers a particular address; the borough maintains a sewer chapter in its code. Ask the borough office at (717)737-34563.

What stays with Cumberland County and the state?

Cumberland County does not set zoning for Camp Hill: zoning regulations are established and administered by the municipalities17. The county planning department reviews subdivision and land-development plans for consistency with municipal planning documents18; see the Cumberland County page for land outside the borough.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit19.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Camp Hill's rules on RVs, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes or short-term rentals; ask the borough codes office3.
  • Zoning numbers above are for the LDR and MDR residential districts only; check the zoning map for the parcel's actual district8.

Sources

  1. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  2. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Camp Hill Borough Codes Enforcement & Zoning (camphillborough.com)
  4. Cumberland County - Act 537 Overview of the Sewage Facilities Program (2026 county census)
  5. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article III: Residential Zoning Districts - Borough of Camp Hill, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Camp Hill), quoted and re-checked
  13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  16. ACT 537 - AN OVERVIEW OF THE SEWAGE FACILITIES PROGRAM, quoted and re-checked
  17. Municipal Information, quoted and re-checked
  18. Subdivision & Land Development | Cumberland County, PA, quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Camp Hill

Borough of Camp Hill’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Camp Hill borough; the borough codifies its own Chapter 200 Zoning with residential districts

    • Residential districts are Low Density Residential (LDR), Park (P) and Medium Density Residential (MDR)
    “the following tables specify area and design requirements for all development activities and uses within the respective residential zoning districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Residential zoning districts inside Camp Hill borough (LDR, P, MDR)

    • Only Article III residential districts were reviewed; other districts (commercial etc.) not opened
    “table 3-1 residential zoning districts residential zoning district names zoning district purposes low density residential zoning district (ldr)”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwellings in the LDR district inside Camp Hill borough

    • Dimension requirement only (minimum principal building width and length); no minimum floor area found

    minimum principal building width and length: >= 18 ft (not including unenclosed structures)

    “each dwelling shall have a minimum principal building width and length of 18 feet, not including unenclosed structures.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached dwelling in the Low Density Residential (LDR) district inside Camp Hill borough

    • Interior lot width 60 feet at front setback line; corner lot 75 feet
    • Other uses 30,000 square feet

    net lot area minimum per dwelling unit: >= 6000 sq ft

    “net lot area - minimum 6,000 square feet per du 30,000 square feet included as part of total minimum lot area for principal use.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family detached dwelling in the LDR district inside Camp Hill borough

    • Reduced side/rear setbacks for pre-August 2, 1943 lots (notes e, f)
    • Unenclosed front porch may intrude up to 10 feet (note i)

    front setback: >= 25 ft (porch intrusion up to 10 ft) · side setback each side: >= 7 ft (15 ft from street right-of-way line) · rear setback: >= 30 ft (note f for pre-1943 lots)

    “rear setback - minimum, see note a 30 feet, see note f 30 feet, see note f see note a”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family detached dwelling in the LDR district inside Camp Hill borough

    • Building footprint max 30%; vegetative coverage min 25%
    • Special exception may raise impervious coverage up to 95% with stormwater and landscaping proof (note j)

    maximum impervious lot coverage: <= 50 percent (special exception up to 95%)

    “impervious lot coverage - maximum 50% 50% included as part of total maximum impervious lot coverage for the principal use.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-family detached dwelling in the LDR district inside Camp Hill borough

    • Accessory structures for residential uses limited to 25 feet or 2 stories

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft or 3 stories, whichever more restrictive

    “building height/structure height - maximum 35 feet or 3 stories, whichever is more restrictive”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Camp Hill borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Camp Hill borough
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Camp Hill borough
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Camp Hill borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Camp Hill borough
18 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Camp Hill publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cumberland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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