Bolthole Index

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Hampden Township, Pennsylvania

Hampden Township, Pennsylvania requires building permits for UCC-covered construction, and its Community Development Department reviews building and zoning applications.12 Hampden Township has its own zoning districts in Cumberland County; the township map is unofficial, so confirm the parcel’s district with township records.3 Septic applications also go to Community Development for review, while Pennsylvania law sets the on-lot sewage permit requirements.45

At a glance

Building permits
Required for UCC-covered residential construction; limited work has exemptions.6
Zoning
Township districts apply; confirm exact boundaries against township records.3
Septic applications
Community Development reviews septic permit applications; state law requires local-agency approval, subject to specific exceptions.45
R-C lot size
Single-family detached homes need 30,000 square feet with public sewer or 40,000 square feet without it.7
Owner building
Pennsylvania has no statewide license requirement for most contractors; ask Hampden about local contractor licensing.84
Move-in approval
A UCC certificate of occupancy is required before a covered building can be used.9

Who to call

Building permits

Hampden Township Community Development Department

Building and zoning application review, construction-document submissions and certificate-of-occupancy guidance.

(717)761-0119

209 S. Sporting Hill Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Septic permits

Hampden Township Community Development — Septic and Other Applications

Review of septic, driveway, sewer-connection and related applications; starting contact to identify the serving Sewage Enforcement Officer.

717-761-0119

209 S. Sporting Hill Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Hampden 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 Hampden Township, PA?

A new UCC-covered home in Hampden Township needs a building permit before construction starts, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work can also require a building permit.6 Pennsylvania’s residential rules exempt specified limited work and ordinary repairs only when the work does not violate another law or ordinance.6

Hampden’s building application page describes residential construction costing more than $500 and lists exceptions for specified nonstructural roof, window, siding and replacement remodeling work.2 Ask Community Development to classify the proposed work before treating a repair as exempt; Hampden separately reviews zoning applications for sheds, fences, accessory buildings and changes in building footprints or impervious coverage.2

Who handles building and zoning applications in Hampden Township?

Hampden Township’s Community Development Department reviews building and zoning applications, and building application forms are available at the department office or by mail or fax.2 Call (717)761-0119 or visit 209 S. Sporting Hill Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17050; the department lists weekday hours of 8:00am to 4:30pm.2

Hampden requires 2 sets of construction documents with a building permit application and lists processing within 15 business days for most standard residential applications and within 30 business days for most non-residential applications.2 For septic, driveway or sewer-connection applications, start with the same department’s separate application list rather than assuming the building application covers those approvals.4

Does Hampden Township have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Hampden Township publishes its own zoning districts, but the zoning map expressly warns that it is unofficial and that exact boundaries must be checked against ordinances and township records.3 Ask Community Development to confirm the parcel’s district and the proposed use before commissioning a house layout.23

In Hampden’s R-C Residential-Country district, a single-family detached dwelling needs at least 30,000 square feet with public sewer or 40,000 square feet without public sewer.7 Both R-C cases specify lot widths of 100 feet at the street line and 150 feet at the building line.7 Those are R-C requirements, not a township-wide lot standard.7 We could not confirm a complete setback schedule or minimum dwelling floor area here; ask Community Development for the district’s dimensional requirements.2

How do septic permits work inside Hampden Township?

Hampden Township’s Community Development Department lists septic permit applications among the applications it reviews.4 Pennsylvania requires a local-agency permit before installing, contracting for construction, constructing, occupying or using a building served by an individual or community on-lot sewage system, subject to specific exceptions.5 Ask Community Development to identify the serving Sewage Enforcement Officer and explain the parcel’s testing and application requirements.4

Pennsylvania’s acreage exemption is conditional: a tract of at least 10 acres alone is insufficient because owner-of-record, family-residence, local-ordinance, notification and siting conditions also apply.5 A new residence using a composting or incinerating toilet still needs approved treatment for washwater or excess liquid, generally under the same permit.10

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

We could not confirm a Hampden Township rule allowing residential RV occupancy, a tiny home, or an accessory dwelling on an ordinary private lot; ask Community Development about the proposed dwelling type and parcel’s zoning district before buying.23 A UCC-covered residential building cannot be used or occupied until a building code official issues a certificate of occupancy.11

Hampden’s verified mobile-home-park utility provision applies to parks: a park must use municipal sanitary sewer when available, and the provision specifies a central potable-water system supplied by wells when sewer is unavailable.12 That park-specific provision does not establish permission to occupy a standalone RV or tiny home on another lot.12

What are the steps to building a home in Hampden Township?

Start by asking Community Development to confirm the zoning district against township records and review the proposed home’s use and footprint.32 Next, resolve sewage disposal with the department’s septic or sewer-connection application process; an on-lot system needs the local-agency permit unless a specific state exception applies.45

Prepare the site plan showing building location, service and parking areas, and highway access; a driveway meeting a state road needs Township Zoning Officer review before PennDOT submission.13 Submit the building application and construction documents to Community Development before covered work starts.26 Arrange required construction inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy after a successful final inspection before moving into the covered home.1492

What should you check before buying land in Hampden Township?

Check floodplain status and access alongside zoning: construction in a floodplain requires floodplain documentation, and Hampden requires township review of access roads intersecting a state highway before PennDOT submission.1513 Community Development also lists excavation and fill applications and a flood elevation certificate form.4

We could not confirm Hampden-specific private-well approval requirements; ask Community Development about local requirements before arranging drilling.2 Pennsylvania licenses commercial well drillers and requires rig permits, while the statewide licensing exception for homeowners drilling their own wells does not answer that local question.16

For land outside Hampden Township, consult the Cumberland County guide; zoning authority resides with the relevant municipality, rather than a single county zoning office.17

Watch-outs

  • Hampden’s unofficial zoning map is a starting point; confirm exact district boundaries against township records before relying on a parcel’s classification.3
  • Hampden tells owners not to rely on contractors to schedule the final inspection or obtain the required certificate of occupancy.2
  • Pennsylvania’s lack of statewide licensing for most contractors does not waive building permits; ask Hampden about its listed local contractor license application.864

Sources

  1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Hampden Township Community Development Department (hampdentownship.us)
  3. Hampden Township Zoning Map (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Hampden Township Community Development — Septic and Other Applications (hampdentownship.us)
  5. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 27 Zoning, R-C Residential-Country, Sec. 605 Lot area and width (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 27 Zoning, Sec. 1906 Mobile home parks (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 27 Zoning, Sec. 1704 Site plan; highway access (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Hampden Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Section 602 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Hampden Township

Hampden Township’s own rules

  • Zoning districtsPublished

    The official Hampden Township zoning map and district classifications.

    • The map states that it is for unofficial use only.
    • Exact boundaries should be checked against the respective ordinances and Township records.
    • The map was revised February 14, 2023.
    “ORDINANCE NO. 84-2 ADOPTED BY THE HAMPDEN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MARCH 29, 1984”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in the R-C Residential-Country district.

    • With public sewer: 30,000 square feet; 100 feet at the street line and 150 feet at the building line.
    • Without public sewer: 40,000 square feet; 100 feet at the street line and 150 feet at the building line.

    minimum lot area with public sewer: >= 30000 square feet · minimum lot area without public sewer: >= 40000 square feet

    “B. Lot area and width with no public sewer”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Each mobile home lot in a conditional mobile home park in the R-T district.

    • All buildings, including accessory buildings, may not cover more than 30 percent of the lot area.
    • At least 50 percent of the lot area must be maintained with vegetative material.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent · minimum vegetative area: >= 50 percent

    “All buildings, including accessory buildings, shall not cover more than 30 percent of the lot area. At least 50 percent of the area of the lot shall be maintained with a vegetative material.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in a conditional mobile home park in the R-T district.

    • The limit applies to buildings in the mobile home park site-design standards.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “No building shall be erected to a height in excess of 35 feet”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Mobile home parks inside Hampden Township.

    • The mobile home park must be served by the municipal sanitary sewerage system if available.
    • If sewer is unavailable, the park must have a well or wells supplying a central potable-water distribution system meeting Commonwealth standards.
    “served by the municipal sanitary sewerage system”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Applications for uses and driveways/access roads inside Hampden Township.

    • Every permit application for any use must include a site plan showing building location, service and parking areas, and highway access.
    • Where a driveway or access road intersects a State road or highway, Township Zoning Officer review and approval is required before PennDOT submission.
    “Where a driveway or access road intersects with a State road or highway”

Rules another office applies inside Hampden Township

Hampden Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction and building work inside Hampden Township.

    • Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may proceed without a permit if an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.
    “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work. Inspections are also necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and the installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Hampden Township is subject to Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, administered locally or through authorized code-enforcement arrangements.

    • The state page states that municipalities generally administer and enforce the UCC locally; opt-out municipalities have different enforcement arrangements.
    • The 2025 triennial update has an effective date of January 1, 2026.
    “Pennsylvania's statewide building code, generally known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC)”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction and changes to residential or commercial buildings and specified building systems inside Hampden Township.

    • The state page identifies inspections as necessary in several cases, including construction or changes to buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, pools and hot tubs.
    • Manufactured and industrialized housing projects require specified inspections.
    “Inspections are also necessary in several cases”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Use of a building or facility inside Hampden Township.

    • The state page states that emergency repairs or equipment replacements may be made without a permit if an application is submitted within three business days; this exception does not remove the stated occupancy requirement for ordinary building use.
    “A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building or facility can be used. However, emergency repairs or equipment replacements can be made without a permit as long as an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction in a floodplain inside Hampden Township.

    • The Pennsylvania UCC permit application page requires floodplain documentation where construction will occur in a flood plain.
    • Hampden Township separately defines development to include construction, manufactured-home placement, utilities, grading, excavation, and subdivision in its floodplain provisions.
    “When construction will occur in a flood plain”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hampden Township or Cumberland County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Hampden Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Hampden Township.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy on private land inside Hampden Township.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Hampden Township.
  • Who permits septic — On-lot sewage regulation inside Hampden Township.
8 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Hampden Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cumberland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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