Bolthole Index

Fulton County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Valley-Hi, Pennsylvania

Inside the Borough of Valley-Hi in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, construction and building work covered by the statewide code requires a UCC building permit before work starts.1 County materials indicate that Valley-Hi does not have its own zoning ordinance, but the current building-code official, sewage enforcement authority and local fee schedule should be confirmed with the borough before plans are finalized.23

At a glance

Building permit
Required for construction and building work covered by Pennsylvania's UCC1
Building inspections
Required for permitted construction4
Zoning
County materials indicate no Valley-Hi zoning ordinance; confirm no later enactment23
Septic permit
Required for most new or replacement on-lot systems; confirm the local agency serving Valley-Hi5
RV or tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the borough about the parcel and proposed use2
Owner-builder
Most Pennsylvania construction contractors need no statewide license, but building approvals still apply61
State-highway driveway
A PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required for a new or changed connection7

Who to call

Also useful

Borough of Valley-Hi

Borough contact for confirming the current UCC administrator, sewage enforcement authority, local fees and land-use requirements

[email protected]

Box 174, Breezewood, PA 15533

Planning & zoning

Fulton County Planning & Mapping Department

County planning and mapping contact for addressing, maps and parcel-location questions

717-485-3717

[email protected]

116 West Market Street, Suite 203, McConnellsburg, PA 17233

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Valley-Hi means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Valley-Hi, Pennsylvania?

Yes. Construction and building work inside Valley-Hi that is covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a UCC building permit before work begins.1 Covered residential work includes constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a residential building and specified work on electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, subject to the code's listed exceptions.8

Permitted construction must remain accessible for inspections, including foundation, building-system, framing, masonry, wallboard and final inspections as applicable.9 A residential building cannot be occupied until a building code official issues a certificate of occupancy.10 Valley-Hi's official contact page does not identify the current code official or application destination, so email the borough before submitting plans.11

Who issues building permits in Valley-Hi?

Fulton County's official planning material says all municipalities in the county enforce the Uniform Construction Code, but the available Valley-Hi page does not name the borough's current building code official or certified third-party agency.12 Contact the Borough of Valley-Hi at [email protected] and ask where to file the UCC building-permit application, who schedules inspections and which local fee schedule applies.11

Do not assume the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is the application office merely because it publishes a state UCC application and fee schedule. The state's process depends on the political subdivision and requires applicants to identify both the municipality and county so jurisdiction can be verified.13 The borough's meeting address is on East Shore Drive, while its published mailing address is in Breezewood; use the borough email to confirm delivery instructions before mailing an application.11

Does Valley-Hi have zoning?

The best municipality-specific county document says Valley-Hi had no zoning ordinance or subdivision and land-development ordinance in place, although that statement dates from 2010.2 A later county planning document says McConnellsburg Borough is the only Fulton County municipality with a zoning code, which supports the same practical answer for Valley-Hi.3

A lack of a borough zoning ordinance does not erase the statewide construction code, septic requirements, floodplain constraints or highway-access approvals.1457 It also does not answer every parcel-level question: we could not confirm current Valley-Hi rules for minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum home size, accessory dwellings or manufactured-home siting. Ask the borough whether any ordinance enacted after the county materials changes the answer for the parcel or proposed use.11

How do septic permits work inside Valley-Hi?

Pennsylvania places on-lot sewage permitting and enforcement with local agencies, which may be an individual municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department, under state oversight.15 With limited exceptions, that local agency issues permits for retaining tanks and individual or community on-lot sewage systems.5 The official material available here does not identify the agency or Sewage Enforcement Officer currently serving Valley-Hi, so ask the borough for the correct contact before ordering a design or site work.11

Site feasibility deserves early attention because only about 3.9% of Fulton County's mapped soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.16 That countywide figure does not decide a particular Valley-Hi parcel, but it supports making sewage testing and design an early purchase contingency. We also could not confirm a Valley-Hi-specific public-sewer connection rule or septic inspection schedule; direct those questions to the local agency the borough identifies.11

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Valley-Hi?

We could not confirm a Valley-Hi ordinance that expressly allows or prohibits living in an RV on private land, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy. The county materials indicating no borough zoning ordinance do not by themselves establish that any residential use is legal.2 Ask the borough in writing about the parcel, duration, utility connections and proposed occupancy before placing or buying a unit.11

A tiny home used as a dwelling still has to fit the applicable construction category and obtain required UCC approval before covered work begins.1 Pennsylvania also requires a UCC certificate of occupancy before a building or facility is used.17 For manufactured housing, state construction rules can apply to site preparation, foundations, utility connections, relocation, repairs and changes of occupancy even where the factory-built unit itself follows a separate approved design.18

Building a home in Valley-Hi: what are the steps?

  1. Email the Borough of Valley-Hi and confirm the current building code official, application destination, local fee schedule and whether any newer land-use ordinance applies.11
  2. Ask the borough to identify the local sewage agency or Sewage Enforcement Officer, then resolve on-lot septic feasibility or public-sewer availability before final design.15
  3. If access connects to state-highway land or a PennDOT drainage facility, obtain the required highway occupancy permit.7
  4. Obtain the UCC building permit before covered construction begins, then arrange each required inspection with the code official.14
  5. Keep floodplain constraints in the design review; construction in a floodplain requires specified documentation sealed by a registered design professional.19
  6. Obtain the UCC certificate of occupancy before using the completed home.17

What should you check before buying land in Valley-Hi?

Start by asking the borough to confirm that no later zoning or subdivision ordinance changes the older county description of Valley-Hi's rules.2 Then identify the current UCC administrator and local sewage agency, because both the building-permit destination and sewage contact remain essential operational details.115

Check septic feasibility before treating a parcel as buildable because Fulton County's soil mapping rates only about 3.9% of soils without severe limitations for a conventional drain field.16 Confirm whether the driveway reaches a state highway, since a new or changed connection on state-highway land requires a PennDOT highway occupancy permit.7 For parcel mapping, addressing and county planning questions, contact Fulton County Planning & Mapping at 717-485-3717.20 Finally, ask the borough about floodplain status, water source, utility availability and any use-specific restriction that is not answered by the published materials.11

Watch-outs

  • Valley-Hi's current UCC administrator and local building-permit fee schedule could not be confirmed; get both from the borough before submitting plans.11
  • The no-zoning evidence includes an older municipality-specific plan, so ask the borough whether a later ordinance affects the parcel.211
  • The sewage enforcement authority serving Valley-Hi could not be confirmed; obtain the correct local-agency contact from the borough before relying on a septic design.1511

Sources

  1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  2. Fulton County Act 167 Plan - June 2010 (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  3. Planning FAQ, quoted and re-checked
  4. pa.gov (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  5. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  6. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. pa.gov (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Valley-Hi (co.fulton.pa.us)
  12. Fulton County Act 167 Plan - June 2010 (Borough of Valley-Hi), 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 (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  15. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  16. 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
  17. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  18. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Borough of Valley-Hi), quoted and re-checked
  20. Fulton County Planning & Mapping Department (co.fulton.pa.us)

Written October 9, 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 Valley-Hi

Borough of Valley-Hi’s own rules

  • Zoning districtsNot published

    Zoning districts and municipal zoning regulation inside Valley-Hi borough.

    • The official Fulton County plan states that Valley-Hi had no zoning ordinance in place; therefore no Valley-Hi zoning-district schedule or official zoning map was identified.
    • The source is dated 2010, so later municipal enactment would require verification from a newer Valley-Hi ordinance or official municipal record.
    “Throughout Fulton County, all municipalities enforce the Uniform Construction Code, and only McConnellsburg Borough and Thompson Township enforce zoning regulations.”
  • Subdividing landNot regulated

    Subdivision and land development inside Valley-Hi borough, based on the official Fulton County description of Valley-Hi's municipal regulations.

    • The source is a 2010 Fulton County Act 167 plan and states the municipal status at that time.
    • This claim does not establish that no state, environmental, sewage, highway, or other approval may apply to a particular project.
    “Because of the small population, large tracts of private ownership, and almost negligible development, Valley-Hi Borough does not have a Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance or Zoning Ordinance in place.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Valley-Hi

Borough of Valley-Hi 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 Valley-Hi borough subject to Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code; Fulton County's official hazard mitigation plan states that all 13 county municipalities opted in to the UCC, so enforcement is local within Valley-Hi unless a stated exception applies.

    • The UCC building permit must be obtained before beginning construction or building work.
    • The UCC requires inspections in several cases, including construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.
    • A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building or facility can be used.
    • Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may be made without a permit if an application is submitted to the building code official within three business days.
    • Fulton County's plan states that all 13 county municipalities opted in to the UCC; local enforcement may be performed by municipal or third-party code officials, subject to the stated certification exception for commercial accessibility work.
    • The state UCC page states that the 2018 I-Code regulations had an effective date of February 14, 2022, and that Pennsylvania's UCC triennial update had an effective date of January 1, 2026.
    “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Required — Construction and building work inside Valley-Hi borough under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code.
      “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work.”
    • Required — Construction or building work inside Valley-Hi borough subject to the Pennsylvania UCC.
      “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction and building work inside Valley-Hi borough under Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code.

    • Pennsylvania states that the UCC generally must be followed by builders statewide.
    • The revised regulations adopting the 2018 I-Code series became effective February 14, 2022; Pennsylvania also states that the 2025 triennial update became effective January 1, 2026.
    • Local enforcement responsibility may vary by municipal opt-in or opt-out status.

    UCC 2018 I-Code series effective date: 2022-02-14 · UCC 2025 triennial update effective date: 2026-01-01

    “Pennsylvania's statewide building code, generally known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), has to be followed by builders in the state.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Adopted (with conditions) — Construction inside Valley-Hi borough is governed by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code.
      “The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) regulates the codes and standards of building projects in the Commonwealth.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Valley-Hi borough.

    • Required inspections include foundation; plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems; frame and masonry; wallboard; and final inspection.
    • The permit holder must notify the construction code official and provide access.
    “A construction code official shall inspect all construction for which a permit was issued.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Required — Construction and changes to residential or commercial buildings and listed systems inside Valley-Hi borough.
      “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. Additionally, manufactured and industrialized housing projects require inspections for site preparation, foundation construction, repairs, and changes in occupancy.”
    • Required — Residential and commercial construction and specified systems inside Valley-Hi borough subject to the Pennsylvania UCC.
      “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.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Residential buildings inside Valley-Hi borough.

    • A residential building may be occupied only after the certificate is issued.
    • The certificate follows a final inspection report indicating UCC compliance.
    • A temporary certificate may be issued for a safely occupiable portion before all work is complete.

    issuance deadline: 5 business days (10 business days in a city of the first class)

    “A residential building may not be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy issued by a building code official.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    On-lot sewage systems serving land inside Valley-Hi borough.

    • DEP provides technical oversight and financial assistance.
    • Permitting and enforcement are administered by a local agency or joint local agency, which may include a county health department.
    • The specific Valley-Hi service-area agency was not identified in the official material opened.
    “The onlot sewage facility portion of the program is largely administered on the local government level by individual municipalities or groups of municipalities working together (including County Health Departments), which are known as local agencies and joint local agencies, respectively.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New or replacement on-lot sewage systems inside Valley-Hi borough.

    • The local agency is responsible for issuing permits for retaining tanks and individual or community on-lot systems.
    • Large-volume on-lot systems are an exception to the stated local-agency responsibility.
    “With certain exceptions (i.e. large volume on-lot systems), local agencies are responsible for issuing permits for retaining tanks or for individual and community on-lot sewage systems which renovate sewage effluent in a soil absorption area or spray field.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    A driveway, road, drainage facility, or utility facility connecting to or located on a state highway right-of-way inside Valley-Hi borough.

    • A PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit is required when building or changing a driveway, road, drainage, or utility facility on state highway land.
    • A permit is also required if the project connects to a PennDOT drainage facility.
    • Permits are usually given within 30 days when complete and compliant; PennDOT has 60 days to review each application.
    • Permit costs vary by the applicable regulations.
    “You need a permit when you're building or changing a driveway, road, drainage or utility facility on the state highway land. If it connects to a PennDOT drainage facility, you also need a permit.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Driveway access from property inside Valley-Hi borough to a Commonwealth highway.
      “A highway occupancy permit is required under section 420 of the State Highway Law (36 P. S. § 670-420) before driveway access to a Commonwealth highway is permitted.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction inside a floodplain in Valley-Hi borough.

    • When construction occurs in a floodplain, documentation required by Section 1612.5 of the 2018 International Building Code must be prepared and sealed by a registered design professional.
    “When construction will occur in a flood plain, documentation required in Section 1612.5 of the 2018 International Building Code shall be prepared and sealed by a registered design professional.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Valley-Hi or Fulton County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Valley-Hi borough.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term or residential RV occupancy inside Valley-Hi borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Valley-Hi borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Valley-Hi borough.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Valley-Hi borough.
9 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Valley-Hi publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Fulton County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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