Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Earl Township, Pennsylvania

Earl Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Earl township's limits (Lancaster County, PA). Earl Township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 27, Zoning) for that land.

  • The base Chapter 27 text is amended by a 2025 ordinance that adds the MDR district, revises definitions, accessory structure setbacks, fences and walls, echo housing, the retirement community subsection, agricultural subdivision rights, noncommercial keeping of livestock and outdoor storage of vehicles.
  • The captured 2025 amendment text does not state its adoption or effective date; verify before relying on the MDR and amended provisions.
  • Other rules in this record (lot size, accessory dwelling) rest on the amendment text as captured.

  “§ 27-301. types of zoning districts. [ord. 11/4/1996, § 300] for the purpose of this chapter, earl township is hereby divided into the following districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Earl township's limits

  • Lettered district list in § 27-301: a. AG agricultural; b. RR rural residential; c. MDR medium density residential (inserted by the 2025 amendment); d. R residential; e. C commercial; f. I industrial; g. FP floodplain.
  • Each district's regulations were not fully captured; see the district-specific dimensional claims and unknown claims.

  “a. ag — agricultural district. b. rr — rural residential district. c. mdr medium density residential district d. r — residential district. e. c- - commercial district. f. i- industrial district. g. fp - floodplain district.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Earl township

  • The township lists a SALDO application, SALDO residential and nonresidential land development agreements, a SALDO escrow W-9 form and a SALDO fee schedule.
  • The SALDO ordinance text itself was not opened; approval standards are not captured.

  “saldo application saldo residential land development agreement saldo nonresidential land development agreement saldo w-9 for escrow”

• Permit feesPublished

  Township permit, road occupancy and subdivision fees inside Earl township

  • The page links a 2026 Earl Township fee schedule, a road occupancy fee calculation sheet 2026, a 2026 subdivision & land development (SALDO) fee schedule, and a waste, water, SEO fee schedule 2026.
  • Fee amounts were not captured; the schedules themselves were not opened.

  “schedules 2026 earl township fee schedule road occupancy fee calculation sheet 2026 subdivision & land development (saldo) fee schedule waste, water, seo fee schedule 2026”

• Permit processPartial

  Township permit and application process inside Earl township

  • Application forms are posted: zoning/building permit application 2026, farm occupation, home occupation, occupancy, road occupancy, SALDO, stormwater, solicitation and zoning hearing board applications.
  • Applications are submitted in hard copy at the township office.
  • Review steps, timelines and inspection steps are not on the captured page, so the process is only partly published.

  “earl twp zoning/building permit application 2026 farm occupation permit application home occupation permit application occupancy permit application road occupancy permit application”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits inside Earl township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Earl township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Earl township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Earl township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the R (residential) district inside Earl township

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.