Bolthole Index

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in East Donegal Township, Pennsylvania

East Donegal Township, Pennsylvania (Lancaster County) has its own zoning, and a zoning/construction permit is required for most projects, from decks and sheds to new buildings12. The Township Zoning Officer and Building Code Official review applications at the township office3. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency under state law, not from the zoning office4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for most projects, issued by the township2
Zoning
Yes, township zoning map with Agricultural, Conservation and residential districts15
Inspections
Required, with a certificate of occupancy before use67
Septic
Permit required; issued by a local sewage agency (which one is unconfirmed for the township)84
Driveway onto a state road
PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit for new or changed access9
Wells
Homeowners may drill their own wells on their own land without a driller's license10
Contractor license
No statewide license for most contractors; townships may add their own11

Who to call

Building permits

East Donegal Township Office (Zoning Officer and Building Code Official)

Zoning/construction permit applications, zoning questions and construction-code inspections inside East Donegal Township

(717) 426-3167

190 Rock Point Road, Marietta, PA 17547

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in East Donegal 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 East Donegal Township, PA?

Yes. East Donegal Township requires a zoning/construction permit for most projects and improvements, including new buildings, additions, certain interior alterations, and accessory structures such as sheds2. The township's permit page covers everything from patios and decks to new construction2.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code applies statewide, and the township, not Lancaster County, administers it12. Work may not begin until the permit is issued13. Fees are split into zoning, construction-code, state training and supplemental categories, and a $50 filing fee applies when the township's appointed third-party agency is involved14.

Who issues building permits in East Donegal Township, and how do you reach them?

The East Donegal Township office issues building permits. The Zoning Officer and Building Code Official review each application for completeness and compliance with zoning, construction code and stormwater management315. Applications are submitted to the township office with supporting plans and documentation, and incomplete applications may be returned without processing13.

The office is at 190 Rock Point Road, Marietta, PA 17547, phone (717) 426-316715. Lancaster County's planning commission supports municipalities but does not itself issue building, zoning or septic permits, so do not go to the county counter for a township permit16.

Does East Donegal Township have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

East Donegal Township has an official zoning map1. The map lists Agricultural, Airport Commercial, Conservation, General Commercial, Industrial, Planned Commercial, Low Density Residential, Suburban Residential, Urban Extension Residential, Village Center and Multi-Family Residential districts5. Your parcel's district decides what you can build.

The zoning part of a permit covers the use of the property, height, lot coverage and setbacks from property lines2. We could not confirm the district-by-district lot sizes, setbacks, minimum dwelling size, or rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings and manufactured homes. Ask the Township Zoning Officer at (717) 426-3167 for your parcel's district and its rules15.

How do septic permits work in East Donegal Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit before an on-lot sewage system is installed, and local agencies, which can be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department, issue those permits84. Lancaster County has no county health department, so on-lot permits in the county generally run through municipal Sewage Enforcement Officers17.

We could not confirm which agency handles septic permits inside East Donegal Township; the township's construction application asks for a septic permit number but does not name the issuer. Ask the township office first. A permit exemption exists for certain owner-occupied structures on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, but a local agency may require a permit by ordinance anyway8. USDA rates about 45% of Lancaster County soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many sites will still need a site evaluation18.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in East Donegal Township?

We could not confirm the answer. East Donegal Township has zoning, but we did not find its use table, and no township provision specifically on RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny homes was located1. Pennsylvania's rules on RV living cover state park campgrounds, which do not answer the question for private land19.

Any structure you occupy needs a certificate of occupancy once the township's construction permit is issued and inspections are finished7. Ask the Zoning Officer at the township office before you park an RV or place a tiny home15.

Building a home in East Donegal Township: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the township Zoning Officer which district your parcel is in and what it allows15.
  2. If the dwelling is not on a separate lot of record, or the project is nonresidential, expect to show proof of a recorded subdivision or land-development plan before a construction permit20.
  3. Get septic site approval from the local sewage agency; confirm the agency with the township office4.
  4. If the driveway meets a state highway, get a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit for the new or changed access9.
  5. Submit the zoning/construction permit application with plans and a plot plan to the township office13.
  6. Build only after the permit is issued, and call for the inspections listed in your permit paperwork6.
  7. Get the final inspection and certificate of occupancy before moving in7.

What stays with Lancaster County and the state, and what to check before you buy

For land outside East Donegal Township, see the Lancaster County page. Within the township, the state sets the Uniform Construction Code, the septic law and highway occupancy permits2122. Homeowners may drill their own wells on their own land without a driller's license, and Pennsylvania has no construction standards for private water wells10. We could not confirm a township well rule, so ask the township office.

Qualifying agricultural buildings without habitable space are excluded from the Construction Code Act, though local zoning may still apply23. Lancaster County's effective property tax rate is about 1.4%, with a median bill of $3,941 a year2425. Farmland there averages about $21,633 an acre26.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits inside East Donegal Township, or the township's lot size, setback and RV rules; call the township office at (717) 426-3167 before you buy15.
  • A recreational cabin can qualify for exclusion from the Uniform Construction Code only with the required detectors and a filing with the municipality, and the township has not confirmed an owner-builder exemption for homes27.
  • Occupying a structure before the certificate of occupancy is issued is a Construction Code violation subject to penalties7.

Sources

  1. East Donegal Township Zoning Map (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. East Donegal Township Zoning/Construction Permits (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. East Donegal Township Zoning/Construction Permits (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  5. East Donegal Township Zoning Map (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. East Donegal Township Zoning/Construction Permits (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. East Donegal Township Construction Code Permit Application (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, quoted and re-checked
  9. East Donegal Township Construction Code Permit Application (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. West Hempfield Township (Lancaster County) - Permits (2026 county census)
  13. East Donegal Township Zoning/Construction Permits (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. East Donegal Township Zoning/Construction Permits (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. East Donegal Township Office (Zoning Officer and Building Code Official) (eastdonegaltwp.com)
  16. Lancaster County Planning Department (2026 county census)
  17. PA DEP - Act 537 Onlot Disposal System (2026 county census)
  18. 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
  19. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. East Donegal Township Construction Code Permit Application (East Donegal Township), quoted and re-checked
  21. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
  27. Advisories — Advisory on Recreational Cabin Exclusion (2026 county census)

Written October 24, 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 East Donegal Township

East Donegal Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Most property projects and improvements inside East Donegal Township, including new buildings, additions, certain alterations, and accessory structures.

    • The page describes permits as required for 'most all' projects and improvements.
    • An applicant must submit pertinent plans and documentation; incomplete applications may be returned without further processing.
    • Work may proceed only after Township compliance is verified and the permit is issued.
    “Permits are required for most all projects”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction projects requiring an East Donegal Township zoning/construction permit.

    • The Township Zoning Officer and Building Code Official review applications for completeness and compliance before issuance.
    “The Zoning Officer and Building Code Official will review the application for completeness and compliance with Township ordinances including, Zoning, Construction Code, and Stormwater Management.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction performed under an East Donegal Township permit.

    • Required inspections, timing, and the responsible Township or third-party agency are supplied with issued permit paperwork.
    • A final inspection is required before the covered structure may be occupied.
    “Once a permit has been issued, various inspections will be conducted to verify compliance with Township ordinances and any approved plans. A listing of the required inspections, when they are to be called for, and what agency (Township or their third party agency) is to be contacted is provided along with the permit paperwork when issued.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    A structure authorized by an East Donegal Township Construction Code Permit.

    • The Township requires final inspection by the construction code official before occupancy.
    • Occupancy before issuance is a Construction Code violation subject to penalties and remedies.
    “certificate of occupancy before the structure [...] may be occupied”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside East Donegal Township.

    • The official zoning map identifies district boundaries and was amended through Ordinance 2002-5, October 10, 2002.
    “OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF EAST DONEGAL TOWNSHIP”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside East Donegal Township shown on the official zoning map.

    • The map lists Agricultural, Airport Commercial, Conservation, General Commercial, Industrial, Planned Commercial, Low Density Residential, Suburban Residential, Urban Extension Residential, Village Center, and Multi-Family Residential districts.
    “AGRICULTURAL (A) AIRPORT COMMERCIAL DISTRICT (AC) CONSERVATION (C)”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Construction using public sewer service inside East Donegal Township.

    • A permit to connect to or expand public sewer use may be required if public water supply will be used or construction expands that use.
    • The Township source does not establish a universal water or sewer connection-distance requirement.
    “Permit to connect to and/or expand the use of public sewer system if public water supply will be used or proposed construction will result in an expansion of such use.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Nonresidential construction and construction of a dwelling not on a separate lot of record inside East Donegal Township.

    • Proof of recording of a subdivision and/or land-development plan is listed as a required approval before a Uniform Construction Code permit in the specified circumstances.
    “subdivision and/or land development plan”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    A new or changed access to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation highway from property inside East Donegal Township.

    • The condition applies only where the property fronts on a highway under Pennsylvania Department of Transportation jurisdiction.
    • It applies where a new access or changed access is required.
    “Highway Occupancy Permit if property fronts on a highway under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and a new access or changed access is required.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning/construction permits issued by East Donegal Township.

    • Fees include zoning, construction-code, Pennsylvania State Training, and supplemental categories.
    • When the Township-appointed third-party agency is involved, a $50 filing fee applies at application; its review and inspection fees are assessed at permit issuance with Township fees.

    third-party-agency filing fee: 50 USD (When services of the Township's appointed third-party agency are involved.)

    “Further, there are instances when the services of the Townships appointed third party agency will get involved and that requires an additional $50.00 filing fee at the time of application. The third party agency will have established fees for reviewing the application and any required field inspections.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning/construction permits inside East Donegal Township.

    • Applicant submits the application, supporting plans, and documentation to the Township Office.
    • Incomplete applications may be returned without further processing.
    • The permit issues after verification of compliance with Township ordinances; work cannot proceed first.
    “Complete a Zoning/Construction Permit Application”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed residential construction inside East Donegal Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in East Donegal Township zoning districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Single-family dwellings in East Donegal Township zoning districts.
  • Setbacks — Development in East Donegal Township zoning districts.
  • Lot coverage — Development in East Donegal Township zoning districts.
14 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • 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
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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

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