Bolthole Index

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

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

East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance and building code, so new homes, additions, sheds and fences start with a permit application to the township's Zoning Officer12. Lancaster County does not run building permits for the township3. Septic permits are required statewide, but we could not confirm which office issues them inside the township, so ask the township office first4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, township zoning ordinance adopted 20175
Building permit
Required; applied for through the township Zoning Officer16
Inspections
Third-party inspector for required inspections7
Agricultural buildings
Exempt from building permits8
Septic
Permit required statewide; issuing office unconfirmed in the township4

Who to call

Building permits

East Earl Township Zoning Officer

Zoning and building permit applications for East Earl Township; the Zoning Officer decides whether a zoning permit, a building permit or both are needed

717-354-5593

4610 Division Highway East Earl, PA 17519

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 Earl Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does East Earl Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. East Earl Township's Board of Supervisors adopted its zoning chapter in 20175. Zoning here is a township matter, not a Lancaster County one, because zoning across the county is administered by each municipality9. Terre Hill Borough manages zoning inside its own limits, so the township's zoning map covers only the land the township regulates2.

Rules depend on the district. In the Agricultural (AG) District, a single-family home needs a side yard of 20 feet10. Impervious coverage for all uses in AG may not exceed 25%11. A principal residential building in AG may not exceed 35 feet in height, while agricultural structures have no height limit12.

We could not confirm the township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, temporary camping or a minimum dwelling size, so ask the Zoning Officer before you plan any of them.

Do you need a building permit in East Earl Township, and who issues it?

Yes. East Earl Township has both a zoning ordinance and a building code1. The township's own page lists new dwellings, additions, alterations, porches, decks, pools, sheds, signs and fences as needing a permit; maintenance and repairs do not2. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code is the statewide base for residential building permits13.

Applications go to the township's Zoning Officer, who decides whether you need a zoning permit, a building permit or both6. A third-party inspector handles any required inspections7. Agricultural buildings are exempt from building permits8, though they still follow zoning rules. Fees are published on the township's site as a general fee schedule14.

How do septic permits work in East Earl Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit before a building served by an on-lot sewage system is built or occupied4. Across Lancaster County, septic permitting is handled by local agencies rather than a county health department15. The township's code refers to a Township Sewage Enforcement Officer, but we could not confirm which office issues every septic permit inside East Earl Township, so call the township office at the number below before you buy.

The township also has public water and sanitation pages, and we could not confirm when a new home must connect to public sewer. Soils matter too: about 45.1% of Lancaster County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field16, so many lots still need a site evaluation.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in East Earl Township?

We could not confirm. The township's published material we reviewed did not state an RV, camping or tiny-home occupancy rule, and Pennsylvania's RV rules we found cover state park campgrounds, not living on your own land17. Do not assume any of these are allowed. Ask the Zoning Officer at 717-354-5593 which district your parcel is in and what it permits2.

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

  1. Call the township office and ask the Zoning Officer which district the parcel is in and whether a zoning permit, a building permit or both apply6.
  2. Confirm septic with the township office, since the issuing office for on-lot systems is unconfirmed4.
  3. If the driveway meets a state road, get a PennDOT driveway permit18.
  4. Check for floodplain: development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs approval19.
  5. Apply for the permit, schedule the required third-party inspections and get a certificate of occupancy720.

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

Lancaster County's Planning Commission supports planning but does not itself issue building, zoning or septic permits; for rules on land outside the township, see the Lancaster County page. Subdivision and land development inside East Earl Township are regulated under the township's adopted chapter21.

For cost context, Lancaster County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%22, and farmland sells for about $21,633 per acre23. Wells are limited by state rule and we found no township well permit24.

Watch-outs

  • Septic: we could not confirm who issues septic permits inside East Earl Township, so ask the township office before you make an offer4.
  • Short-term rentals: vacation rental houses in the AG District need Zoning Hearing Board approval rather than being automatic25.
  • Owner-builder and certificate of occupancy: we could not confirm a township owner-builder exemption or when a certificate of occupancy is triggered, so ask the Zoning Officer2.

Sources

  1. East Earl Township - Zoning (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. East Earl Township Zoning Officer (eastearltwp.org)
  3. West Hempfield Township (Lancaster County) - Permits (2026 county census)
  4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. East Earl Township - Zoning (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. East Earl Township - Zoning (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. East Earl Township - Zoning (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. East Earl Township - Applications & Ordinances (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Lancaster County Planning Department (2026 county census)
  10. Article IV: Agricultural (AG) District - Township of East Earl, PA (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article IV: Agricultural (AG) District - Township of East Earl, PA (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article IV: Agricultural (AG) District - Township of East Earl, PA (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. East Earl Township - General Permit Fees (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, 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. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Chapter 380: Subdivision and Land Development - Township of East Earl, PA (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
  24. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Article IV: Agricultural (AG) District - Township of East Earl, PA (East Earl Township), quoted and re-checked

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 Earl Township

East Earl Township’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction inside East Earl Township.

    “East Earl Township has both a Zoning Ordinance and Building Code.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Construction in East Earl Township for which inspections are required.

    • A third-party inspector, selected from four choices, conducts required inspections.
    “A Third Party Inspector (choice of four) conducts any required inspections.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

    • The code history states that the Board of Supervisors adopted the zoning chapter on May 9, 2017 by Ordinance No. 201.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of East Earl Township 5-9-2017 by Ord. No. 201. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Agricultural buildings inside East Earl Township.

    • The Township page frames the exemption as applying to agricultural buildings and building permits/building codes.
    “However, all agricultural buildings are exempt from building permits (building codes).”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside East Earl Township.

    • The adopted chapter includes subdivision and land-development application and review procedures.
    “Article III Subdivision and Land Development Application and Review Procedure”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Township applications, permits, and licenses inside East Earl Township.

    • The page links both a General Fee Schedule and a fee document for applications, permits, and licenses; individual fee amounts were not extracted.
    “Fees for the filing of certain applications, permits & licenses”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning and building permit applicants inside East Earl Township.

    • Application forms are available online or at the Township office.
    • The Zoning Officer determines whether a zoning permit, building permit, or both are necessary.
    “A permit application must be completed and submitted to the Township's Zoning Officer. Application forms are available online or at the Township office. The Zoning Officer will determine whether a zoning or building permit (or both) is necessary.”

Rules another office applies inside East Earl Township

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

  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family residential uses in the Agricultural (AG) District inside East Earl Township.

    • Front yard is the distance established by Article XX.
    • Nonagricultural accessory buildings and structures follow Article XVI.
    • Required buffer yards/screening follow § 450-114.
    • Permitted yard reductions are addressed in Article XX.

    side yard: 20 feet (Single-family residential use in AG District) · rear yard: 40 feet (Single-family residential use in AG District)

    “Single-family residential uses: 20 feet.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    All uses in the Agricultural (AG) District inside East Earl Township.

    maximum impervious coverage: <= 25 percent (All uses in AG District)

    “Impervious coverage, all uses: Impervious coverage shall not exceed 25%.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal residential buildings in the Agricultural (AG) District inside East Earl Township.

    • Agricultural structures have no height restrictions.
    • The stated limit is for principal residential buildings.

    maximum principal residential building height: <= 35 feet (AG District)

    “No height restrictions shall be placed upon agricultural structures. The height of a principal residential building shall not exceed 35 feet.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Vacation rental houses in the Agricultural (AG) District inside East Earl Township.

    • Establishment or expansion may be permitted by the Zoning Hearing Board under standards and criteria in Articles XXII and XXV.
    “The establishment and/or expansion of the following uses may be permitted by the Zoning Hearing Board pursuant to standards and criteria as set forth in Articles XXII and XXV herein.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside East Earl Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside East Earl Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside East Earl Township.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside East Earl Township.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside East Earl Township.
9 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Building in a floodplain

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 Earl 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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