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

Lancaster Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction regulated inside Lancaster Township.

  • The incorporated Uniform Construction Code is amended from time to time.

  “The Uniform Construction Code ("Code") as contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of Lancaster Township.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units in the R-1 Residential District inside Lancaster Township.

  • The unit may not exceed 40% of the principal dwelling's total square footage.
  • Only one accessory dwelling unit is allowed per lot.
  • The lot must meet applicable single-family dimensional requirements.
  • The owner must maintain principal residency in either dwelling.
  • Combined occupants may not exceed the ordinance's family definition.
  • The unit must be architecturally consistent with the primary structure.
  • A building permit must be approved and issued before construction.

  maximum ADU floor area: <= 40 percent of principal dwelling total square footage · maximum ADUs per lot: <= 1 ADU

  “Accessory dwelling units shall comply with the following requirements.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Lancaster Township.

  • The Township code publishes Chapter 236, Subdivision and Land Development.

  “Chapter 236 Subdivision and Land Development (§ 236-101 – § 236-808)”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Fees for Township UCC administration and enforcement.

  • Fees are established by Township resolution from time to time.

  “The Township, by resolution adopted from time to time, shall establish such fees as are assessable by the Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the code.”

• Permit processPartial

  Construction-code administration and enforcement inside Lancaster Township.

  • The Board of Supervisors selects one or more listed administration methods by resolution.
  • Methods include Township officials, third-party agencies, agreements with other municipalities, contracts with another municipality, and an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for identified structures.

  “The administration and enforcement of the code within Lancaster Township shall be undertaken in any of the following ways, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Board of Supervisors of Lancaster Township, from time to time, by resolution:”

Rules another office applies inside Lancaster Township

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Lancaster Township.

  • The listed Table 4-1 standards apply unless another chapter provision specifies otherwise.
  • The applicable minimum depends on public-utility service.

  minimum lot area without public sewer or with public water only: 43560 square feet per dwelling unit · minimum lot area with public sewer only: 32000 square feet per dwelling unit · minimum lot area with public sewer and public water: 15000 square feet per dwelling unit

  “Single-family detached dwellings | None or public water only | 43,560 per dwelling unit | 65 | 100 | 150 | 20%”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Lancaster Township.

  • Table 4-2 applies unless another chapter provision specifies otherwise.
  • Front yard varies by road classification.
  • Specified adjacent-building circumstances may permit a closer front setback.

  minimum front yard on principal arterial road: 50 feet · minimum front yard on minor arterial road: 40 feet · minimum front yard on collector road: 30 feet · minimum front yard on local road: 25 feet · minimum side yard: 12 feet · minimum rear yard: 35 feet

  “Single-family detached dwellings | 50 | 40 | 30 | 25 | 12 | 35”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Lancaster Township.

  • The listed Table 4-1 standards apply unless another chapter provision specifies otherwise.
  • Maximum impervious-surface coverage depends on public-utility service.

  maximum lot coverage without public sewer or with public water only: <= 20 percent impervious surfaces · maximum lot coverage with public sewer only: <= 25 percent impervious surfaces · maximum lot coverage with public sewer and public water: <= 35 percent impervious surfaces

  “Single-family detached dwellings | Public sewer and public water | 15,000 per dwelling unit | 65 | 100 | 150 | 35%”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways and access drives in the R-1 Residential District inside Lancaster Township.

  • Driveways and access drives must comply with § 280-1606.

  “Driveway and access drive regulations. All driveways and access drives shall be in accordance with § 280-1606 of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — General residential construction inside Lancaster Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Lancaster Township.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Lancaster Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Lancaster Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Lancaster 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Lancaster Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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