Bolthole Index

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Mountville Borough, Pennsylvania

Mountville Borough, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, requires a building permit before construction starts1. The borough sets its own zoning, so every lot must fit its district2. On-lot septic permits run through the borough's Sewage Enforcement Officer3, and sewer connection is mandatory near a public sewer line4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before any construction (Pennsylvania UCC)1
Zoning
Borough zoning chapter with published districts and map25
Septic
On-lot sewage permit from the borough's Sewage Enforcement Officer3
Public sewer
Connection required within 90 days of notice if a building is within 150 feet of a sewer4
Single-family lot (R-1)
10,000 square feet minimum, 40% maximum lot coverage67
Single-family lot (R-2)
6,000 square feet minimum, 50% maximum lot coverage89
Driveways
Municipal driveway permit, or PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit on state roads10

Who to call

Building permits

Mountville Borough Office

Building and zoning permits, permit forms and the fee schedule inside Mountville Borough; contact point for the Sewage Enforcement Officer

717-285-5547

[email protected]

21 East Main Street P.O. Box 447 Mountville, PA 17554

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 Borough of Mountville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Mountville, PA?

Yes. Construction inside Mountville Borough needs a building permit under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, which requires owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work1. Inspections follow for new or changed residential buildings and for electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems11. Emergency repairs and equipment replacements can start first if an application reaches the building code official within three business days1.

A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a residential building can be used12. The borough also lists a permit-requirement page for common projects, and its office will answer if you are unsure whether a job needs one13.

Who issues building permits in Mountville Borough, and how do you reach them?

The Mountville Borough Office at 21 East Main Street takes permit questions at 717-285-5547 or [email protected]13. Its website carries a permit-requirement page, a forms page and a fee schedule. The borough's building permit application is a Uniform Construction Code application, and it asks for a municipal driveway permit, or a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit where the driveway meets a state or federal road10.

A borough zoning or building permit for access to a state-owned road is automatically conditioned on a PennDOT highway occupancy permit10.

Does Mountville have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Mountville Borough has its own zoning chapter: no structure may be erected or used, and no land developed, unless it conforms to the regulations for its district2. The zoning map is part of the chapter, and uses the use table does not list are not permitted5.

For a detached single-family house, the district decides the numbers. In R-1 Low-Density Residential, the minimum lot is 10,000 square feet6, setbacks are 25 feet front, 15 feet each side and 25 feet rear14, lot coverage tops out at 40%7 and height at 35 feet15. In R-2 Medium-Density Residential, the minimum lot is 6,000 square feet8, setbacks are 10 feet front, 10 feet each side and 20 feet rear16, coverage tops out at 50%9 and height at 35 feet17.

How do septic permits work in Mountville Borough?

Where an on-lot system is allowed at all, the borough's application checklist calls for an on-lot sewage permit from the Sewage Enforcement Officer, with the borough as the contact3. Pennsylvania gives on-lot permitting to local agencies, generally through Sewage Enforcement Officers, and Lancaster County has no county health department that does it18.

Most parcels here will not use septic anyway. An owner whose property sits within reach of a public sanitary sewer, with any part of the principal building within 150 feet of it, must connect within 90 days of official borough notice and pay for the service line and connection4. Where connection is required, building or keeping a septic tank or cesspool is unlawful, with an exception for a discharge approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection19. We could not confirm how the borough inspects on-lot systems; ask the borough office.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Mountville?

We could not confirm a rule for living in a recreational vehicle, camping on private land, or occupying a tiny home inside Mountville Borough. The borough's zoning defines recreational vehicles, but we found no provision that grants or limits residential occupancy. The same gap applies to accessory dwelling units and manufactured homes. Call the Mountville Borough Office at 717-285-5547 before parking or placing any dwelling on a lot13.

Whatever the answer, a structure that counts as a building needs a building permit and a certificate of occupancy before use12.

Building a home in Mountville: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district on the borough zoning map, and check the lot size, setbacks and coverage for that district5.
  2. Find out whether a public sewer line is within 150 feet of the planned house; if so, plan to connect rather than install septic4.
  3. If on-lot sewage is possible, get the on-lot sewage permit through the Sewage Enforcement Officer3.
  4. Apply for the building permit before starting work, with a municipal driveway permit or a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit for the driveway10.
  5. If any part of the site lies in a floodplain, include the information from the borough's Chapter 8 floodplain regulations with the application20.
  6. Pass the required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in12.

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

Lancaster County does not run zoning or building permits inside Mountville: zoning is administered by each of the county's 60 municipalities, and the county planning staff give advisory review21. Subdivision and land-development plans get an advisory county review, and the borough must approve them before recording22. For land outside the borough, see the Lancaster County page.

Before buying, check the lot's district, sewer access and any floodplain overlay. Private well rules are unconfirmed for Mountville; statewide, homeowners drilling their own well are excluded from the driller licensing requirement23. Lancaster County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%24.

Watch-outs

  • Septic rules inside the borough depend on sewer access: a property within 150 feet of a public sewer must connect within 90 days of notice4.
  • A borough building permit does not cover a driveway onto a state road, which also needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit10.
  • We could not confirm rules for RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, short-term rentals or owner-built homes inside Mountville; ask the Mountville Borough Office at 717-285-554713.

Sources

  1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit — Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Borough of Mountville, PA — Municipal Code (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Mountville Borough UCC Building Permit Application (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 18 Sewers and Sewage Disposal — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Mountville Borough UCC Building Permit Application (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit — Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Regulations, Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  13. Mountville Borough Office (mountvilleborough.com)
  14. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  15. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  16. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  17. Part 3 Zoning Districts — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  18. PA DEP - Act 537 Onlot Disposal System (2026 county census)
  19. Chapter 18 Sewers and Sewage Disposal — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  20. Part 8 Administration and Enforcement — Borough of Mountville, PA (Borough of Mountville), quoted and re-checked
  21. Simplified Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  22. LCPD Review of Subdivision and / or Land Development Plans, quoted and re-checked
  23. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit, quoted and re-checked
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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 Borough of Mountville

Borough of Mountville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Mountville borough.

    • Development and land use must conform to the Borough zoning chapter and the district in which the land is located.
    “No structure shall hereafter be erected, used, constructed, reconstructed, structurally altered or occupied and no land shall hereafter be used, developed or occupied unless it is in conformity with the regulations herein specified for the use and district in which it is located.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Mountville borough.

    • The official zoning map is attached to and incorporated into the chapter.
    • Uses not listed in the use table are specifically not permitted in applicable zoning districts.
    “Unless otherwise noted, the locations and boundaries of the specific base zoning districts and overlay zoning districts are shown upon the map(s) that are attached to and made a part of this chapter.”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    On-lot sewage permitting for construction inside Mountville borough.

    • The cited UCC application lists an on-lot sewage permit as an alternative to a public-water supplier letter in the application checklist.
    “On-Lot Sewage Permit from SEO. Contact: Mountville Borough”
  • Septic permitLimited

    UCC permit applicants inside Mountville borough proposing on-lot sewage service.

    • The Borough's UCC application checklist identifies an on-lot sewage permit from the SEO; the material reviewed does not establish the complete applicability threshold for every parcel.
    “On-Lot Sewage Permit from SEO. Contact: Mountville Borough”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Improved property inside Mountville borough that is required to connect to the public sewer system.

    • The prohibition applies where the owner is required to connect to the sewer system.
    • The borough ordinance makes a DEP-permitted or DEP-approved discharge to a natural outlet an exception to the natural-outlet prohibition.
    “It shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, sinkhole or similar receptacle intended for the disposal of sanitary sewage within this Borough where such sewage emanates from any improved property which the owner thereof is required to connect to the sewer system.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Improved property inside Mountville borough accessible to a public sanitary sewer, where any part of the principal building is within 150 feet of that sewer.

    • Connection is required within 90 days after official Borough notice.
    • The owner bears the cost of sanitary facilities, service lines, and connection.
    • The rule concerns sanitary sewer; the zoning ordinance separately states that all uses must be served by public water and sewage facilities.

    building distance to accessible sewer: <= 150 feet (Property must abut, adjoin, or be adjacent to a street, easement, or right-of-way containing the sanitary sewer.) · connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days

    “The owner of any improved property situate in the Borough and abutting on, adjoining or adjacent to any street, easement or right-of-way in which there shall have been constructed a sanitary sewer forming part of the sewer system, where said property is accessible thereto and any part of the principal building constructed on such improved property is within 150 feet of such sewer, shall at his own expense install suitable sanitary facilities and service lines therein and connect such facilities directly with such sewer in accordance with the provisions of this Part within 90 days after date of official notice from this Borough so to do, which notice shall have been given by personal service or as otherwise provided or permitted by law.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    UCC building permit applicants needing access to municipal roads inside Mountville borough.

    • For access to state or federal roads, the application identifies a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit instead.
    • A Borough zoning or building permit necessary for access to a state-owned street or road is automatically conditioned upon a PennDOT highway occupancy permit.
    “Municipal Driveway Permit (for access to local municipality roads) OR PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (for access to state or federal roads)”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Proposed development, excavation, or construction in an area inside Mountville borough subject to Borough Chapter 8 Floodplain Regulations.

    • The applicable Chapter 8 information must accompany all applications when the site is located in such an area.
    “Areas Subject to Flooding. If the proposed development, excavation or construction is located within an area subject to Chapter 8, Floodplain Regulations, of the Codified Ordinances of the Borough, the information set forth in the applicable sections shall accompany all applications.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Mountville

Borough of Mountville 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 Mountville borough subject to Pennsylvania UCC requirements.

    • 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.
    “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Mountville borough subject to Pennsylvania UCC requirements.

    • The state page states that 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.
    “The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) regulates the codes and standards of building projects in the Commonwealth.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    UCC-regulated construction inside Mountville borough.

    • The state page specifies inspections for construction or changes to commercial or residential buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, and installation of swimming pools or hot tubs.
    “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.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-1 Low-Density Residential Zoning District.

    • The table applies to structures erected or lots used or occupied for lawful purposes in the district.

    minimum lot area: 10000 square feet per dwelling unit

    “Single-Family Detached Dwelling | Single-Family Semidetached Dwelling | All Other Uses [...] Minimum lot area | 10,000 square feet per DU | 6,000 square feet per DU | 25,000 square feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-2 Medium-Density Residential Zoning District.
      “Single-Family Attached Dwelling | Multifamily Dwellings | Single-Family Detached Dwelling | Single-Family Semidetached Dwelling | Two-Family Detached Dwelling [...] Minimum lot area | 2,000 square feet per DU | 2,000 square feet per DU | 6,000 square feet per DU | 4,000 square feet per DU”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-1 Low-Density Residential Zoning District.

    • For semidetached dwellings, the side setback for the portion with a common wall is reduced to zero; that exception does not apply to this single-family detached claim.

    front setback minimum: 25 feet · side setback minimum: 15 feet each side · rear setback minimum: 25 feet

    “Setback - front minimum | 25 feet | 25 feet | 25 feet Setback - side minimum | 15 feet each side | 15 feet | 15 feet each side Setback - rear minimum | 25 feet | 25 feet | 30 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-2 Medium-Density Residential Zoning District.
      “Setback - front minimum | 10 feet | 10 feet | 10 feet | 10 feet Setback - side minimum | 10 feet each side | 20 feet | 10 feet each side | 10 feet Setback - rear minimum | 20 feet | 30 feet | 20 feet | 20 feet”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-1 Low-Density Residential Zoning District.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

    “Maximum lot coverage | 40% | 50% | 60% Maximum building height | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-1 Low-Density Residential Zoning District.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “Maximum building height | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in Mountville borough's R-2 Medium-Density Residential Zoning District.
      “Maximum building height | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet | 35 feet”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Mountville borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Mountville borough.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of a recreational vehicle on private land inside Mountville borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Mountville borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Mountville borough.
6 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Borough of Mountville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lancaster County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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