Building permits, zoning and land rules in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

Yes. Lebanon County home construction covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code needs a permit before work begins¹. The Lebanon County Planning Department administers the UCC for Cleona and Jonestown boroughs and Millcreek, North Annville, North Lebanon, North Londonderry, South Annville, South Lebanon and West Cornwall townships⁴. Elsewhere, the municipality or a certified third-party agency administers the code, so ask the township or borough which one covers the parcel⁴. Annville Township is one place that issues its own building permits, at the township office, for new houses, additions, garages, sheds, pools and fences¹¹. In LCPD jurisdictions, permits cover new homes, additions, manufactured homes, and unroofed decks or patios higher than 30 inches above finished grade⁴. A qualifying nonhabitable agricultural building is excluded from Pennsylvania's Construction Code Act, but municipal zoning can still apply¹². The county handout identifies the 2021 code series, while a statewide update took effect January 1, 2026; confirm the governing edition with the parcel’s code agency².

For its participating municipalities, the Lebanon County Planning Department's Building Code Administration administers and enforces the UCC⁴. Reach the office at (717) 228-4444 or Room 206, Lebanon County Courthouse, 400 S. 8th Street, Lebanon, PA 17042⁴. LCPD prefers a signed application and construction drawings by PDF email to lcpdreview@lebanoncountypa.gov, while applicants without email may deliver the application and one plan set during office hours⁴. Building and zoning applications are separate, and the published building-plan review period is 15 business days after a complete submission⁴. LCPD does not publish a building-permit fee table; an inspector sets the fee after reviewing the submission, and septic fees are published separately⁴. Outside LCPD territory, ask the municipality which code agency handles the permit. State UCC inspections apply to building construction and to electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems, and the schedule varies by project¹. LCPD supplies its schedule with the building permit; electrical inspections require a Pennsylvania-certified third-party inspector because LCPD does not perform them in-house⁴. LCPD issues the certificate of occupancy after all required inspections and final approval; residential occupancy must wait for that certificate, and outside LCPD territory the municipality or its third-party agency issues it^1,4,9.

A sewage permit is required to install, replace, repair or alter an on-lot system in municipalities served by LCPD⁵. The Lebanon County Planning Department handles sewage enforcement for 23 municipalities; it does not enforce in Bethel Township, Mount Gretna Borough or Swatara Township^3,5. Where LCPD handles the permit, published fees include $500 for a new system, $400 for a major repair and $250 for a minor repair or renewal⁵. New and major-repair applications require soil tests and system design⁵. Lots created after May 15, 1972 and some proposals increasing sewage flow need Sewage Facilities Planning Module approval before LCPD can issue the septic permit⁵. The system cannot be covered without written authorization from the Sewage Enforcement Officer⁵. A narrow state exemption may apply to an owner or immediate-family residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres if all conditions are met⁸. Only 33.4% of county soils rate without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility an early contract contingency¹⁰.

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing residential RV use or tiny-home occupancy on private land. Every Lebanon County municipality has its own zoning law, so ask the township, borough or city zoning officer whether the proposed use is allowed in that parcel's district^3,13. Ask specifically about temporary occupancy while building, minimum dwelling size, setbacks and utility connections because the available countywide materials do not provide complete schedules for those questions. Pennsylvania's state-park camping limits do not answer whether an RV may be lived in on private property¹⁴. A manufactured home's approved factory design receives specific UCC treatment, but site work, utility connections, later additions, repairs, resale or relocation may remain subject to the UCC, and local zoning still controls siting¹⁵. Any on-lot sewage system must follow the applicable county or local enforcement process^6,8.

1. Identify the parcel's township, borough or city because building-code, zoning and septic jurisdiction can differ^3,4,5.
2. Ask the applicable zoning officer whether the home, driveway, setbacks and proposed occupancy fit the district; zoning approval is separate from the code permit⁴.
3. For subdivision or land development, the county ordinance applies in Cleona, Cold Spring, Jonestown, Millcreek, Mount Gretna, North Annville, North Londonderry, Richland, South Annville and West Cornwall; other municipalities have their own ordinance, so contact the municipality there^3,6.
4. Establish sewage approval through LCPD or the local sewage-enforcement authority before relying on the house site^5,6.
5. Secure a PennDOT permit before creating driveway access to a Commonwealth highway¹⁶.
6. Submit the UCC application and plans to the correct code agency before starting covered work¹.
7. Complete the required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before using the building^4,9.

Check legal access, sewage feasibility, municipal zoning and floodplain status before the inspection period expires. A driveway connecting to a Commonwealth highway requires a PennDOT permit before access is allowed¹⁶. Development in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires a municipal floodplain development permit¹⁷. Only 33.4% of county soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so obtain the applicable sewage office's testing and permit path before choosing the house location^6,10. If a purchase or family division creates new lots, determine whether the Lebanon County subdivision ordinance or the municipality's own ordinance controls; additional stormwater, sewage and zoning approvals may also apply³. Private-well rules were not confirmed; ask the municipality and well driller what approvals apply, while noting that Pennsylvania licenses commercial water-well drilling companies¹⁸. The effective property-tax rate is about 1.4%, with a median annual bill near $3,180¹⁰.