North Whitehall Township, PA: building permits, zoning and septic

At a glance

Building permits

Required for construction; township has adopted the UCC¹⁵

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance applies²

Septic contact

Township Sewage Enforcement Officer: Keystone Consulting Engineers⁴

Permit fees

UCC administration fees set by township resolution⁶

Owner-builder

No statewide license for most construction contractors; municipal requirements may apply⁷

Occupancy

UCC-regulated residential buildings need a certificate of occupancy⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in North Whitehall Township, PA?

North Whitehall Township requires a building permit to authorize construction and has adopted Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code.¹⁵ Before issuance of a building permit, applicants must submit a plot plan, grading plan and erosion and sedimentation control plan to the township Zoning Officer.¹ Pennsylvania also requires inspections of residential construction for which a UCC permit was issued, including foundation, systems and framing inspections and a final inspection.⁹ The building permit therefore starts a review and inspection process; a UCC-regulated residential building cannot be occupied without a certificate of occupancy.⁹⁸

Who handles building and zoning applications in North Whitehall Township?

The North Whitehall Township Permit Department handles residential and commercial applications, and its published guidance distinguishes residential zoning permits from residential building permits.³ Call the Permit Department at 610-799-3411 or visit 3256 Levans Road Coplay, Pa 18037 to request the department’s permit guide book.³ For parcel-specific zoning questions, the township lists a Zoning Officer / Code Enforcement Officer and a Township Planner / Assistant Zoning Officer.¹⁰ Township UCC administration and enforcement fees are set by resolution, so ask the Permit Department for the current fee schedule for the proposed work.⁶

Does North Whitehall Township have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

North Whitehall Township has its own zoning ordinance, with districts that regulate land uses, administered by a Zoning Officer and Zoning Hearing Board.² We could not confirm the township’s rules for full-time RV occupancy, camping during construction, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, lot size or setbacks; ask the township Zoning Officer about the proposed dwelling and parcel before buying.¹⁰ Request the applicable district and approval path for the exact use, rather than treating adoption of the UCC as permission for residential occupancy: township zoning and building-code review address separate requirements.²⁵

How do septic permits work in North Whitehall Township?

North Whitehall Township lists Keystone Consulting Engineers as its Sewage Enforcement Officer, reachable at 484-860-3583.⁴ Pennsylvania generally requires a local-agency permit before installation, contracting for construction, construction or use of an individual or community on-lot sewage system.¹¹ The township’s published UCC application says a septic permit must be issued before a building permit for new construction.¹² Lehigh County soils rated “not limited” for conventional septic drain fields account for 17.8% of the county; that countywide screening figure calls for site evaluation and does not establish whether a particular township lot can support septic.¹³ A composting toilet in a new home still requires an approved method for treating washwater or excess liquid under Pennsylvania’s sanitation rules.¹⁴

Building a home in North Whitehall Township: what are the steps?

1. Ask the township Zoning Officer to review the parcel and proposed residential use under township zoning.²¹⁰
2. If using on-lot sewage, contact the township Sewage Enforcement Officer; the published township application requires the septic permit before the new-construction building permit.⁴¹²
3. Submit the township’s required plot, grading and erosion-control plans, along with the construction application; the published application requests 3 full sets of construction plans, the owner’s signature and workers’ compensation proof or waiver.¹¹²
4. Arrange required UCC inspections and obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before moving in.⁹⁸

What should you check before buying land in North Whitehall Township?

For driveway access at a township roadway, North Whitehall Township’s Permit Department identifies a township driveway permit requirement.³ Building or altering a driveway on state highway land instead requires a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit under Pennsylvania’s state-highway access rules.¹⁵ We could not confirm the township’s private-well approval requirements or parcel-specific floodplain approval path; ask the township Zoning Officer about both before committing to a building site.¹⁰ For land outside North Whitehall Township, use the Lehigh County guide to orient your search for the applicable municipal building and zoning office, because local requirements are directed to the municipality where the activity occurs.¹⁶

Watch-outs

• Pennsylvania’s lack of statewide licensing for most construction contractors does not waive North Whitehall Township’s building permit requirement.⁷¹
• We could not confirm permission to live in an RV during construction in North Whitehall Township; ask the township Zoning Officer before relying on that arrangement.¹⁰
• The township’s published new-construction application requires the septic permit before issuance of the building permit.¹²

Sources

1. North Whitehall Township Code Chapter 440, Zoning, Article I General Provisions; Administration (North Whitehall Township), quoted and re-checked
2. North Whitehall Township Code Chapter 440, Zoning, Article I General Provisions; Administration (North Whitehall Township), quoted and re-checked
3. North Whitehall Township Permit Department (northwhitehall.org)
4. North Whitehall Township Sewage Enforcement Officer — Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc. (northwhitehall.org)
5. North Whitehall Township Code Chapter 195, Construction Codes, Uniform (North Whitehall Township), quoted and re-checked
6. North Whitehall Township Code Chapter 195, Construction Codes, Uniform (North Whitehall Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. North Whitehall Township Zoning Officer / Code Enforcement Officer (northwhitehall.org)
11. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. North Whitehall Township UCC Application Instructions (northwhitehall.org)
13. 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
14. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Local Registrations, Permits, Zoning, quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 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.