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

Yes. Mifflin County property owners must obtain a construction or building permit before starting work covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code¹. The enforcing authority can be the municipality, a certified third-party agency, or the state, depending on the municipality and project¹. Inspections are necessary for covered residential construction and listed electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, pool, hot-tub, manufactured-housing, and industrialized-housing work¹. A qualifying agricultural building is excluded from the state Construction Code Act, but the exemption does not cover habitable space and does not erase zoning, health, environmental, or other applicable rules⁸. A Uniform Construction Code certificate of occupancy must be issued before a covered building or facility can be used, generally within 5 business days after a compliant final inspection report¹.

Mifflin County does not operate one building-permit counter for every municipality. Bureau Veritas handles building permits for Armagh, Bratton, Brown, Decatur, Derry, Oliver, Union, and Wayne townships and Newton Hamilton Borough; its county-listed office is at 75 Reserve Lane, Lewistown, with phone (717) 242-0992². Burnham Borough, Granville Township, Juniata Terrace Borough, Kistler Borough, Lewistown Borough, McVeytown Borough, and Menno Township direct applicants to contact the municipality itself². Start by confirming the parcel's municipality, then ask that permit contact which applications, plans, fees, and inspections apply to the exact project. The permit must be obtained before covered work begins, while an emergency repair or equipment replacement has a narrow procedure requiring an application to the building-code official within three business days¹.

Mifflin County has no countywide zoning ordinance³. Brown Township, Burnham Borough, Derry Township, Granville Township, Kistler Borough, Lewistown Borough, McVeytown Borough, and Union Township have adopted their own zoning ordinances³. For land in one of those municipalities, ask the municipality about allowed uses, setbacks, minimum lot area, dwelling size, accessory structures, RV occupancy, and any zoning approval needed before the building permit. The county's Planning and Development page directs zoning questions to the respective municipality and lists its general county contact at 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, phone 717-248-6733³. No countywide zoning does not mean a parcel is unrestricted: building-code, sewage, floodplain, subdivision, access, and municipal requirements can still apply^1,4,9.

Septic permits are issued by the applicable local agency, and the municipality's Sewage Enforcement Officer, not the building-permit office, handles on-lot sewage permitting and enforcement in Mifflin County, rather than one county septic authority¹⁰. Local agencies issue permits for most retaining tanks and individual or community on-lot sewage systems; large-volume systems are an exception to that responsibility⁴. Ask the parcel's township or borough for its current Sewage Enforcement Officer, or use Pennsylvania DEP's active-officer directory by county¹¹. A permit generally must be obtained before installation, construction, occupancy, or use of a building served by an on-lot system, subject to the state's specific exceptions¹². Only 11.1% of Mifflin County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make soil testing and system feasibility a purchase contingency¹³. A new residence using a composting or incinerating toilet still needs an approved method for washwater or excess liquid¹⁴.

We could not confirm one countywide rule allowing residential RV occupancy or tiny-home occupancy on private land in Mifflin County. Ask the parcel's township or borough for a written answer covering the proposed structure, length of occupancy, use while building, setbacks, sewage, water, and utility connections because Pennsylvania directs zoning questions to the municipality where the activity occurs⁵. State-park camping limits do not answer the private-land question; those limits apply only in Pennsylvania state park campgrounds¹⁵. A manufactured home is also subject to code rules for work beyond its approved design, utility connections, additions, relocation, resale, and some occupancy changes¹⁶. If the parcel is in a municipality with local zoning, obtain its current ordinance and zoning map before buying³.

1. Identify the parcel's township or borough and request its current zoning, setback, lot-size, and dwelling-use requirements⁵.

1. Contact Bureau Veritas or the municipality shown on Mifflin County's permit-routing page and confirm the required plans and approvals².

1. Contact the municipality's Sewage Enforcement Officer and secure the required on-lot sewage approval before relying on the site as buildable^4,11.

1. Apply for the Uniform Construction Code permit before starting covered work¹.

1. Schedule the inspections required for the permitted construction¹. If the driveway occupies state-highway land or connects to PennDOT drainage, obtain the separate highway occupancy permit¹⁷.

1. Obtain the Uniform Construction Code certificate of occupancy before using the completed building or facility¹.

Confirm the municipality, zoning status, legal access, sewage feasibility, water plan, floodplain, and subdivision history before closing. Mifflin County's subdivision ordinance applies in Bratton Township, Juniata Terrace Borough, Kistler Borough, McVeytown Borough, Newton Hamilton Borough, and Wayne Township, while other listed municipalities use their own ordinances¹⁸. Development in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires a municipal floodplain-development permit before work begins⁹. A driveway involving state-highway land or PennDOT drainage requires a highway occupancy permit¹⁷. Pennsylvania licenses and permits commercial well drillers but exempts farmers and homeowners who drill their own water wells on owned or leased land from that licensing requirement⁷. Mifflin County is 70.2% wooded, and 49.8% of its land has a slope of 15% or less, so verify clearing, grade, access, and septic conditions on the specific building site¹³.