Bolthole Index

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania

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

Burnham Borough, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, and a building permit from the Borough's Zoning Officer is required before construction starts12. Mifflin County does not run building permits for Burnham; the borough handles them itself3. Septic permits come from a local sewage enforcement officer under Pennsylvania's Act 537 program4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, Burnham Borough's own Chapter 27 ordinance1
Building permit
Required from the Borough Zoning Officer; small jobs under $1,500 can be exempt2
Building code
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code adopted5
Inspection and occupancy
Final inspection and a certificate of use and occupancy67
Septic
Local sewage enforcement officer; Burnham-specific rules unconfirmed4
Private wells
No state driller license needed for homeowners drilling their own8
Floodplain
Extra information required with the permit application9

Who to call

Building permits

Burnham Borough (Zoning Officer and building permits)

Building permits inside Burnham Borough; the county directs applicants to the borough directly

Planning & zoning

Mifflin County Planning and Development Department

County information only: points callers to the municipality that administers local zoning

717-248-6733

20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044

Septic permits

Sewage Enforcement Officer (Pennsylvania DEP directory)

State directory of active sewage enforcement officers by county; ask the Borough which officer covers Burnham

Online permits →

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

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Does Burnham, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Burnham Borough has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 27 of the Borough code1. Mifflin County has no countywide zoning, so the Borough, not the county, decides what can be built on a lot in Burnham10. The ordinance lists these districts: R-1A Rural Residential, R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1 General Commercial, I-1 Industrial and floodplain districts11.

We could not confirm the district-by-district rules for minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum home size, RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings in Burnham. Do not assume any of these is allowed or banned: ask the Borough Zoning Officer which district your parcel is in and what that district permits before you buy.

Do you need a building permit in Burnham, and who issues it?

Yes. Burnham Borough's ordinance makes it unlawful to excavate for or build any building or structure until the Zoning Officer has issued a building permit2. Work under $1,500 in most districts, or under $25,000 in the I-1 industrial district, needs no zoning permit only if it does not change the use classification and is not in a designated floodplain district2.

Burnham has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code5, and Mifflin County's own permit page tells applicants in Burnham Borough to contact the municipality directly rather than the county's contractor3. Fees are set by Borough resolution and the current schedule is on file with the Borough Secretary12. Applications go on the form the Zoning Officer prescribes, with the fee13.

How do inspections, certificates and permit deadlines work in Burnham?

A final inspection follows completion of permitted work in Burnham, and earlier inspections are at the Borough's discretion6. No one may use or occupy a permitted building until a certificate of use and occupancy has been issued, and the application for it is made when the permit application is filed7.

Watch the clock: an application is treated as abandoned after 6 months unless it is diligently pursued or a permit is issued, and an issued permit expires after 1 year, with extensions available13.

How do septic permits work inside Burnham?

In Pennsylvania, local agencies, usually municipalities or groups of municipalities, issue permits for individual on-lot sewage systems, and a permit is needed before installation, construction, occupancy or use414. Mifflin County does not issue them as a county health department. We could not confirm Burnham-specific septic rules or whether a public sewer connection is required on a given lot, so ask the Borough which sewage enforcement officer covers your address and whether public sewer is available. The state directory lists active officers by county15.

If your lot is in a designated floodplain district, the Zoning Officer must confirm that other required permits, including Act 537 permits, are in hand before issuing the building permit9.

Building a home in Burnham: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Borough which zoning district your parcel is in and what that district allows11.
  2. Check whether the parcel sits in a designated floodplain district, which adds application requirements9.
  3. Contact the sewage enforcement officer about on-lot sewage or sewer service15.
  4. Apply to the Zoning Officer for a building permit on the prescribed form with the fee13.
  5. Build to the Uniform Construction Code the Borough has adopted5.
  6. Schedule the final inspection and obtain the certificate of use and occupancy before moving in67.

What stays with Mifflin County, and what to check before you buy in Burnham

The county's rules cover land outside the borough; see the Mifflin County page for that land. Inside Burnham, the county contributes less: it has no zoning of its own, and it directs questions about local zoning to the municipality16.

Subdivision is the one county-level rule worth checking. Mifflin County's subdivision ordinance applies to municipalities that lack their own, and where a municipality has its own ordinance, county review is advisory17. We could not confirm Burnham's own subdivision rules, so ask the Borough before splitting a lot.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit18; we could not confirm any Borough driveway rule for local streets. For context, Mifflin County's effective property tax rate is about 1.6%19, with a median bill of $2,227 a year20.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Burnham's residential district rules for minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum home size, RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings, so get written answers from the Zoning Officer before you buy11.
  • Parcels in a designated floodplain district get no small-job exemption from the zoning permit, and need extra information with the building permit application29.
  • Septic rules specific to Burnham, and whether a lot must connect to public sewer, were not confirmed; ask the Borough and the sewage enforcement officer15.

Sources

  1. Chapter 27: Zoning - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  2. Part 7: Administration and Enforcement - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  3. Burnham Borough (Zoning Officer and building permits) (mifflincountypa.gov)
  4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 4: Buildings - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  6. Part 7: Administration and Enforcement - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  7. Part 7: Administration and Enforcement - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  8. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit, quoted and re-checked
  9. Part 7: Administration and Enforcement - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  10. Mifflin County - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 27: Zoning - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 4: Buildings - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  13. Part 7: Administration and Enforcement - Borough of Burnham, PA (Borough of Burnham), quoted and re-checked
  14. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Sewage Enforcement Officer (Pennsylvania DEP directory) (pa.gov)
  16. Mifflin County Planning and Development Department (mifflincountypa.gov)
  17. Mifflin County - Subdivision Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: 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 Burnham

Borough of Burnham’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Building, structure, construction, alteration, or development inside Burnham borough limits.

    • No zoning permit is required for work under $1,500 in § 401 districts other than I-1, or under $25,000 in I-1, only if it does not change use classification and is not in a designated floodplain district.
    • Repairs or maintenance are exempt if they do not change use or violate Chapter 27.

    general-district exemption threshold: < 1500 USD fair market value (Does not apply in I-1; no change of use classification; not in a designated floodplain district.) · I-1 exemption threshold: < 25000 USD fair market value (No change of use classification; not in a designated floodplain district.)

    “It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction or erection of any building or structure [...] until the Zoning Officer has issued a building permit”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated inside Burnham borough limits.

    • The incorporated code is amended from time to time.
    “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, inclusive, and as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted buildings, structures, signs, or land inside Burnham borough limits.

    • The final inspection follows completion of permitted work; earlier examinations and progress inspections are discretionary.
    “Upon completion of the building, structure, sign, and/or change, a final inspection shall be made”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Any permitted structure, building, sign, land, or portion thereof inside Burnham borough limits.

    • Application is made when the permit application is filed.
    • Temporary certificates may be issued for safely usable portions before full completion; temporary certificates for tents and similar temporary uses may not exceed six months.
    “It shall be unlawful to use and/or occupy any structure, building, sign, and/or land or portion thereof for which a permit is required herein until a certificate of use and occupancy [...] has been issued”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Burnham borough limits.

    • The Borough's Chapter 27 contains district regulations and zoning administration.
    “Chapter 27 Zoning [...] Part 4 DESIGNATION OF DISTRICTS [...] Part 5 DISTRICT REGULATIONS”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Burnham borough limits.

    • The published Chapter 27 table of contents identifies R-1A, R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1, I-1, and floodplain districts.
    “§ 501 R-1A Rural Residential District. [...] § 505 C-1 General Commercial District. [...] § 506 I-1 Industrial District. [...] § 507 Floodplain Districts.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction or development located wholly or partly in a designated floodplain district inside Burnham borough limits.

    • Applicants must provide the listed floodplain information with a building-permit application.
    • The Zoning Officer must determine that other necessary governmental permits, including Act 537 permits, have been obtained before issuing the building permit.
    • Specified activities, including new mobile-home parks and mobile-home subdivisions, require a special permit in a floodplain district.
    “If any proposed construction or development is located within or partially within any designated floodplain district, applicants for building permits shall also profile the following specific information”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building-code administration and enforcement inside Burnham borough limits.

    • Fees are established by Borough governing-body resolution from time to time.
    • The current fee resolution is on file with the Borough Secretary.
    “Fees assessable by the municipality [...] shall be established by the governing body, by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning permit applications inside Burnham borough limits.

    • Application must be in the form prescribed by the Zoning Officer and accompanied by the required fee.
    • An application filed by someone other than the owner or lessee requires written authorization.
    • An application is abandoned after six months unless diligently prosecuted or issued; 90-day extensions may be granted.
    • A permit expires after one year and may be extended every six months for no more than one additional year.

    application abandonment period: 6 months (Unless diligently prosecuted or a permit issued; extensions of up to 90 days each may be granted.) · permit duration: 1 year (May be extended every six months, for no more than one additional year.)

    “The application for a permit shall be submitted in such form as the Zoning Officer may prescribe and shall be accompanied by the required fee”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Burnham borough limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Burnham borough limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Burnham borough limits.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Burnham borough limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential districts inside Burnham borough limits.
16 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Burnham publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mifflin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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