Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes: township zoning ordinance, zoning permit from the zoning officer¹

Building permit

Required: Uniform Construction Code adopted by the township²

Occupancy permit

Required for new, altered or changed-use buildings⁴

Zoning permit decision time

Within 15 working days of a complete application⁵

Septic

Permit from a local sewage agency under state sewage law; township's agency not confirmed³

Subdivision

Regulated by township subdivision and land development chapter⁶

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does Lower Saucon Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Lower Saucon Township has its own zoning ordinance, adopted in 2002 as Chapter 180 of the township code and administered by the township zoning officer and zoning hearing board¹. The township's own page describes zoning as the municipal laws that govern how real property can be used⁷. Northampton County does not zone land here: Pennsylvania limits county zoning power to municipalities with no zoning ordinance of their own⁸.

Before you place a house, shed, RV or tiny home, ask the zoning officer which district the parcel is in. We could not confirm lot sizes, setbacks or RV and tiny-home rules, so get them in writing for your parcel¹.

Do you need a building permit in Lower Saucon Township?

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before construction starts⁹, and Lower Saucon Township adopted that code as its municipal building code². Council sets by resolution how the code is administered, whether through an employee, third-party agencies or a contract².

A zoning permit is a separate approval. Under the township code, building, altering or changing the use of a structure needs a zoning permit from the zoning officer, which is issued or denied within 15 working days of a completed application⁵. The zoning permit expires if the work is not started within six months unless extended⁵.

The state list of work that needs no permit includes fences up to 6 feet high and uncovered decks no more than 30 inches above grade¹⁰. Check with the township before skipping a permit, because exempt work still must obey local law.

Who issues building permits and handles zoning in Lower Saucon Township?

The township, not Northampton County. Zoning permits and occupancy permits are issued by the township zoning officer¹⁴. Building permit fees are set by council resolution, so ask for the current schedule¹¹.

The township office is at 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem, PA 18015, and the phone is (610) 865-3291⁷. Pennsylvania does not license most contractors statewide, though municipalities may add their own licensing rules, so ask whether the township requires one¹². We could not confirm the township's inspection steps; the state code lists foundation, plumbing, mechanical and electrical, frame and masonry, and wallboard inspections plus a final¹³.

How do septic permits work in Lower Saucon Township?

Septic permits are a state-rules, local-agency job. In Pennsylvania, anyone using an individual onlot sewage system needs a permit from the local agency before installation or occupancy³, and in Northampton County that agency may be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a health department¹⁴. We could not confirm which agency serves Lower Saucon Township, so call the township office first and ask who employs the Sewage Enforcement Officer for your address⁷.

Soils matter. About 18.8% of Northampton County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁵. Also ask whether the parcel can connect to public sewer; the township has sewer and water chapters we could not review.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Lower Saucon Township?

We could not confirm. The township code has provisions on storing RVs and travel trailers and a separate trailer chapter, but we did not confirm whether living in one on your own lot is allowed. Pennsylvania's published RV stay limits apply only to state park campgrounds, not to private land¹⁶.

A manufactured home is different: the state building code applies to alterations, additions and relocation of manufactured housing, and the state rule does not resolve local zoning or septic approval, so the township zoning officer decides where one can sit¹⁷. Ask the zoning department by phone and get the answer for your district in writing⁷.

Building a home in Lower Saucon Township: the steps, in order

1. Call the township zoning office and confirm your parcel's district and what the zoning ordinance allows¹.
2. If you are dividing land, ask about the township's subdivision and land development chapter⁶.
3. Settle septic or sewer: contact the local sewage agency for a permit³.
4. Get a zoning permit from the zoning officer⁵.
5. Get the Uniform Construction Code building permit and schedule inspections².
6. If the driveway meets a state road, apply for a PennDOT highway occupancy permit¹⁸.
7. Obtain the occupancy permit before moving in⁴.

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

For land outside the township, see the Northampton County page. Inside Lower Saucon, floodplain development permits are administered by the municipality where land is in a Special Flood Hazard Area¹⁹, so ask the township about flood mapping on your parcel.

Private homeowners who drill their own well on their own land do not need the driller's license, and Pennsylvania has no construction standards for private wells²⁰. Northampton County's effective property tax rate is about 1.7%, with a median bill of $4,710 a year²¹²². The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 12 miles from the county center²³.

Watch-outs

• Zoning and occupancy permits are separate from the building permit, so each needs its own approval from the township⁵⁴.
• We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits for Lower Saucon Township addresses, so confirm with the township office before you sign a purchase contract³.
• Minimum lot size, setbacks, RV and tiny-home rules were not confirmed for any district; ask the zoning officer for your parcel's district¹.

Sources

1. Lower Saucon Township Code Chapter 180 Zoning, Article II Administration (Lower Saucon Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Lower Saucon Township Code Chapter 65 Building Construction (Lower Saucon Township), quoted and re-checked
3. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Lower Saucon Township Code Chapter 180 Zoning, Article II Administration (Lower Saucon Township), quoted and re-checked
5. Lower Saucon Township Code Chapter 180 Zoning, Article II Administration (Lower Saucon Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Township of Lower Saucon, PA Code of Ordinances (Lower Saucon Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Lower Saucon Township Zoning Department (lowersaucontownship.org)
8. Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Section 602 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. PA Dept. of Labor & Industry - Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
10. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Lower Saucon Township Code Chapter 65 Building Construction (Lower Saucon Township), quoted and re-checked
12. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
14. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
15. 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
16. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Pennsylvania Floodplain Development Guide, quoted and re-checked
20. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
23. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 14, 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.