Bolthole Index

Northampton County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania

Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania (Northampton County) runs its own zoning: Chapter 350 of the township code covers every parcel in the township1. Building work falls under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, and the township lists a Zoning Officer / Building Codes Official and a UCC building permit application23. Septic permits are handled by the township's own certified sewage enforcement officer, not the county4.

At a glance

Zoning
Township zoning (Chapter 350) applies to the whole township1
Building permit
Pennsylvania UCC building permit required before construction5
Who to call
Township Zoning Officer / Building Codes Official3
Septic
Permit required; issued through the township's sewage enforcement officer46
Subdivision
Regulated by township code Chapter 2987
Driveway on a state road
PennDOT highway occupancy permit8
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for most construction work9

Who to call

Codes & inspections

Upper Mount Bethel Township Municipal Office

Township office; lists the Zoning Officer / Building Codes Official and the sewage enforcement officer

570-897-6127

[email protected]

387 Ye Olde Highway PO Box 520 Mount Bethel, PA 18343

Zoning

Upper Mount Bethel Township Zoning Officer / Building Codes Official

Zoning permits and zoning questions; office visits by appointment

[email protected]

Building permits

Township forms and documents (permit applications)

Downloadable applications for UCC building, zoning, driveway, well and floodplain development permits

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Upper Mount Bethel Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Upper Mount Bethel Township have zoning?

Yes. Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, enforces its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 350 of the township code, and the chapter applies to the entire township as shown on its zoning map1. Existing lawful buildings and uses do not have to change except as the chapter provides1. The township also has a Zoning Hearing Board and a zoning officer10.

What the ordinance says about RVs, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks and minimum house size depends on the zoning district your parcel is in, and we could not confirm those district rules. Ask the Zoning Officer ([email protected]) for the district and its rules before you buy10. A statewide campground rule does not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land.

Do you need a building permit in Upper Mount Bethel Township, and who issues it?

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before construction or building work begins5. In Northampton County the code is administered by each municipality, not by the county11. The township's website lists a Zoning Officer / Building Codes Official and posts a UCC building permit application312.

A zoning permit application is a separate form on the same page12. Plan on both: zoning approval for the use and location, then a UCC permit for the construction. Agricultural buildings with no habitable space are excluded from the construction code, but township zoning can still apply13. A residential building cannot be occupied without a certificate of occupancy14.

How do septic permits work in Upper Mount Bethel Township?

Septic permits inside Upper Mount Bethel Township come from the township itself: the Board of Supervisors authorizes certified sewage enforcement officers to carry out the duties in Chapter 244 of the township code4. A permit is required for an individual or community sewage system6. A permit expires if construction has not diligently started within two years, and a new one is then required6.

No one may occupy a structure until its sanitary facilities have been inspected, approved and made operational15. Soils matter here: USDA rates only about 19% of Northampton County soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system16. Call the township office to reach the sewage enforcement officer3.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Upper Mount Bethel Township?

We could not confirm whether Upper Mount Bethel Township allows living in an RV, camper or tiny home on a private lot. Because township zoning covers every parcel, the answer sits in the zoning use rules for your district, and the Zoning Officer is the person to ask110.

Any dwelling you occupy needs a certificate of occupancy and, if it uses on-lot sewage, an approved septic system before anyone moves in1415. For factory-built homes, Pennsylvania's construction code still reaches utility connections, additions and grading, and the state rule does not settle local zoning or septic approval17.

Building a home in Upper Mount Bethel Township: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Zoning Officer which district the parcel is in and what is allowed there110.
  2. If the lot is being divided, check township Chapter 298 on subdivision and land development first7.
  3. Get septic approval through the township's sewage enforcement officer46.
  4. Apply for the zoning permit and the UCC building permit using the township's forms125.
  5. If the driveway meets a state road, apply to PennDOT for a highway occupancy permit8.
  6. Schedule the required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in1814.

The township also posts driveway, well and floodplain development permit applications12.

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

The county does not run zoning or building permits for Upper Mount Bethel Township; for land elsewhere in the county see the Northampton County page. Pennsylvania counties can zone only municipalities that have no zoning ordinance of their own19.

Before you buy, check floodplain status, since development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs a floodplain development permit from the municipality20, and the township posts that application12. Private wells are not covered by a state construction standard and homeowners may drill their own, but the township posts a well permit application2112. Northampton County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%22.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the township's rules on RV or tiny-home living, minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum house size, permit fees or short-term rentals; ask the Zoning Officer at [email protected]10.
  • A driveway that connects to a state highway needs a PennDOT permit in addition to any township driveway permit812.
  • Fees are set locally: the township posts a fee schedule on its forms page, and the Commonwealth's UCC fee schedule applies only where the Department handles the permit1223.

Sources

  1. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article I General Provisions - Upper Mount Bethel (Upper Mount Bethel Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Upper Mount Bethel Township Municipal Office (umbt.org)
  4. Chapter 244 Sanitary System, Article II General Requirements - Upper Mount Bethel (Upper Mount Bethel Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 244 Sanitary System, Article II General Requirements - Upper Mount Bethel (Upper Mount Bethel Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article I General Provisions - Upper Mount Bethel (Upper Mount Bethel Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
  9. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Upper Mount Bethel Township Zoning Officer / Building Codes Official (umbt.org)
  11. PA Dept. of Labor & Industry - Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
  12. Township forms and documents (permit applications) (umbt.org)
  13. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 244 Sanitary System, Article II General Requirements - Upper Mount Bethel (Upper Mount Bethel Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. 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
  17. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  19. Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Section 602 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Upper Mount Bethel Township

Upper Mount Bethel Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Upper Mount Bethel township

    • Chapter 350 applies to the entire geographic area of the township as shown on the zoning map.
    • Existing lawful buildings, structures and uses are not required to change except as the chapter provides.
    “the regulations and provisions of this chapter shall apply to and affect the entire geographic area of upper mount bethel township, northampton county, pa, as shown on the zoning map included herein.”
  • Who permits septicLocal

    Onsite sewage facilities inside Upper Mount Bethel township, administered through the township's certified sewage enforcement officer(s)

    • Officers must be certified and are subject to the state Department's regulations (25 Pa. Code ch. 71).
    • Nonmunicipal sanitary facilities are reviewed and, where required, approved by the Board of Supervisors before construction or installation.
    “the upper mount bethel township board of supervisors shall authorize one or more certified sewage enforcement officers as its municipal sanitary officer(s) to carry out the duties specified in this chapter.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Individual or community sewage systems inside Upper Mount Bethel township

    • A permit expires and a new one is required if construction or installation has not diligently commenced within two years after issuance.
    • Nonmunicipal sanitary facilities must be reviewed and where required approved by the Board of Supervisors.

    permit validity before construction must commence: <= 2 years

    “has not diligently commenced within two years after the issuance of a permit said permit shall expire and a new permit shall be obtained”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Structures served by sanitary facilities inside Upper Mount Bethel township

    • Subsurface disposal facilities must be covered prior to occupancy.
    • On a change of use that may alter sewage load, the sanitary officer conducts a sanitary survey before an occupancy permit issues.
    “no person shall occupy or cause to be occupied any structure until the sanitary facilities have been inspected, approved, and made operational.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Upper Mount Bethel township

    • Subdivisions and developments are permitted only when consistent with the zoning chapter.
    • Detailed standards are in Chapter 298, not opened.
    “the township code's chapter 298, subdivision and land development, regulates how an existing parcel of land in the township may be subdivided”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Upper Mount Bethel Township or Northampton County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Upper Mount Bethel township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Upper Mount Bethel township
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Upper Mount Bethel township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Upper Mount Bethel township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Upper Mount Bethel township
20 more unanswered
  • Zoning districts
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Upper Mount Bethel Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Northampton County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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