Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Chanceford Township, Pennsylvania

Chanceford Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Projects inside Chanceford township: building and/or zoning permit application required

  • Permit applies to all proposed projects in the township per the township application form; construction may proceed only after permit issuance and fee payment.

  “this application is for all proposed projects in chanceford township”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Chanceford township limits, York County, PA: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

  • Ordinance reviewed is the PDF posted at chancefordtwp.com titled ZoningOrdinancesAdopted2024.05.13; later amendments were not verified.
  • Uses are permitted, permitted by special exception, or not allowed per Table 203.1 and zone rules.

  “the township of chanceford is divided into zones enumerated below and shown on the zoning map of chanceford township”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Chanceford township (Conservation, Agricultural, Rural Residential, Residential, General Commercial)

  • Zoning map is part of the ordinance; the zoning map PDF was not separately opened.

  “table 203.1 summary of permitted and special exception uses”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All dwelling units inside Chanceford township (all zones)

  • Requirement is minimum habitable floor area for all dwelling units; 75% of the 400 sq ft minimum must be on the main or ground floor for 1-2 bedroom units.
  • Add-on units must be harmonious with the existing building structure.

  minimum habitable floor area, 1-2 bedroom unit: >= 400 square feet (at least 75% on main floor or ground level) · additional habitable floor area per bedroom above 2: >= 120 square feet

  “1 – 2 bedroom units; 400 square feet of which at least 75% of the required square footage must be encompassed in the main floor or ground level. b. units with more than 2 bedrooms: 120 square feet additional per bedroom.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in Chanceford township, by zone (Conservation, Agricultural, Rural Residential, Residential) and by water and sewer service

  • Table 205.1 sets minimum lot size separately for public water and public sewer, public water or public sewer only, and neither.
  • Numeric per-district values could not be reliably read from the text extraction of Table 205.1; per-district numbers left for followup.

  “minimum lot size: public water and public sewer either public water or public sewer neither public water nor public sewer”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Residential uses inside Chanceford township: maximum building coverage of lot area, by water and sewer service

  • Section 205.2 sets building coverage limits; the section covers building coverage and not total impervious coverage.
  • Nonresidential building-coverage limits are stated separately in the same section and in Section 205.3; not quoted here.

  maximum building coverage, residential, neither public water nor public sewer: <= 15 % (public water and public sewer not used) · maximum building coverage, residential, public water only: <= 20 % (public water only used) · maximum building coverage, residential, public water and public sewer: <= 30 % (both public water and public sewer used)

  “residential uses 1. 2. 3. b. if public water and public sewer are not used: 15% if public water only is used: 20% if both public water and public sewer are used: 30%”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational vehicles and travel trailers on campground sites inside Chanceford township

  • Applies to campground use under Section 414; campground use is listed in Table 203.1 for specific zones (zone-by-zone permission not verified).
  • Campground rules do not restrict use outside a campground; RV occupancy on private land outside a campground was not located.

  “none of the automobile trailers, cabins, travel trailers, motor homes, tents or campers approved for location on the premises shall be utilized as a permanent place of abode, or a permanent dwelling”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary camping on campground sites inside Chanceford township

  • Campground is a listed use in Table 203.1 and is subject to Section 414; the zones where it is permitted or allowed by special exception were not verified.
  • No permanent dwelling use is allowed in a campground.

  “upon which tents, recreational vehicles, travel trailers or other temporary accommodations may be placed by transient occupants”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home parks inside Chanceford township, by special exception only

  • Mobile home parks require special exception approval from the zoning hearing board.
  • Minimum tract area is ten acres; public water and public sewer approved by PA DEP must be used.
  • Individual manufactured-home placement on a single lot was not located in the reviewed text.

  minimum tract area: >= 10 acres · minimum lot area in mobile home park: >= 8000 square feet · maximum mobile homes per acre: <= 5 homes per acre

  “in passing upon a special exception application for a mobile home park or extension thereof the zoning hearing board shall require in addition to the general requirements set forth in this ordinance for special exception that: a. the minimum tract area shall be ten (10) acres.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Chanceford township

  • Adopted under Article V of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 as enacted to Act 427 cited in the ordinance text).
  • Zoning Section 206.5 and 207.5 limit subdivision in the Conservation and Agricultural zones (no subdivision except low-quality agricultural land, with exceptions).

  “an ordinance regulating subdivision and land development in chanceford township, york county, pennsylvania”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Bed and breakfast inns inside Chanceford township, where the owner lives on the premises

  • Only the owner-resident bed and breakfast inn is defined; no separate short-term rental rule located.
  • Bed and breakfast inn may not be used for any other business use or other use involving monetary receipt to the property owner or operator beyond the B&B.

  “the bed and breakfast inn may not be used for any other business use or other use involving monetary receipt to the property owner or operator of the bed and breakfast inn.”

Rules another office applies inside Chanceford Township

Chanceford Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building permits for construction inside Chanceford township limits administered under the Uniform Construction Code (UCC)

  • The application form references UCC permits and an L&I fee; the form does not itself name the code edition adopted.
  • The form names a third-party code consultant for review and inspection fees; the township's own code-enforcement arrangement was not otherwise verified.

  “please note all building permit applications must include two (2) sets of plans for all ucc permits”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Chanceford Township or York County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Chanceford township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Chanceford township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Chanceford township
• Septic permit — On-lot septic permit for a new home inside Chanceford township
• Septic inspection — Septic system inspection inside Chanceford township

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.