Bolthole Index

York County, Pennsylvania

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

Hopewell Township in York County, Pennsylvania requires a building permit for new buildings and structures under the Uniform Construction Code it has adopted12. The township writes and enforces its own zoning chapter3. Septic permits come from the township's sewage enforcement officer and must be issued before the building permit4. York County does not issue building permits5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new buildings and structures under the township's Uniform Construction Code2
Zoning
Township's own zoning chapter (Chapter 27) with six zones3
Septic permit
Issued by the township's sewage enforcement officer, before the building permit4
Minimum home size
600 sq ft per single-family dwelling unit6
Lot size (R zone, no public water or sewer)
40,000 sq ft and 200 ft wide7
Residential permit deposit
$150 non-refundable application/deposit8
Septic maintenance
Systems pumped, cesspools inspected, every four years9

Who to call

Building permits

Hopewell Township Municipal Office (building permits and zoning)

Receives building and zoning permit applications and deposits; contracted code and zoning staff process permits and inspections

717-993-2027

3336 Bridgeview Road, PO Box 429, Stewartstown, PA 17363

Codes & inspections

Dependable Construction Code Services, LLC (township's contracted zoning and UCC office)

Zoning permits, stormwater and zoning enforcement questions, and UCC permit information and inspections for the township

717-759-5906

[email protected]

Septic permits

Hopewell Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (James R. Holley & Associates, Inc.)

On-lot septic system permits and enforcement inside the township

(717) 828-2999

[email protected]

18 South George Street, Suite 300, York, PA 17401

Planning & zoning

York County Planning Commission

County planning information, building-permit reports and referrals to the correct municipal permit office; it does not issue building permits

717-771-9870

28 E Market Street, 3rd Floor, York, PA 17401

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

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Do you need a building permit in Hopewell Township, PA?

Yes. Hopewell Township has adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its building code1, and a building permit is required for any new building or structure2. The township's own list of permit-required work also covers sheds, decks, garages, additions, fences, solar panels, new and replacement wells, and new or resurfaced driveways8. Some statutory UCC exemptions exist for small structures, and we have not reviewed them, so ask before assuming a small building is exempt2.

The permit is not the only gate: zoning, driveway, sewage, highway and stormwater permits continue to apply where relevant10. Pennsylvania's UCC also requires a certificate of occupancy before a building is used11.

Who issues building permits in Hopewell Township, and how do you reach them?

Inside Hopewell Township, the township itself issues building permits, not York County. Applications go to the township office at 3336 Bridgeview Road, PO Box 429, Stewartstown, PA 17363, phone 717-993-20278. The township uses two contracted companies to process permits and enforce ordinances8.

For zoning permits, stormwater and zoning complaints, or UCC permit questions and inspection scheduling, call Dependable Construction Code Services, LLC at 717-759-590612. A residential application comes with a $150 non-refundable application/deposit fee, and the township expects a 15 business day turnaround for approvals8. Further fees depend on permit type and are set by supervisors' resolution13.

The York County Planning Commission does not issue building permits and refers callers to the municipality5.

Does Hopewell Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Hopewell Township adopts and administers its own zoning chapter, with Residential (R), Agricultural (A), Conservation (Cv), Commercial (C), Industrial (I) and Residential II (R-II) zones3. A zoning officer and a zoning hearing board administer it3. York County has no countywide zoning ordinance; land use is delegated to municipalities14.

Rules differ by district. In the Residential zone, a single-family lot without public water or sewer needs at least 40,000 square feet and 200 feet of width7. In the Agricultural zone, a new single-family unit's lot also starts at 40,000 square feet and 200 feet of width15. Every single-family dwelling unit must have at least 600 square feet of habitable floor area6.

Subdivision and land development are regulated separately under the township's Chapter 2216.

How do septic permits work in Hopewell Township?

In Hopewell Township, the township's sewage enforcement officer issues septic permits, and the permit must be in hand before the building permit for any new building that uses an on-site system4. The township's SEO is contracted through James R. Holley & Associates in York, reachable at (717) 828-2999 or [email protected]9. Pennsylvania's Act 537 program has local agencies issue these permits, with DEP providing oversight17.

Existing systems fall under a maintenance plan: septic systems must be pumped, and cesspools inspected, once every four years9.

Soils matter on this side of York County. Only about 18% of York County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system18.

We could not confirm a township rule on private well permits; the township lists new and replacement wells among its permit-required work8.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Hopewell Township?

We could not confirm any township provision that allows living in an RV or a tiny home on a lot. Call the township's zoning contact at 717-759-5906 before buying land or moving anything onto it12.

What the township's zoning does say points toward caution. A dwelling unit must have at least 600 square feet of habitable floor area, which rules out most tiny homes as a permanent residence6. A second residential unit on a lot is allowed only by a hardship permit for a family member of the owner, with no rent collected, and only while the hardship lasts19. Mobile home parks are a special exception in the Residential zone on a tract of at least 10 acres with public sewer and water20.

Building a home in Hopewell Township: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zone and lot rules with the zoning officer through Dependable Construction Code Services, 717-759-590612.
  2. Get the septic permit from the township's sewage enforcement officer; it must issue before the building permit if you use on-site sewage4.
  3. Submit the permit application and the $150 residential deposit to the township office8.
  4. Allow roughly 15 business days for approval8.
  5. Request inspections from both the building code official and the zoning enforcement officer21.
  6. Receive the final inspection and the use and occupancy certificate, which are issued together with the zoning use certificate22.

What stays with York County, and what should you check before you buy?

Little stays with York County for building and zoning: the county planning commission does not issue building permits5, and land-use policy is left to municipalities14. For land outside Hopewell Township, see the York County page.

Before buying, check which zone the parcel is in, whether public water and sewer reach it, and whether a septic site evaluation is feasible. Floodplain rules are in a township chapter we have not reviewed, so ask the township about floodplain development16. County-level figures: York County farmland averages about $9,224 per acre23, and the effective property tax rate is about 1.7%24.

Watch-outs

  • Hopewell Township's septic permit comes first: no building permit issues for a building on an on-site system until the sewage enforcement officer has issued the septic permit4.
  • Owners of existing septic systems must pump them, and cesspool owners must have them inspected, once every four years under the township's on-lot management program9.
  • We could not confirm township rules on RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, short-term rentals or an owner-builder exemption; ask the township office at 717-993-2027 before relying on any of them8.
  • The township's published fee schedule and the supervisors' resolutions set permit fees beyond the deposit, so ask for the current schedule before budgeting13.

Sources

  1. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Hopewell Township Chapter 27 Zoning (township-hosted PDF) (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. York County Planning Commission (ycpc.org)
  6. Hopewell Township Chapter 27 Zoning (township-hosted PDF) (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Hopewell Township Chapter 27 Zoning (township-hosted PDF) (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Hopewell Township Municipal Office (building permits and zoning) (hopewelltownship.com)
  9. Hopewell Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (James R. Holley & Associates, Inc.) (hopewelltownship.com)
  10. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  12. Dependable Construction Code Services, LLC (township's contracted zoning and UCC office) (hopewelltownship.com)
  13. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Data Center Development in York County (2026 county census)
  15. Hopewell Township Chapter 27 Zoning (township-hosted PDF) (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Township of Hopewell, PA eCode360 table of contents (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  18. 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
  19. Hopewell Township Chapter 27 Zoning (township-hosted PDF) (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  20. Hopewell Township Chapter 27 Zoning (township-hosted PDF) (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  21. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  22. Hopewell Township Code Ch. 5 Pt. 1 Uniform Construction Code, Art. A Implementation (Hopewell Township), quoted and re-checked
  23. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
  24. Effective property tax rate: 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Hopewell Township

Hopewell Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New buildings and structures inside Hopewell township under the township building code

    • Fees must be paid before any permit is issued
    • Zoning, driveway, sewage, highway and NPDES permits continue to be required where applicable
    • On-site sewage permit must issue first for buildings using on-site sewage
    • Statutory UCC exemptions (e.g. certain small utility structures) not reviewed
    “no building permit shall be issued pursuant to the township's building code for any new building or structure that will utilize an on-site sanitary sewer system until a permit for such system has been issued by the township's sewage enforcement officer.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    All construction inside Hopewell township

    • Township elects to administer the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (UCC) and includes all uncovered decks
    • Codes mandated by the UCC are updated automatically as the UCC is amended
    • Township keeps roof-drain seepage pit rule for structures over 800 sq ft (farm buildings exempt)
    “the ucc is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as the building code of the township.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction inside Hopewell township subject to the UCC

    • Applicant must request inspections from both the building code official and zoning enforcement officer
    • Administration may be by township employee, third-party agency, intermunicipal agreement, or Dept. of Labor and Industry for non-residential structures
    “it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to request such inspections or permits from both the township's building code official and zoning enforcement officer”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Use and occupancy certificates inside Hopewell township

    • Issued together with the zoning use certificate; neither is issued separately
    • Additional fees due must be paid before the certificate is issued
    “final inspections and occupancy certificates as required under or issued in conjunction with the ucc shall be conducted and issued with, and at the same time as, final inspections and use and occupancy certificates required by the township's zoning ordinance”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Hopewell township; the township adopts and administers its own zoning chapter (Chapter 27)

    • Zones: Residential (R), Agricultural (A), Conservation (Cv), Commercial (C), Industrial (I), Residential II (R-II)
    • Zoning is administered by the zoning officer and zoning hearing board
    “residential zone (r) agricultural zone (a) conservation zone (cv) commercial zone (c) industrial zone (i) residential ii zone (r-ii)”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Hopewell township zoning districts

    • Zoning map amendments are listed at the end of Chapter 27
    “residential zone (r) agricultural zone (a) conservation zone (cv) commercial zone (c) industrial zone (i) residential ii zone (r-ii)”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    All dwelling units in all zones inside Hopewell township

    • Multi-family apartment or conversion: 400 sq ft per dwelling unit

    minimum habitable floor area, single-family/two-family/townhouse: >= 600 sq ft per dwelling unit · minimum habitable floor area, other multi-family: >= 400 sq ft per dwelling unit

    “§27-312. minimum habitable floor area. all dwelling units must conform to the minimum habitable floor area following: a. single-family, two-family, townhouse. six hundred square feet per dwelling unit.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    New single-family residential units, Agricultural (A) zone, Hopewell township

    • Lot must not exceed 1 acre unless physical limitations require more
    • 2-acre minimum on land of low agricultural quality in some cases (§27-318); width 200 ft
    • Number of dwelling units limited by tract size as of June 20, 1974

    minimum lot area: >= 40000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 200 ft

    “c. the single-family residential unit in the agricultural zone shall contain an area of at least 40,000 square feet and shall have a minimum lot width of 200”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings, Residential (R) zone, Hopewell township
      “where neither public water service nor public sewer service are provided, lots for single-family detached dwellings shall have a minimum lot area of 40,000 square feet and a minimum lot width of 200 feet.”
    • District specific (with conditions) — Principal uses, Residential II (R-II) zone, Hopewell township (§27-208)
      “a. minimum lot area–1 acre (43,560 square feet). b. minimum lot width–200 feet.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings with public water and sewer, Residential (R) zone, Hopewell township

    • Side setbacks are calculated to maintain at least 20 feet between structures
    • Setbacks for lots without public water/sewer in the R zone not captured

    front yard: >= 35 ft · rear yard: >= 15 ft

    “front yard side yards rear yard single-family detached 9,000 80 35 * 15”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential II (R-II) zone, Hopewell township (§27-208); zone attribution inferred from section position

    • Agricultural buildings have a different rule (text cut at excerpt)
    • Height limits for R and A zones not captured

    maximum building height: <= 50 ft (agricultural buildings)

    “the building height limit shall be 50 feet, except in the case of agricultural buildings”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile/manufactured homes inside Hopewell township, Residential (R) zone

    • Mobile home parks are a special exception in the R zone with a 10-acre minimum tract, public sewer and water, and 7,500 sq ft lots
    • Zoning officer may grant a hardship permit for a mobile home to house a family member; removal within 90 days after it ceases to serve the occupant
    • Treatment of individual mobile homes on single lots in other zones not confirmed
    “(1) rooming house, multi-family conversion. (2) mobile home park. (3) convalescent home. (4) hospital.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Second residential units on a lot inside Hopewell township

    • Hardship permit only for the owner's ancestors or direct descendants
    • All units on the tract must be occupied by the owner or family and no rent or consideration received
    • Permit lasts only while hardship conditions continue
    “the zoning officer may grant a hardship permit to place a mobile home or other residential unit on a lot where the same would otherwise not be permitted by the terms of this chapter to house a member of the family of the owner of the tract”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    On-site sewage systems for new buildings inside Hopewell township; permits issued by the township's sewage enforcement officer

    • Township SEO operates under state sewage facilities rules; a 2020 township fee schedule names a contracted firm (not verified current)
    “no building permit shall be issued pursuant to the township's building code for any new building or structure that will utilize an on-site sanitary sewer system until a permit for such system has been issued by the township's sewage enforcement officer.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New buildings using on-site sewage inside Hopewell township

    • Must be issued before the building permit
    • Public/community sewer connections instead require evidence of an irrevocable right to connect with sufficient capacity
    “no building permit shall be issued pursuant to the township's building code for any new building or structure that will utilize an on-site sanitary sewer system until a permit for such system has been issued by the township's sewage enforcement officer.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Hopewell township

    • Chapter 22 text not opened; stormwater chapter 23 also applies
    • Zoning requires land development and stormwater plan approval for some special exceptions
    “chapter 22 subdivision and land development (§ 22-101 &ndash; § 22-807)”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveways inside Hopewell township where applicable

    • Applies as 'as applicable'; state highway driveways also need PennDOT permits (not verified here)
    “including but not limited to zoning, driveway, sewage, highway or npdes permits, as applicable, shall continue to be required.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building and UCC permit fees inside Hopewell township

    • Fees set by board of supervisors resolution; the code has a Fee Schedule chapter not opened
    • Use certificate fee also set by resolution
    “fees assessable by the township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this part and the ucc shall be established by the board of supervisors by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building and zoning permit process inside Hopewell township

    • Applicant requests inspections/permits from both building code official and zoning officer
    • Forms and step-by-step application process not reviewed
    “it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to request such inspections or permits from both the township's building code official and zoning enforcement officer”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Hopewell township
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Hopewell township
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Hopewell township
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Hopewell township
  • Septic inspection — Septic inspection inside Hopewell township
6 more unanswered
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Hopewell Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. York County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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