Building permits, zoning and septic rules in North Codorus Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required; the township administers the Uniform Construction Code¹

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance with a published zoning map and districts²⁵

Septic permit

Required; issued by the township sewage enforcement officer⁶³

Inspections

Request them from both the building code official and the zoning enforcement officer⁷

Occupancy

Use and occupancy certificate issued together with the zoning certificate⁸

Fees

Set by board of supervisors resolution; paid before permits issue⁹

Owner-builder

Statewide exclusion from home-improvement contractor rules for uncompensated owner work¹⁰

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in North Codorus Township, PA?

Yes. North Codorus Township has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its own building code and administers it locally¹. A new house, an addition or a deck needs a permit before work starts, and the township's land and improvements page offers an improvements permit application and a deck plan submittal¹¹.

Fees are set by the board of supervisors by resolution, and all permit and inspection fees must be paid before a permit is issued⁹. We could not confirm the current fee amounts; the township's fee schedule is posted on its land and improvements page¹¹.

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

The township office handles building permit paperwork, zoning questions and road, driveway and stormwater permit applications. Call 717-225-4812 or visit 1986 Stoverstown Road, Spring Grove¹¹.

York County does not issue building permits; the county planning commission refers callers to the municipality where the property sits⁴. Inspections are requested from both the township's building code official and its zoning enforcement officer⁷.

Does North Codorus Township have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. North Codorus Township is divided into zoning districts shown on its official zoning map². The districts include agricultural preservation, several residential, village, commercial and industrial districts, with a few overlays⁵. York County has no countywide zoning ordinance; zoning is left to municipalities¹².

The township publishes a list of allowed uses and a zoning map on its site¹¹. We could not confirm minimum lot sizes, setbacks, minimum home size, or whether RV living, tiny homes and manufactured homes are allowed in each district. Ask the township office, which also administers the zoning hearing board.

How do septic permits work in North Codorus Township?

The township appoints its own sewage enforcement officer under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act³. No one may install an individual or community sewage system without a township permit, and the officer inspects proposed systems before a permit is issued⁶¹³. Repairs and replacements count as installation unless the state Department of Environmental Protection says no permit is needed⁶.

Soils matter: across York County about 18% of mapped soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system¹⁴. The township also publishes a map of its on-lot sewage management area and its sewer system¹¹.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in North Codorus Township?

We could not confirm this. Statewide rules about state park campgrounds do not answer whether you may live in an RV on your own land. RV occupancy and tiny homes fall under the township's zoning ordinance and its allowed-uses table, which we could not read in full. Ask the North Codorus Township office at 717-225-4812 before you buy or park anything¹¹.

Building a home in North Codorus Township: the steps, in order

1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and allowed uses with the township office²¹¹.
2. Get a township sewage enforcement officer evaluation and septic permit if no public sewer serves the lot⁶.
3. File the improvements permit application and pay the fees¹¹⁹.
4. Get driveway, road occupancy and stormwater permits as applicable; zoning, driveway, sewage, highway and stormwater permits stay required alongside the building permit¹⁵.
5. Request inspections from both the building code official and the zoning enforcement officer⁷.
6. Obtain the use and occupancy certificate, which is issued together with the zoning certificate⁸.

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

York County does not issue building permits or zoning⁴. For rules on land outside the township, see the York County page. Pennsylvania does not require a state permit for homeowners who drill their own water well on their own land, but the township's rules on private wells were not confirmed¹⁶.

Check whether public water from the York Water Company or public sewer serves the lot¹¹. Floodplain rules may apply near streams; the township code has a floodplain chapter we could not confirm in detail, so ask the township office.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm minimum lot size, setbacks or minimum home size for any district, so get written answers from the township office before you buy¹¹.
• Building permit fee amounts were not confirmed; they are set by resolution of the board of supervisors and may change⁹.
• A building permit does not replace the zoning, driveway, sewage, highway or stormwater permits, which stay required where they apply¹⁵.

Sources

1. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 87 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
2. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 195 Zoning, Art. III District Regulations (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
3. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 146 Sewage Disposal Systems, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
4. York County Planning Commission (ycpc.org)
5. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 195 Zoning, Art. III District Regulations (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
6. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 146 Sewage Disposal Systems, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
7. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 87 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
8. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 87 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
9. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 87 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
10. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (2026 county census)
11. North Codorus Township Office (permits, zoning and sewage enforcement) (northcodorustwp.org)
12. Data Center Development in York County (2026 county census)
13. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 146 Sewage Disposal Systems, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
14. 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
15. North Codorus Township Code, Ch. 87 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. I (North Codorus Township), quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit, 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.