Bolthole Index

York County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic in Spring Garden Township, Pennsylvania

Spring Garden Township, York County, Pennsylvania requires a permit to build or alter any building or structure, and the township issues it1. The township writes and enforces its own zoning through Chapter 3102. Septic permits come from a separate local sewage agency, normally the township's sewage enforcement officer, not the county planning office3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required to build or alter any building or structure; issued by the township1
Who issues it
Spring Garden Township administration, with plan review and inspections by a third-party agency4
Zoning
Township zoning with R-1, R-2, A-O, C, IP, OS and Floodplain districts25
Septic
Permit from the local agency before installing or using an on-lot system63
Decision time
Single- and two-family permits are granted or refused within 15 days of application7
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the township zoning office4
Owner-builder
Statewide home-improvement law excludes an owner's own uncompensated work, but permits still apply8
Farm buildings
Farm buildings are a by-right use only in the OS zone9

Who to call

Building permits

Spring Garden Township Administration (building and zoning permits)

Building permit and zoning permit applications and permit pickup inside Spring Garden Township; plan review and inspections run through a third-party agency

(717) 848-2858

340 Tri Hill Road, Suite A, York, PA 17403

Septic permits

Spring Garden Township sewage enforcement (on-lot sewage systems)

On-lot (septic) system questions; the township page points to the local agency's Sewage Enforcement Officer

Planning & zoning

York County Planning Commission

County planning information 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

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Do you need a building permit in Spring Garden Township, PA?

Yes. Spring Garden Township makes it unlawful to build or alter any building or structure in the township without a permit1. The township will refuse a permit unless the plan meets the Chapter 310 setbacks, provides surface drainage, has an approved and recorded subdivision plan and has any required sewerage permits1.

A permit lapses if work does not begin within 90 days or finish within one year, with extensions up to two years1. The township must grant or refuse an application for a single-family or two-family dwelling within 15 days, and within 30 days for other structures7.

The township's page lists two kinds of approval: a building permit for work under the State Building Code that needs inspections, and a zoning permit for smaller jobs that typically need none4. Replacing windows or doors of the same size and location is one job the township says needs no permit4.

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

The township issues them. Applications go to Spring Garden Township Administration at 340 Tri Hill Road, Suite A, York, PA 17403, phone (717) 848-28584. The township's plan review and inspections are handled by Code Administrators, a third-party agency that invoices its plan-review and inspection fees separately; to schedule an inspection, call 717-859-33504.

The York County Planning Commission does not issue building permits, so a call to the county planning counter will only send you back to the township10.

Additional impervious surfaces such as patios, driveways, sheds and garages need a Stormwater Management Permit Application alongside the building or zoning permit4. The township's fee schedule sits on its Forms & Permits page; we could not confirm the dollar amounts, so ask the township office before you budget7.

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

Yes. Spring Garden Township divides its land into zones on an official zoning map, and Chapter 310 of the township code governs them2. The districts are R-1, R-2, A-O, C, IP, OS and Floodplain5.

The numbers depend on the district. In R-1 Residential Suburban, minimum lot area is 10,000 square feet with public water and sewer, 15,000 with one of the two and 30,000 with neither11. R-1 setbacks are 25 feet front, 10 feet each side and 25 feet rear12. In R-2 Residential Urban, minimum lot area is 7,500 square feet with public water and sewer and 10,000 with only one of them, and setbacks are 20 feet front, 5 feet each side and 20 feet rear1314. In the OS Open Space zone, every use needs at least 2 acres, and setbacks are 50 feet front and 40 feet on each side and rear1516.

Check the zoning map for your parcel's district before you rely on any of these figures.

How do septic permits work in Spring Garden Township?

A building served by an on-lot sewage system needs a permit from the local agency before the system is installed, built, occupied or used6. In Pennsylvania the local agency is a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department17. The township's own page says the contact is normally the local township's Sewage Enforcement Officer3.

We could not confirm from the township's sewer chapter whether your address must connect to public sewer instead, or what the township's local septic permit steps and fees are. Ask the township office before you plan a drain field4. For wells, Pennsylvania requires drilling companies, not homeowners drilling their own well, to hold a license and permits18.

York County soils rate poorly for conventional drain fields: only 18.2% are rated not limited, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system19.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Spring Garden Township?

We could not confirm that Spring Garden Township allows living in an RV or a tiny home on a lot, and the township's zoning chapter is where the answer lives. The township zoning office can tell you whether either is allowed in your district4.

One rule is clear. A mobile home park is allowed only as a special exception in the A-O zone, approved by the zoning hearing board, and single-family districts do not list mobile homes among their by-right uses20. Pennsylvania's rules for RV stays at state park campgrounds do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot21.

Any dwelling that moves onto a lot also falls under the township's building permit and, for manufactured housing, under the state building code for site preparation, foundations and occupancy changes22.

Building a home in Spring Garden Township: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and its lot, setback and coverage rules on the township zoning map5.
  2. If the land is being subdivided, the final plan must be approved and recorded before a building permit can issue23.
  3. Get sewerage approvals in place, because the township will not issue a building permit without required sewerage permits1.
  4. File the building permit application with a lot drawing at Spring Garden Township Administration14.
  5. Pay plan-review and inspection fees to Code Administrators, then the township fees when you pick up the permit4.
  6. Schedule inspections through Code Administrators4.
  7. Get the certificate of occupancy; Pennsylvania's code says a residential building may not be occupied without one24.

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

York County does not issue building permits and does not administer township zoning; zoning and land-use policy belongs to the municipalities25. Land outside Spring Garden Township is covered on the York County page.

Before you buy, check four things. First, the township zoning district and any floodplain overlay; the township lists Floodplain as its own zone5. Second, whether you can get public sewer, or whether an on-lot system is needed3. Third, a driveway onto a state road needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit26. Fourth, York County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%27.

Watch-outs

  • Permit fees are set by the township's board and listed on its Forms & Permits page; we could not confirm the amounts, so ask Spring Garden Township Administration7.
  • A farm building is exempt from the OS zone's 35 foot height limit only; the township's code lists no general exemption from building permits for farm buildings9.
  • Do not assume the state's agricultural-building exclusion removes zoning review; municipal zoning requirements can still apply28.
  • An owner doing their own uncompensated work is excluded from the state home-improvement law, but that does not waive building-permit or zoning requirements8.

Sources

  1. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 120 Building Construction, Art. I (§§ 120-3 to 120-12) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Spring Garden Township sewage enforcement (on-lot sewage systems) (springgardentwp.org)
  4. Spring Garden Township Administration (building and zoning permits) (springgardentwp.org)
  5. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 120 Building Construction, Art. I (§§ 120-3 to 120-12) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, quoted and re-checked
  9. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. York County Planning Commission (ycpc.org)
  11. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. 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
  20. Spring Garden Township Code Ch. 310 Zoning, Art. II Zone Regulations (§§ 310-4 to 310-11) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  21. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Township of Spring Garden, PA code table of contents (eCode360) (Spring Garden Township), quoted and re-checked
  24. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Data Center Development in York County, quoted and re-checked
  26. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), 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 Spring Garden Township

Spring Garden Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building or altering any building or structure inside Spring Garden township

    • Application filed with building permit officer with a lot drawing
    • Permit refused unless setbacks per Ch. 310 conform, surface drainage provided, subdivision final plan approved and recorded, and required sewerage permits issued
    • No building in street right-of-way except drainage structures, curbing, pavement
    • Permit expires if work not begun in 90 days or not completed within one year (extensions up to two years)

    decision deadline single/two-family: <= 15 days (30 days for other structures)

    “it shall be unlawful for any person to build or alter any building or structure in spring garden township without having obtained a permit therefor as herein provided.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Spring Garden township, York County, PA

    • Zoning administered through Chapter 310 with a zoning hearing board for special exceptions
    “the township of spring garden is divided into zones listed below and shown on the map entitled "zoning map of spring garden township," which map is part of this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Spring Garden township

    • Official map kept at township administration building; interactive map online
    • Floodplain is also listed as a zone

    districts: R-1, R-2, A-O, C, IP, OS, Floodplain

    “r-1 residential suburban r-2 residential urban a-o apartment-office c commercial ip industrial park os open space — conservation floodplain”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Residential Suburban zone, inside Spring Garden township

    • Area depends on water/sewer: both public, one public, or neither
    • Modifications in Article IV may apply

    min lot area, public water and sewer: >= 10000 sq ft · min lot area, public water or sewer: >= 15000 sq ft · min lot area, no public water or sewer: >= 30000 sq ft

    “minimum lot area 10,000 square feet 15,000 square feet 30,000 square feet minimum lot width 80 feet 100 feet 125 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 Residential Suburban zone, inside Spring Garden township

    • Same setbacks in all three water/sewer columns
    • Article IV modifications may apply

    front setback: >= 25 feet · side setback (each): >= 10 feet · rear setback: >= 25 feet

    “minimum front setback 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet minimum side setback 10 feet (each) 10 feet (each) 10 feet (each) minimum rear setback 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 Residential Suburban zone, inside Spring Garden township

    • Percentage depends on water/sewer availability

    max coverage, public water and sewer: <= 45 percent · max coverage, public water or sewer: <= 35 percent · max coverage, no public water or sewer: <= 25 percent

    “maximum lot coverage 45% 35% 25% minimum front setback 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Residential Suburban zone (R-2 uses the same text in § 310-7E), inside Spring Garden township

    • May extend to 3 1/2 stories/40 feet if each yard is increased one foot for each foot of height over 30 feet
    • Accessory buildings: two stories, not over 25 feet

    main building height: <= 30 feet (2 1/2 stories; up to 40 feet/3 1/2 stories with larger yards) · accessory building height: <= 25 feet

    “the height limit for a main building shall be 2 1/2 stories, but not over 30 feet, except that the height limit may be extended to 3 1/2 stories, but not over 40 feet, if each yard is increased in width one foot for each additional foot of height over 30 feet. the height limit for accessory buildings shall be two stories, but not over 25 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile home parks inside Spring Garden township; single-family district uses by right do not list mobile homes

    • Mobile home park is a special exception only in the A-O zone, authorized by the zoning hearing board
    • Chapter 195 Mobile Homes exists but was not opened
    “(5) hotel/motel. (6) life-care retirement facility. (7) mobile home park. (8) nursing home.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agriculture and farm buildings in the OS zone inside Spring Garden township

    • Only the OS zone lists agriculture and farm buildings as uses by right
    • Farm buildings are exempt from the 35 foot OS height limit only
    • No general exemption from building permits was found
    “maximum building height 35 feet (except farm buildings, for which there is no height limitation)”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Spring Garden township

    • Building permits are not issued on subdivided land until the final plan is approved and recorded (§ 120-6D)
    • Chapter 275 content not opened
    “no permit shall be issued for the building or alteration of any building or structure upon land in a subdivision unless and until a final plan of such subdivision shall have been approved and properly recorded.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit applications inside Spring Garden township

    • Applicant may appeal a refusal to the board of commissioners
    • Completion report due within 90 days after completion (§ 120-8)

    decision deadline single/two-family: <= 15 days (30 days for other structures)

    “within 15 days after the receipt of an application for a building permit for a single-family or two-family dwelling or within 30 days after the receipt of an application for any other type of structure, the building permit officer must grant or refuse the permit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Spring Garden township
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Spring Garden township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Spring Garden township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy / use certificates inside Spring Garden township
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Spring Garden township
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Spring Garden Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. York County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of York County: county rules, score and offices