East Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

East Hempfield Township’s Building/Zoning office (717-898-3100) issues permits under the Uniform Construction Code, and the township uses Code Administrators Inc. for building code plan review and every inspection. Applications go in as PDFs by email. Under the 2026 fee schedule adopted January 5, 2026, the building permit fee is based on Code Administrators’ fee schedule plus a 10% administrative fee and the $4.50 state fee, and a separate zoning fee applies, $100 for a home addition.

What requires a building permit in East Hempfield Township?

East Hempfield uses one combined building and zoning permit application for homes and one for commercial property, and the boxes on that form show the work the township expects to see.

The form lists decks and porches in two height bands, up to and over 30 inches, and accessory structures in two size bands, up to and over 399 square feet, so give the exact size on the application. The township also publishes 2021 deck construction notes and basement finishing notes for owners and builders. The township’s pages do not list exempt work, so ask before skipping a permit.

What East Hempfield decides and what the state holds

The construction standards come from the statewide Uniform Construction Code, which East Hempfield elected to enforce on July 1, 2004; L&I lists it with local amendments. The Board of Supervisors sets zoning, subdivision and land development rules, the stormwater ordinance (Chapter 260), the 2016 floodplain ordinance, the on-lot sewage pumping rule and the fee schedule. Two drafts, a data center amendment (file dated August 19, 2026) and a set of miscellaneous zoning amendments, are posted as pending legislation for public comment; the page does not show either as adopted.

East Hempfield Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building/Zoning office within Planning issues permits and handles code enforcement and records research. Nathaniel Sturgis is the Director of Planning, and the township has its own Building Code Official and a Zoning Officer. The Building/Zoning page says that official performs permit reviews and inspections, but the same page and the 2026 fee schedule say Code Administrators Inc. carries out building code plan review and all inspections, and applicants call it directly to book them. Floodplain questions go to planning@easthempfield.org, and comments on pending zoning changes to zoning@easthempfield.org.

East Hempfield Township permit types

Every project, residential or commercial, starts on the same building and zoning permit application. The form asks for the project cost and footprint, the contractor’s details and a short description, and for commercial jobs it adds a page listing the demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, heating, foundation and fire protection contractors.

Residential permits

A homeowner or contractor emails the completed application with PDF plans, a site plan, the stormwater exemption form if any new impervious area is added, the contractor’s general liability certificate, and the workers’ compensation affidavit for a building permit. The site plan must show every structure’s dimensions, the driveway width and length to the right-of-way line, distances to all property lines, any easements, and the lot’s length and width. Under the state workers’ compensation law a homeowner doing the work is not treated as a contractor. The township’s deck construction notes and basement finish notes both carry a September 15, 2026 document date on its forms page.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit applications, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial projects pay a zoning fee that rises with project value: $200 up to $1 million, $300 to $2 million and $400 above that, plus $150 for each sign. Code Administrators Inc. reviews the plans, and the applicant remains responsible for any added plan review or inspection fees, all of which must be paid before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. The Zoning Officer reviews each application; a zoning determination is $100 and Zoning Hearing Board cases are $600 for residential property and $700 for commercial.
• Stormwater. Section 260-28(C) exempts a lifetime total of up to 1,000 square feet of new impervious surface, or 5% of the gross lot area if smaller, counted from June 2, 2014; the Stormwater Officer can still require a small project plan ($100 residential, $300 commercial). The township posts small-project designs for an infiltration pit and a rain garden, a guide to choosing a stormwater practice, and an operation and maintenance agreement.
• Floodplain. Very little is permitted in floodplain areas, and with few exceptions nothing new can be placed there, including buildings and fences. The township also regulates smaller unmapped streams.
• Sewer and septic. Public sewer questions go to the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority; the township does not maintain the system. On-lot systems go through the township Sewage Enforcement Officer from David Miller Associates; the Director of Planning (ext. 239) gives the contact.
• Land development. Plans carry a $600 application fee and an escrow from $2,500 to $15,000 by project value, paid by separate checks.

East Hempfield Township permit costs and fees

The 2026 fee schedule was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on January 5, 2026. The schedule says building permit fees are based on Code Administrators Inc.’s fee schedule plus a 10% administrative fee and the $4.50 state fee; the township’s zoning fees are charged on top.

Because the building fee follows the agency’s own schedule, which the township does not post, a full permit cost cannot be worked out from township documents alone; ask Code Administrators Inc. for its figure, then add the 10% administrative fee, the zoning fee and $4.50. For a home addition, for example, the township’s own lines are the $100 zoning fee, the 10% administrative fee and the state fee. On larger projects with escrow accounts, inspections are not scheduled while the escrow balance is below its minimum or invoices are 90 or more days overdue.

Land use filings have their own lines. Conditional use and rezoning requests cost $1,500 each with a $1,000 escrow, and continuing a hearing at the applicant’s request is $450 for residential and $650 for commercial cases. Subdivision plans are $600 plus $50 per lot, and land development or stormwater plans $600 plus $50 per acre, with escrows of $2,500 for projects up to $50,000, $5,000 up to $200,000, $7,500 up to $500,000, $10,000 up to $1 million and $15,000 above. Stormwater facilities carry a 3% inspection fee and a 3% maintenance fee on their cost, and dedicating a street to the township costs $1,000 for the first and $250 for each additional one.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: electrical work is a box on the same building and zoning application, and Code Administrators Inc. inspects it.
• Plumbing and mechanical: plumbing and heating contractors are listed on the commercial contractor page, and their work, like all work in the township, is inspected by Code Administrators Inc.
• Fire protection: fire alarms and sprinklers are their own box on the application and are reviewed with the plans.

East Hempfield’s pages set no local contractor registration or trade license. Contractors must supply a general liability certificate, and a contractor with employees must show workers’ compensation coverage under Act 44 by attaching its certificate with the policy’s effective date. A contractor with no employees, or with a religious exemption, completes and notarizes the exemption section of the township’s form and still gives its federal or state employer identification number; without that page the building permit is denied. Home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under the state home improvement law.

How to apply for an East Hempfield Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township asks for every application and supporting document as a PDF, with the plans, site plan, stormwater form and insurance papers included, so a missing item holds the permit up. The state code sets 15 business days for a residential decision and 30 for commercial. A project needing a Zoning Hearing Board decision, a stormwater management plan or floodplain review waits for those steps, and the applicant also pays for any extra review the agency bills, including on projects later abandoned. Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board cases follow the township’s 2026 submission schedules, posted on its Planning pages.

Inspections in East Hempfield Township

All inspections are carried out by Code Administrators Inc. Call 717-859-3350 at least 24 hours ahead. The township’s own inspector handles property maintenance and code enforcement, with complaints taken on an online form, and the residential zoning schedule includes a $50 inspection fee. Extra inspections the agency needs during construction are billed to the applicant.

A certificate of occupancy is issued only once every fee has been paid. Pool barriers follow the IRC Appendix G requirements the township posts. East Hempfield’s pages describe no resale use and occupancy inspection for house sales; a zoning occupancy permit ($75) is listed for new uses. Owners of on-lot septic systems must have them pumped and inspected at least every three years by a township-approved pumper and send the report to the township.

Pennsylvania building code in East Hempfield Township

East Hempfield has enforced the Uniform Construction Code since July 1, 2004, using Code Administrators Inc. for review and inspection. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists East Hempfield Township (community 420548) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective April 5, 2016; the township adopted its current floodplain ordinance with those maps.

Pennsylvania has one Uniform Construction Code for the whole state, based on the 2021 International Codes since January 1, 2026. Most municipalities enforce it themselves or through a certified third-party agency; where a municipality has opted out, the Department of Labor and Industry handles commercial work and home owners hire a certified agency. Counties do not issue building permits. Pennsylvania rules

East Hempfield Township permit search and official resources

There is no public online permit search. The Building/Zoning office does records research, and formal requests go to the Open Records Officer on the township’s request form or the state form, by mail to 1700 Nissley Road, PO Box 128, Landisville, PA 17538, or by email to RTK@easthempfield.org (717-898-3100, ext. 268). Copies are $0.25 a page and certified copies $5 a document. Neighboring Lancaster city permits separately; see the Lancaster guide and the Lancaster County guide.

• Building/Zoning department
• Building and zoning permit application (PDF)
• 2026 fee schedule, adopted January 5, 2026 (PDF)
• Construction and building forms
• Residential deck construction notes (PDF)
• Pool barrier requirements (PDF)
• Floodplain management
• On-lot septic systems
• Water, sewer and Sewage Enforcement Officer
• Pending legislation, including the draft data center amendment
• Staff directory
• Public records access (PDF)
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

East Hempfield Township building permit FAQs

How do I apply for a permit in East Hempfield?

Email the building and zoning permit application and all plans as PDFs to Permits@Easthempfield.org.

Who does the inspections?

Code Administrators Inc. performs all inspections. Call 717-859-3350 with at least 24 hours’ notice.

How much does a building permit cost?

The building fee is based on Code Administrators Inc.’s fee schedule plus a 10% administrative fee and the $4.50 state fee, plus the township zoning fee, such as $100 for a home addition or $60 for an accessory structure.

Do I need a stormwater permit for a patio or shed?

Any new impervious area needs the stormwater exemption form. The exemption covers a lifetime total of up to 1,000 square feet, or 5% of the lot if smaller, since June 2, 2014.

Can I build in the floodplain?

Very little is allowed. With few exceptions nothing new, including buildings and fences, can be placed in a floodplain, and unmapped smaller streams are regulated too.

Who handles sewer connections?

The Lancaster Area Sewer Authority at 130 Centerville Road, Lancaster (717-299-4843); the township does not run the public sewer or water systems, and on-lot systems go through its Sewage Enforcement Officer.

Is a resale inspection required when I sell?

The township’s pages describe no resale use and occupancy inspection for house sales. A $75 zoning occupancy permit is listed for new uses.

Does my septic system need inspections?

Yes. On-lot systems must be pumped and inspected at least every three years by a township-approved pumper.

Simplify East Hempfield Township permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Pennsylvania. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about East Hempfield Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.