East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In East Pennsboro Township, the Department of Housing & Community Development at the township building, 98 South Enola Drive, Enola (717-732-0711), administers the Uniform Construction Code with zoning, code enforcement and inspections. Building permit applications come from the township’s Document Center and need three sets of scaled plans for new work. Under Resolution 2025-07, adopted March 5, 2025 and still listed as current, a residential building permit is 1.2% of the value of the improvement, with $100 of it paid up front as a non-refundable application fee.

What requires a building permit in East Pennsboro Township?

The township’s construction codes page sets a broad rule: a building permit is needed to build, alter, relocate, enlarge, replace, repair, equip, use, occupy, maintain, remove or demolish any building or structure or anything attached to it. The building permit form itself lists new structures, additions, alterations, repairs, changes of occupancy, demolition, and stand-alone fire protection, electrical, plumbing or mechanical work.

A shed or other accessory structure that replaces a permitted one of the same size in the same place needs no new zoning permit if it meets the zoning rules; the township still reviews the plans, without a fee, and any building permit requirement stays. New impervious coverage may also need a stormwater permit or documentation.

What East Pennsboro decides and what the state holds

L&I’s list shows the township opted in to the UCC on July 7, 2004, with local amendments, and the township has also adopted the International Fire Code in full. The Board of Commissioners sets fees by resolution and adopted a new Zoning Ordinance (851-2023), Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (852-2023) and Design & Natural Resources Ordinance (853-2023) in December 2023, moving design and natural resource standards into Part IV of Chapter 23. In September 2026 it added data center definitions to the zoning ordinance by Ordinance 864-2026.

East Pennsboro Township building department: who handles permitting

Housing & Community Development handles the UCC, zoning, subdivision and land development, code enforcement, building inspections, engineering and health and sanitation, and staffs the Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, Health Board, Environmental Advisory Council and Fire Board. Building, zoning, sewer connection and rental forms all go back to this office; highway occupancy permits are handled with Public Works.

East Pennsboro permit types

The building permit application asks for the use group and construction type, a declared fair market value, the building’s height, footprint and total floor area, and the owner, designer and contractor. It also records the water and sewer source, any fire protection equipment, workers’ compensation (a certificate naming the township as holder, or the township’s notarized exemption affidavit) and an impervious coverage worksheet, with a dimensioned site plan showing roads, easements, wetlands, floodplains, lot lines and setbacks.

Residential permits

• New houses carry the Act 1 of 2011 sprinkler acknowledgement, in which the buyer accepts or declines a sprinkler system offered by the builder.
• Decks, sheds, fences and patios start with the zoning and accessory structure permit and its lot coverage sheet; a deck or shed may need a building permit too.
• Demolition of a house costs a $150 application fee plus $35 per 100 square feet, capped at $1,000, with other departments’ costs billed on top.
• Rentals are registered with the department and pay a $25 yearly fee per unit, added to the fourth-quarter trash and sewer bill.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building permits start with a $250 application fee, and the township can enter into an annual permit agreement with a commercial occupant under the UCC. A replacement commercial certificate of occupancy costs $200, a commercial certificate of use $150, and signs $100 on top of any building or zoning permit. Fire code operational permits, from hot work to fuel dispensing, are listed in the same fee schedule under fire administration.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. A $100 zoning permit is required for a new structure, an enlargement or a change of use; zoning determinations cost $750 and compliance letters $150.
• Zoning Hearing Board. Variances, special exceptions, interpretations and appeals of the Zoning Officer. The board meets at 5 p.m. on the third Thursday (November 19 and December 17 in 2026). File the original, one digital copy and seven paper copies with a $250 fee and $750 escrow; financial hardship is not grounds for relief.
• Stormwater. A house improvement that needs a stormwater mitigation plan but no land development plan requires a $1,000 review escrow.
• Floodplain. The zoning form asks whether the site lies in an identified flood-prone area, and the Floodplain Administrator signs off before a permit issues.
• Sewer and septic. Public sewer connections need a sewer connection permit and tap fee. On-lot systems go through the township’s contracted Sewage Enforcement Officer, with a $1,000 escrow and a letter authorizing the township to engage the SEO at your expense.
• Driveways. The zoning form marks driveways as needing a highway occupancy permit. The township’s permit covers driveways, curbs, sidewalks and street cuts, and its checklist says a driveway on a state highway needs a PennDOT permit. The checklist also sets township driveway rules: at least 40 feet from the corner on a corner lot, 2 feet from side lot lines, and no more than 25 feet wide at the curb for a house.

East Pennsboro permit costs and fees

The Board of Commissioners adopted the current schedule, Resolution 2025-07, on March 5, 2025; it applies until amended, and the township’s fee page still lists it as current. A review of the fee schedule is on the agenda for the November 9, 2026 budget workshop. Application fees are non-refundable but credited to the final permit fee, the rest is paid before the permit issues, and fees are rounded up to the next dollar (the state fee excepted).

The value of residential work is the higher of the August 2019 ICC building valuation data, $1,000 per panel for attached solar, or the declared fair market value. Worked example: a kitchen and bath remodel declared at $30,000 costs 1.2% of $30,000, or $360, of which the $100 application fee is a part, plus $4.50. Work started before a permit adds a residential administrative fee of $250 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second and $2,000 after that, or $1,000 per $100,000 of value on commercial work.

Commercial values follow the same idea: new buildings and additions use the higher of the August 2019 ICC valuation data or the declared value, and alterations and repairs the higher of RSMeans third-quarter 2019 costs for Harrisburg or the declared value. Commercial demolition is a $450 application fee plus $35 per 100 square feet for the first 2,000 square feet, $35 per 1,000 square feet up to 100,000, and $25 per 1,000 above that. Moving earth costs $75 for 2 to 100 cubic yards, $100 up to 1,000, and $115 plus $45 per further 1,000 cubic yards. Conditional use hearings are $500 and rezoning requests $1,500, each with an escrow for advertising and hearing costs, and the East Pennsboro Township Authority bills a stormwater fee of $34 a quarter for a single-family property.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is permitted on the township building permit application, either with the building work or as a trade-only permit, issued by Housing & Community Development under the UCC. The township’s forms ask for contractor names and workers’ compensation proof but show no township license for electricians, plumbers or HVAC contractors; home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under HICPA.

• Plumbing and sewer laterals: new connections and lateral repairs use the sewer connection permit, which names the plumber and the pipe material; a repair costs $125 plus $4.50.
• Fire protection: sprinklers, standpipes, hydrants, key boxes, alarms and extinguishers are listed on the building permit form.
• Fire code permits: operations such as hot work, spraying, fuel dispensing and tents need operational permits from the fire administration fee list, mostly $50.

How to apply for an East Pennsboro building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A third and any later plan review is billed at the $100 hourly consultation rate. Withdrawing an application after review has started also costs consultation time. A stormwater mitigation plan is reviewed against a $1,000 escrow, and the township bills more if that runs short; no permit is granted until all fees, invoices and escrows are paid. State rules give 15 business days for a complete residential application and 30 for commercial work.

Inspections in East Pennsboro Township

Housing & Community Development carries out the building inspections (717-732-0711). A re-inspection is charged at the consultation rate when work fails because it is wrong, unfinished or covered up, or when nobody is on site to let the inspector in. Street cuts need at least 72 hours’ notice before final restoration so the township can inspect the excavation, and sewer connections carry their own inspection fee ($450 for a new house). Rental units are inspected under the township’s rental program, with fees for missed inspections outside business hours. Appeals on property maintenance matters outside the UCC cost $250 plus a $750 escrow, and owners of abandoned properties must register them under Ordinance 759-17, paying $250 for the first year and up to $2,000 a year from the fourth.

Pennsylvania building code in East Pennsboro Township

East Pennsboro administers the UCC through its own department under its 2004 opt-in, adds the full International Fire Code, and keeps local amendments. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the township (community 420359) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 7, 2023.

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 Pennsboro permit search and official resources

Permit and inspection records are requested under the Right-to-Know Law on the township’s official request form or the state Office of Open Records form; the township may return an email request that does not use a form. Administrative requests go to righttoknow@eastpennsboro.net, the Housing and Community Development Director serves as Open Records Officer, and a response is due within five business days.

• Construction Codes
• Zoning (ordinances, permits, Zoning Hearing Board)
• Housing & Community Development
• Document Center (applications and forms)
• 2025 fee schedule, Resolution 2025-07
• Building permit application
• Zoning and accessory structure permit application
• Zoning Hearing Board application
• Sewer connection and repair permit application
• Highway occupancy permit application and driveway checklist
• Zoning Hearing Board meeting dates
• Right-to-Know requests
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

East Pennsboro building permit FAQs

How much is a residential building permit in East Pennsboro?

1.2% of the value of the improvement, which includes the $100 application fee, plus $4.50 for the state.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes, a $100 zoning and accessory structure permit; a replacement shed of the same size and place needs none if the original was permitted.

What does a new house cost beyond the building permit?

A $2,200 recreation fee per dwelling unit and a sewer tap of $4,755 plus a $450 inspection, among other items.

Does the township license electricians or plumbers?

Its forms show no township trade license; contractors give their names and workers’ compensation proof, and home improvement contractors register under HICPA.

When does the Zoning Hearing Board meet?

At 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month; the fee is $250 plus a $750 escrow.

Do I need a permit for a driveway?

The zoning form marks driveways as needing a highway occupancy permit; the township charges $75 for a new driveway and $25 for a repair, and a driveway on a state highway needs a PennDOT permit.

Who handles septic systems?

The township’s contracted Sewage Enforcement Officer, paid from a $1,000 escrow you deposit with the township.

Simplify East Pennsboro 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 Pennsboro Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.