Hanover, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In the Borough of Hanover, York County, the Department of Code Enforcement (717-637-3877) administers the Uniform Construction Code: applications go in through the iWorQ portal only, and a contracted third-party agency reviews plans and inspects, billing the applicant on the permit invoice. Under Resolution 1481, enacted September 23, 2026, a residential building permit is $55 for the first $1,000 of cost and $10 for each further $1,000, plus an $8 technology fee and the $4.50 state fee.

What requires a building permit in Hanover?

The borough’s permitting policy requires a building permit for any residential or commercial new construction, remodel or renovation that involves a structural change, electrical work or plumbing work, and it lists further triggers.

Work disturbing 5,000 square feet or more of ground also needs the approval of the York County Conservation District, and the borough posts the district’s erosion and sediment guide for small projects.

What Hanover decides and what the state holds

The building standards are Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code, which Hanover elected to enforce on June 23, 2004 without local amendments, according to L&I’s list; older borough building ordinances that meet or exceed the UCC remain in force. Borough Council adopted a new zoning ordinance, No. 2385, and zoning map on January 28, 2026, and it sets the fee resolution, the rental registration ordinance (No. 2371, passed August 28, 2024) and the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code the department enforces.

Hanover building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Code Enforcement issues building, zoning and related permits, with its office on the lower level of the Administration Building at 33 Frederick Street. Christopher Miller is Chief Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer and the borough’s Building Code Official. Under the UCC the department contracts a third party for the plan review and inspections required for both residential and commercial building permits, and those charges appear on the invoice in the permit packet. Stormwater permits are decided by the Director of Planning and Engineering as Borough Engineer of Record.

York County issues no building permits; for the county picture see the York County guide.

Hanover Borough permit types

All permit applications except yard sale, chicken and dumpster or pod permits are filed electronically in iWorQ, with an electronic signature and a check box agreeing to the borough’s fees. Staff will not accept paper, will not fill in an application for anyone and may not upload documents for an applicant, so each “required uploads” item must be attached by the applicant.

Residential permits

A residential building permit is priced on project cost and covers new homes, additions, renovations with structural, electrical or plumbing changes, accessory buildings over the size limit, signs and demolition. Owners of rental units must also register each unit every year ($35 per unit), and vacant buildings carry a separate registration.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial permits cost $150 for the first $1,000 of project cost and $15 for each further $1,000. The borough posts the use-group and type-of-construction lists that the application asks for. A business moving into a space needs a change of use or occupancy permit ($25 plus the permit fee), and transient retail sellers follow Ordinance 2309 and the borough’s change-of-use guidelines.

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. Land use questions take a zoning permit, processed within five business days. Special exceptions and variances need the Zoning Hearing Board, which meets on the third Monday at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers; for the November 16, 2026 hearing the deadline was October 23, and there is no hearing in December 2026.
• Stormwater. Projects affecting 500 square feet or more may need a borough stormwater management plan ($45 application plus engineering time), and 5,000 square feet of disturbance brings in the York County Conservation District. Residential and commercial operation and maintenance agreements (2025 versions) are posted.
• Sewer. The borough runs the public sewer; a new connection pays a $2,650 tapping fee.
• Streets and sidewalks. Street openings and curb or sidewalk work need borough permits and inspections.

If a zoning application is incomplete, the applicant is told by phone or email and has 48 hours to supply what is missing; otherwise the permit is denied, as the Municipalities Planning Code requires, and a notice of violation may follow where appropriate. Every denial is explained in a letter with the paperwork for an appeal. Zoning Hearing Board packets, with payment, must be received and accepted by noon on the deadline date; the Zoning Officer then writes with the acceptance date and hearing date, and returns a deficient application with its fees within 10 days. An incomplete stormwater application is flagged by phone and in writing, with 10 business days to respond.

Hanover Borough permit costs and fees

Borough fees are set by Resolution 1481, enacted by Borough Council and approved by the mayor on September 23, 2026; its text says the schedule is revised effective April 22, 2026, and the borough’s Codes page links the same document under the label “Resolution No. 1465 Miscellaneous Fees 4-22-26”. The third-party agency’s plan review and inspection charges are added on the permit invoice. Payment is by card through the invoice link or by check to the Borough of Hanover; no cash is accepted.

Worked from the resolution: a $30,000 kitchen remodel that moves plumbing and wiring costs $55 for the first $1,000 plus 29 × $10 = $290, or $345, then $8 for technology and $4.50 for the state, $357.50 in borough and state fees before the third-party agency’s review and inspection charges. Where the schedule calls for hourly charges, department staff and Building Code Official time is billed at $80 an hour and the Borough Engineer at $125.

Street openings cost $200 per 100 lineal feet in streets repaved within 10 years and $150 elsewhere, plus a $60 inspection; sidewalk and curb permits are $75 for the first 500 lineal feet and $10 for each further 100, with $75 per inspection. Subdivision and land development filings run from $75 for a sketch plan to $300 for a preliminary plan, with escrows for engineering and legal review, and a rezoning petition is $500.

A preliminary plan escrow is $300 per lot with a $2,500 minimum for residential plans and $250 per acre with a $3,500 minimum for commercial and industrial plans, and a final plan costs $300 or $30 per lot, whichever is greater. A variance, special exception or conditional use application returned as incomplete costs $50 more to resubmit, and a no-impact home business certificate is $75 plus a $7 technology fee. Vacant property registration renews at $100 a year, with $85 for each reinspection.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical and plumbing: these are part of the building permit whenever a remodel or renovation includes them, and the third-party agency reviews and inspects them.
• Fire protection: changes to fire alarm, detection or extinguishing systems, including smoke detectors and emergency lighting, need a building permit.
• Self-employed contractors: the borough’s forms page carries a self-employed affidavit form alongside the permit forms.

The borough’s pages show no local contractor, electrician or plumber license. Home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General.

How to apply for a Hanover Borough building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The policy warns that third-party review can take four to six weeks from submission, depending on the project; state rules set 15 business days for a residential decision and 30 for commercial, unless extended in writing. The department follows up once on an incomplete application and allows 48 hours; after that the file is closed as incomplete, the applicant is invoiced for fees incurred and must reapply. Changes or withdrawals must be made in writing with the permit number, and the department does not accept addenda.

Inspections in Hanover

Inspections required for building permits are carried out by the borough’s contracted third-party agency, and their cost is billed on the permit invoice. A certificate of occupancy costs $20 plus the permit fee and a life safety inspection $85. Each permit packet includes a signature page that the applicant signs as proof of receipt, and once the fee is paid in full the documents can be mailed in a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Approved permits that are not paid for and collected are treated as unpermitted, which adds fees and can lead to citations if work has begun; only the Building Code Official can waive those charges.

Hanover requires yearly registration of rental units ($35 per unit, with a late fee after February 28, 2026) and registration of vacant properties, which includes two inspections for $200. The borough’s pages describe no resale use and occupancy inspection for house sales.

Pennsylvania building code in Hanover

Hanover has administered the Uniform Construction Code since June 23, 2004 with no amendments, and building ordinances adopted before 1999 that meet or exceed it stay in effect. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Hanover, York County (community 422212) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective December 16, 2015.

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

Hanover Borough permit search and official resources

Permits are filed and tracked in the borough’s iWorQ portal, where approval notices and invoices arrive by email. Older permit records are requested with the borough’s open records request form; Resolution 1481 sets copies at $0.25 per side and certified documents at $5.

• Permitting: hours, policy and iWorQ link
• DCE permitting policy, effective May 1, 2024 (PDF)
• Resolution 1481 fee schedule (PDF)
• Building codes and UCC administration
• Code enforcement and property maintenance
• Zoning information and Zoning Hearing Board dates
• Zoning Ordinance No. 2385, adopted January 28, 2026 (PDF)
• Zoning Hearing Board application (PDF)
• Street opening permit application (PDF)
• York County Conservation District small-project erosion guide (PDF)
• Self-employed affidavit (PDF)
• Open records request form (PDF)
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Hanover Borough building permit FAQs

Can I file a paper permit application in Hanover?

No. Apart from yard sale, chicken and dumpster or pod permits, every application goes through iWorQ, and staff will not accept paper.

How much is a residential building permit?

$55 for the first $1,000 of project cost and $10 for each further $1,000, plus an $8 technology fee, the $4.50 state surcharge and the third-party agency’s charges.

How long does review take?

The borough’s policy says third-party plan review can take four to six weeks; zoning permits are processed within five business days.

When can I pick up my permit?

Tuesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 33 Frederick Street, within 10 business days of approval; later pick-up costs $50.

Does a shed need a building permit?

Accessory structures of 1,000 square feet or more, and any with electrical or plumbing, need one.

What is the sewer tapping fee?

Resolution 1481 sets a total tapping fee of $2,650: $1,382 for capacity and $1,268 for collection.

What if I start work before getting a permit?

If the borough issues a notice of violation for the unpermitted work, a penalty of 20% of the base permit fee is added when the permit is issued, at least $150 for residential and $550 for commercial permits.

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