Lower Allen Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Lower Allen Township, the Community & Economic Development (CED) Department at the Municipal Service Center, 2233 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill (717-975-7575), issues building, zoning and right-of-way permits on a single General Permit Application, filed in person or by email with a $50 processing fee. Under Resolution 2025-R-50, effective January 1, 2026, alterations and repairs cost 1% of the construction contract, and new buildings 1% of their value from the ICC valuation table.

What requires a building permit in Lower Allen Township?

The CED Department’s “Do I Need a Permit?” page lists, project by project, whether a building permit, a zoning permit or both are needed, and which jobs need nothing. The township says the list is not complete.

Residential fences may go up to, but not on, a property line, no higher than 3.5 feet in a front yard or a corner clear sight triangle and 6 feet in side and rear yards. Pools deeper than 24 inches need a barrier at least 4 feet high with self-closing, locking gates that swing away from the pool. Moving 2 cubic yards or more of earth needs an excavation and fill permit, and any opening in a township right-of-way needs a right-of-way permit.

What Lower Allen decides and what the state holds

L&I lists Lower Allen as opting in to the UCC on April 12, 2004 with local amendments, and the township keeps local rules that are stricter than or outside the UCC, plus the parts of the International Fire Code and Property Maintenance Code not referenced by the building codes. It runs its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 220), floodplain ordinance and stormwater rules. On July 13, 2026 the Board of Commissioners enacted Ordinance 2026-04, which adds data center regulations to the zoning chapter.

Lower Allen Township building department: who handles permitting

The CED Department, directed by Isaac Sweeney, P.E., handles building code enforcement, planning and zoning, and the township GIS. The township chose to administer and enforce the UCC with certified inspectors and plan reviewers on its own CED staff. Its fee resolution also carries the 2026 rates of Approved Code Services for third-party plan review and inspections, which apply to work handled by that firm.

Lower Allen permit types

Every regulated activity, from a deck to a street cut, starts with the same General Permit Application. You tick each category that applies, describe the work and its total cost, and attach the checklist for that project type; one $50 fee covers the whole application. If your agent is a contractor asking for a building permit, the contractor files the township’s workers’ compensation insurance verification form, which carries a $50 yearly registration. Owners in a homeowners’ association must include the HOA’s approval.

Residential permits

• New houses use the residential building permit and plan review checklist and the automatic sprinkler acknowledgement form if no sprinkler system is installed. Plans must meet the township’s design values, including a 25 psf ground snow load, 110 mph wind speed and 36-inch frost depth.
• Alterations and basements need two copies of existing and proposed floor plans with mechanical, electrical and plumbing work; adding bedrooms on a septic system needs a Sewage Enforcement Officer evaluation first.
• Pools and spas follow the township’s submittal guide, with two sets of plans including electrical and plumbing.
• Sheds over 200 square feet need a description of how the building is tied down and whether it is delivered prebuilt.
• Retaining walls 4 feet or higher need signed and sealed engineered plans.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial additions, alterations and new buildings need two sets of signed and stamped construction plans, and commercial electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits need stamped system plans. A change from one established use to another needs a certificate of use (a zoning permit), plus building or zoning permits for any alterations. Fire alarm and suppression systems have their own checklists, and temporary structures up for 180 days or less need a zoning or fire permit.

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 Hearing Board. Meetings on the third Thursday of the month, which may be cancelled when no new cases are filed; applications are due 30 days before the meeting, in seven copies, with a $750 fee. The township recommends a pre-application meeting with the Zoning Officer.
• Floodplain. Flood areas lie mainly along the Yellow Breeches Creek and in the Cedar Run watershed. Floodplain Management Ordinance 2023-04, adopted August 28, 2023, matches the September 7, 2023 flood maps, and plans must show flood information when a site is in a flood zone.
• Stormwater. Drainage and BMP plans cost $100 to review plus a $1,500 engineer’s escrow, and BMPs are recorded with an operation and maintenance agreement.
• Right-of-way and driveways. New or wider driveways need a zoning permit; openings in the township right-of-way need a right-of-way permit, with stricter restoration on streets paved in the last five years. The township does not process permits for PennDOT right-of-way.
• Land development. Plans are reviewed by the Township Engineer and the Planning Commission before the Board of Commissioners approves them.

Lower Allen permit costs and fees

The Board of Commissioners adopted the 2026 fee schedule, Resolution 2025-R-50, on November 24, 2025, effective January 1, 2026. The $50 processing fee is paid when you file, and the balance for review and inspection is due before the permit is issued.

Initial plan review and the structural, accessibility and energy inspections are included in the permit fee; reviewing design changes costs $65 an hour for houses and $85 for commercial work, and inspections outside business hours cost double, or triple on weekends and holidays. Worked example: a residential alteration under a $25,000 contract carries a permit fee of 1%, or $250, plus the $50 application fee and $4.50, for $304.50; any electrical, plumbing or mechanical inspections are added at $65 each. Where Approved Code Services does the work, its Appendix A rates apply, such as $315 to review a new house of up to 3,000 square feet and $85 per inspection, with ten inspections and one $105 service inspection expected for a new house.

Other township charges: right-of-way excavation is $50 plus $4 per square foot of pavement opened, occupancy $150 for the first 50 feet and $50 for each further 100 feet, and each right-of-way inspection $55. Subdivision and land development plans cost $575 plus $10 per lot or acre with a $2,000 engineer’s escrow, the fee in lieu of recreation land dedication is $1,500 per residential unit, and on-lot septic work is billed at the fee schedule of the township’s Sewage Enforcement Officer firm, Hoover Engineering. The stormwater fee is $19 per equivalent residential unit each quarter.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are requested on the General Permit Application, listing each contractor with its state registration number and workers’ compensation status. The township’s forms show no local trade license; contractors acting for an owner file the $50 yearly workers’ compensation verification, and home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under HICPA.

• Electrical: residential electrical work needs a copy of the contractor’s proposal, commercial work two sets of stamped plans; an electrical turn-on with the PPL number is a box on the application.
• Plumbing: any plumbing work needs a permit, with two sets of plumbing plans; residential fire sprinkler systems are inspected at the plumbing rate.
• Mechanical: plans plus the chosen energy code compliance path (IRC Chapter 11, the Pennsylvania alternative or the IECC).
• Fire protection: commercial sprinkler tests, standpipes, private hydrants and alarm floors are priced separately, doubled above 50,000 square feet.

How to apply for a Lower Allen building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township’s processing clock, and the state deadlines of 15 business days for residential and 30 for commercial applications, start only when every required document and fee is in and the file is deemed complete. Expedited review can be requested at $100 an hour, or $160 for commercial plan review, when qualified staff are available.

Inspections and certificates in Lower Allen Township

The applicant is responsible for scheduling inspections and correcting code violations, as the General Permit Application states. Trade inspections are charged per visit at the rough and final stages, failed items are reinspected for a fee, and the building’s structural, accessibility and energy inspections are covered by the permit fee. A certificate of occupancy for a single occupancy costs nothing extra; a building with several separate occupancies pays $50 for each one after the first, and a replacement certificate is $50. UCC appeals cost $250 at the township, plus the fees of the Capital Region Council of Governments UCC Board of Appeals.

Pennsylvania building code in Lower Allen Township

Lower Allen enforces the UCC with its own certified staff under its 2004 opt-in, with local amendments; its application notes that houses fall under the IRC and other construction under the 2021 IBC and township code. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Lower Allen Township (community 421016) 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

Lower Allen permit search and official resources

The township’s AxisGIS map shows parcel, zoning and floodplain information. Copies of permit files are public records requests; the fee schedule charges them at the Office of Open Records official fee schedule (Appendix D). CED answers permit questions by phone, by email at CED_Inquiries@latwp.org or through its online inquiry form.

• Permitting Center (applications and checklists)
• Do I need a permit?
• General Permit Application (March 2026)
• 2026 fee schedule, Resolution 2025-R-50
• Residential building permit and plan review checklist
• Pool, spa and hot tub submittal guide
• Workers' compensation insurance verification form
• Zoning Hearing Board application
• Floodplain management
• AxisGIS property maps
• Community & Economic Development
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Lower Allen building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house in Lower Allen?

Yes. The township requires a building permit for residential and commercial roof replacements and re-shingling; a residential roof covering replacement is $50.

How much does a building permit cost?

1% of the construction contract cost ($50 minimum) for alterations and additions, plus the $50 application fee and $4.50.

Can I email my permit application?

Yes. Applications and forms can be emailed to CED or delivered in person, with the $50 fee paid by check, phone or online.

Does a shed need a permit?

A shed under 200 square feet needs a zoning permit; one over 200 square feet needs a building permit.

How high can my fence be?

Six feet in side and rear yards and 3.5 feet in a front yard or clear sight triangle; anything over 6 feet needs a building permit.

When does the Zoning Hearing Board meet?

On the third Thursday of the month, unless cancelled for lack of new cases; applications are due 30 days ahead with a $750 fee.

Who inspects the work?

Certified inspectors on the CED staff; the fee schedule also lists Approved Code Services’ rates for third-party plan review and inspections.

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