Palmer Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

Palmer Township, Northampton County, runs its own building, zoning and code enforcement office at 3 Weller Place (610-253-7191), where James Raudenbush is the building code official and zoning administrator. Residential permits are issued by the township on paper applications, with electrical work inspected by one of three approved agencies; for commercial projects the township’s commercial procedure sheet, which carries no date, has the township issue the zoning permit and Base Engineering the building permit. The 2026 fee schedule, adopted by the supervisors on December 15, 2025, charges $0.35 a square foot for new houses, additions and decks over 30 inches high.

What requires a building permit in Palmer Township?

Palmer’s permits page lists the projects it permits, mixing UCC work with items covered by its own zoning and paving rules. The township notes that some work excluded from the UCC still needs a zoning permit, and that no construction may start until a permit is issued.

Zoning details shape small projects. On a lot under two acres, an accessory building may be 15 feet high and as large as 10% of the lot or 800 square feet, whichever is smaller, and lots under 30,000 square feet in the low, medium and high density residential districts may have no more than two. Front-yard fences may be 4 feet high with at least as much open area as structure, rear and side fences 6 feet, and no fence anywhere over 9 feet. Pools need a fence or 48-inch sides, must sit 10 feet from side and rear lines and 5 feet from any structure, and may not go in a front yard. Driveways stay 5 feet from a side line and no wider than 24 feet without a zoning hearing.

What Palmer Township decides and what the state holds

Palmer opted in to UCC enforcement on July 6, 2004, with no local amendments on L&I’s list. The five-member Board of Supervisors of this second-class township sets fees by resolution, adopts the zoning ordinance (Chapter 190, including floodplain rules in Section 190-506) and the stormwater ordinance (Chapter 158), and in 2025 added data center regulations to the zoning ordinance, approved 5 to 0 on August 4, 2025. The township’s accessory structure and fence handouts, revised in January 2026, cite the 2021 International Residential Code.

Palmer Township building department: who handles permitting

For houses, the township itself: its Building and Zoning Departments review, issue and inspect, and James Raudenbush, the Zoning Administrator and Code Enforcement Officer, is the building code official on L&I’s list and the floodplain administrator. Electrical work is the exception: it must be inspected by an approved agency, whose fee the homeowner pays. Commercial building permits follow the township’s commercial procedure sheet, which is undated and sends plans to Base Engineering.

Ott Consulting is the township’s Sewage Enforcement Officer for 2026, Carroll Engineering is the township engineer, and stormwater infrastructure belongs to the Palmer Township Stormwater Authority, formed in September 2023.

Palmer Township permit types

The township does not take permit applications online; its permits page invites applicants to print the forms, fill them in and bring them to the Municipal Building. Completed applications with payment can be dropped off during business hours. A contractor must hold a Palmer business privilege license ($30 a year) before any permit is issued.

Residential permits

The general permit application covers building and zoning together and lists the job site, owner, applicant and contractor. Handouts stand in for drawings on simple jobs: the accessory structure package (sheds, garages, gazebos), the fence and wall package, typical deck details, a finished basement checklist and detail, a residential re-roofing application and the swimming pool and barrier details. Each needs a site plan showing the structure and its distances from the house and property lines. The zoning and building departments allow themselves 30 business days to review an accessory structure application, and the approved permit is mailed and must be posted where it can be seen from the street.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial applicants first get the zoning and sign permits and business licenses at the Municipal Building, with a license for each contractor and subcontractor. The building permit application then goes to Base Engineering with the township zoning permit number. Food businesses need a fats, oils and grease inspection under Ordinance 2017-450, a Knox box approved by the Fire Commissioner is required before the certificate of occupancy (Ordinance 2001-300), and any land development or PennDOT highway occupancy conditions must be met. Commercial plan review fees are charged by the agency.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. A zoning permit costs $100 for new residential construction, $60 for patios and decks under 30 inches, and $100 or 0.1% of value for non-residential work, whichever is greater. The five-member Zoning Hearing Board meets on the first Tuesday at 7 p.m.; a variance or special exception costs $1,500 for a single-family home and $2,000 for anything else.
• Stormwater. Under Chapter 158, added impervious surface of up to 999 square feet needs no stormwater permit, 1,000 to 4,999 square feet needs a minor permit ($172), and 5,000 or more a major permit ($450 plus consultant costs and an escrow). Paving over 3,000 square feet also triggers stormwater review.
• Floodplain. Development in the mapped floodplain needs a floodplain development permit ($100) under Section 190-506; the township keeps a flood library in the lobby.
• Sewer and septic. Public sewer connections pay a $115 customer facilities fee and tapping fees under Resolution 2023-15; on-lot septic permits are $1,200 for a new or replacement system.
• Earth moving and demolition. $250 each; earth moving needs Conservation District documentation.

Palmer Township permit costs and fees

The supervisors approved the resolution establishing the 2026 fee schedule 5 to 0 on December 15, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, and corrected the commercial variance fee to $2,000 on January 20, 2026. Work started without a permit pays 200% of the normal fee.

Worked example: a 400-square-foot house addition pays 400 × $0.35 = $140 for the building permit, $60 plan review, $10 for the certificate of occupancy and the $4.50 surcharge, or $214.50, before any zoning, electrical ($60, plus the inspection agency’s own fee), plumbing or mechanical permits. Sewer tapping fees under Resolution 2023-15 are $4,575 per EDU for capacity and $2,760 per EDU for collection, or $7,335 per EDU together, for connections using Palmer’s conveyance and treatment capacity, plus $642 per EDU for connections to the Shoeneck Creek Interceptor.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Palmer issues separate electrical ($60), plumbing ($75) and mechanical ($75) permits, plus a fire code permit ($50). Every contractor needs the township business privilege license before a permit issues. The township’s pages show no local electrician or plumber license exam; home improvement contractors carry their own state HICPA registration.

• Electrical: rough and final inspections by M&M Electrical Inspection Agency, Keycodes Inspection Agency or Barry Isett & Associates; the agency sets its own fee, paid by the homeowner, and the inspection needs the Palmer permit number shown in the permit’s upper right corner.
• Plumbing: rough plumbing is inspected at framing with an air or water pressure test, and the sewer and water hookup with a 10-foot water column test; a water diversion meter also needs a plumbing permit.
• Mechanical and gas: rough mechanical with gas piping tested to 1.5 times working pressure (at least 3 psig), and a final mechanical inspection.
• Sprinklers: rough inspection with a pressure test and a final on completion.

How to apply for a Palmer Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township gives itself 30 business days on accessory structure applications; UCC reviews run 15 business days for houses and 30 for commercial work. A permit becomes void if work does not start within six months of issue. Zoning approval may require proof of property line locations, and nothing may be placed in an easement unless an agreement has been filed and approved.

Inspections in Palmer Township

Book inspections at least 24 hours ahead through the permits clerk at 610-253-7191, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The township’s inspection sheet for new houses and alterations lists footings (at least 36 inches deep), rebar, foundation (no backfill until approved), framing, rough plumbing, sprinkler, electrical by an approved agency, rough mechanical, insulation, drywall, sewer and water hookup, final mechanical and final. A stage that is covered before inspection must be opened up. More than two re-inspections cost $100 each.

Curbing along every street frontage and a paved driveway must be built before a new home receives its certificate of occupancy. Under the same undated commercial procedure sheet, commercial projects get their building inspections from Base Engineering and a final inspection from the township, which issues the certificate. Palmer requires no resale inspection, but anyone moving within or out of the township files a Moving Record application ($5 moving permit) so township bills are settled.

Pennsylvania building code in Palmer Township

Palmer’s January 2026 handouts apply the 2021 International Residential Code to accessory structures and fences. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Palmer Township (community 420728) as a participating community, with flood maps effective July 16, 2014.

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

Palmer Township permit search and official resources

Permit histories are not searchable online; ask the permits office, or file the township Right to Know request form from the Forms page. Copies cost 25 cents a page per side. Supervisors’ agendas, minutes and meeting video are on the township’s Granicus page; the 2026 meetings are the first and third Mondays at 7 p.m. For the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s role, see the Lehigh County permit guide.

• Palmer Township building codes and permits
• 2026 fee schedule
• Forms and documents
• Building and zoning permit application
• Residential inspection procedures
• Commercial building and zoning procedure
• Approved electrical inspection agencies
• Accessory structure zoning details (2026)
• Fence and wall regulations (2026)
• Swimming pool information
• Stormwater management permit application
• Floodplain management FAQ
• Sewer tapping fee, Resolution 2023-15
• Board of Supervisors agendas and minutes
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Palmer Township building permit FAQs

Can I apply for a Palmer permit online?

No. Print the forms, complete them and bring them to 3 Weller Place, or drop them off with payment during business hours.

How much is a permit for a deck?

Decks over 30 inches high cost $0.35 a square foot; decks under 30 inches take a $60 zoning permit.

Who inspects electrical work?

One of three approved agencies: M&M, Keycodes or Barry Isett & Associates, paid directly by the homeowner.

Do I need a permit to repave my driveway?

Yes. Residential paving permits are $60, with a sketch showing the driveway and its distance to property lines.

Is there a resale inspection in Palmer Township?

No. The township leaves any resale inspection to buyer and seller, though movers file a Moving Record application.

When do I need a stormwater permit?

From 1,000 square feet of added impervious surface: a minor permit up to 4,999 square feet and a major permit from 5,000.

What does it cost to start work without a permit?

Double: the compliance penalty fee is 200% of the normal permit fee.

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