West Hanover Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

West Hanover Township, Dauphin County, issues its own building and zoning permits from the township office at 7925 Jonestown Road (717-652-4841), where a UCC-certified plan reviewer and inspector handles residential work. Every building or electrical application needs a $100 deposit, credited toward a flat fee from the township’s posted schedule: $132.50 for a deck, pool or porch, or $999.50 for a new house or addition up to 1,999 square feet with all inspections included.

What requires a building permit in West Hanover Township?

The township publishes a one-page list of the items that most often need permits, split into residential building, commercial building and zoning columns. Its rule of thumb for houses is that a building permit is usually needed for structural changes and for plumbing, electrical or mechanical work, while every non-residential structure needs a building permit for everything.

Commercial building permits cover new structures, additions, accessory buildings, renovations and changes of use, fences and retaining walls, sidewalks and parking, tenant fit-outs, generators and solar panels. Any accessory structure or increase in impervious coverage of 1,000 square feet or more needs engineered stormwater drawings, and the zoning form adds that anything over 1,000 square feet needs stormwater and erosion and sediment permits. Farm buildings may qualify for the township’s agricultural building exemption form.

What West Hanover decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are the statewide Uniform Construction Code, which West Hanover chose to enforce on April 12, 2004 with local amendments, according to L&I’s list. The Board of Supervisors sets the zoning ordinance (Chapter 195), subdivision and land development rules (Chapter 173), stormwater rules and the fees, which its handout says may change each year by resolution. On July 23, 2026 the board adopted Ordinance 2026-01, which adds zoning requirements for data centers and battery energy storage systems.

West Hanover Township building department: who handles permitting

The township issues building, electrical and zoning permits itself. Its building codes staff includes a Pennsylvania UCC plan reviewer and residential inspector, and the building application refers plan review to the township’s Building Code Official. Zoning has its own staff, and the township engineer, Herbert, Rowland and Grubic (HRG), reviews stormwater and erosion plans and bills that time separately.

Lower Paxton Township and Harrisburg, also in Dauphin County, run separate offices; see the Lower Paxton guide and the Harrisburg guide.

West Hanover Township permit types

The township groups its work into a residential construction permit and a commercial building permit, with flat-fee permits for pools, decks and similar projects. Separate forms cover electrical work, demolition, road cuts and driveways, and the zoning office has its own forms for signs, non-conforming uses, forestry and erosion and sediment control.

Residential permits

A residential application needs two sets of construction drawings on letter or tabloid paper or in digital form, drawn at a scale of at least 3/16 inch to the foot, and homeowners may prepare their own drawings. The checklist asks for elevations with building height, a foundation plan (footings, piers, walls, drains, anchor bolts) and a framing plan (joists, sheathing, wall framing, bracing, headers, rafters, roof covering), plus energy, plumbing, mechanical and electrical information where the work includes them. Every application carries a workers’ compensation certificate or a signed, notarized affidavit. The township also posts a deck construction guide and a list of the most common pool inspection failures.

Commercial permits

The checklist adds fire system plans and accessibility plans, the latter for commercial work only, where they apply, and the fee comes from a worksheet based on floor area and use group rather than a flat price. Commercial inspections are offered only on Wednesdays, when the codes office has commercial hours.

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 is on the building checklist and is valid for 12 months under Section 195-184.C(1). Appeals and requests for variances or special exceptions go to the Zoning Hearing Board.
• Sewage. The zoning administrator told the board on January 15, 2026 that a permit for on-lot septic or public sewer must be issued before a zoning permit. Public sewer is run by the West Hanover Township Sewer Authority; septic permits come from the sewage enforcement officers the board appoints each January.
• Stormwater and erosion control. Projects of 1,000 square feet or more need stormwater and erosion and sediment permits ($100 each plus HRG review invoices).
• Driveways and road cuts. A township driveway permit application and a $100 road cut permit cover work on township roads.

West Hanover Township permit costs and fees

The figures below are from the township’s posted building fee schedule and zoning fee schedule; the posted sheets carry no resolution number, and their commercial and hearing pages are headed “2023 Permits & Related Township Fees”. The township’s handout says fees may change each year by Board of Supervisors resolution. A $100 deposit is paid at submission and the balance when the permit is picked up.

For larger houses the sheet describes the fee as the base price plus $525 (2,000–4,999 square feet) or plus $1,400 (5,000 and up), which would give $1,524.50 and $2,399.50, but it prints totals of $1,555.50 and $2,483.50; the table and example use the printed totals, so confirm the figure with the codes office. A 2,400-square-foot new house therefore shows $1,555.50 for the building permit, $1,200 for the zoning permit and $4.50 for the state, or $2,760 before any stormwater review invoices or failed-inspection charges. Starting work without a permit doubles the fee, and re-inspection fees must be paid before the certificate of occupancy is released.

Commercial building fees use the posted worksheet: floor area × 0.37, times the use-group factor (1.2 for business, 0.9 for mercantile, 0.7 for factory and storage uses), gives the building fee; mechanical, plumbing and accessibility/energy each add 0.31 of that amount and electrical 0.36, on a 3,000-square-foot minimum. For a 4,000-square-foot business space, 4,000 × 0.37 × 1.2 = $1,776, plus three trades at $550.56 and electrical at $639.36, comes to $4,071.54 with the state fee. Commercial zoning ranges from $200 for minor work to $5,000 for a new building on 10 acres or more; zoning hearings, variances, special exceptions and conditional uses are $1,000.

The zoning sheet breaks a $1,000 hearing fee into $250 for township processing, $50 for posting the property, $250 for advertising, $200 for the stenographer, $50 for mailing and $200 for third-party review. A certificate of use, a certificate of nonconformance, a zoning verification letter, a permit renewal and each zoning concept-plan meeting cost $75. A minor subdivision of four or fewer lots is $600 with a $1,000 engineering escrow, and a major subdivision or land development plan is $1,000 with a $5,000 escrow, topped up when the balance falls to a quarter. Township invoices unpaid after 30 days add a 5% late fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: a separate township electrical application, with its own $100 deposit, covers rooftop and ground solar, new and upgraded services, sub-panels, smoke detectors and heating or central air circuits. Electrical inspections are booked on 717-649-0310, and new homes include rough, service and final electrical inspections in the flat fee.
• Plumbing and mechanical: these go on the building application with a plumbing diagram or mechanical layout, and new homes include under-slab plumbing and rough mechanical inspections.
• Insurance: each contractor provides workers’ compensation insurance or a signed, notarized affidavit.

The township’s pages set no local contractor, electrician or plumber license. The state Attorney General registers home improvement contractors.

How to apply for a West Hanover Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The application is incomplete without its documents and deposit, and plan review does not start until all construction documents reach the Building Code Official. State rules allow 15 business days for a residential decision and 30 for commercial. A pre-submittal meeting with the Building Code Official costs $79.50 and can catch problems early. Short codes office hours, the Wednesday-only commercial schedule and waiting for HRG’s stormwater review are the usual sources of delay.

Inspections in West Hanover Township

For a new house the flat fee covers plan review and the footer, foundation, framing, under-slab plumbing, electrical rough-in, service and final, rough mechanical, insulation and final inspections, with the certificate of occupancy. Additional or failed inspections cost $80 each for residential and $125 for commercial work, and certificates are held until they are paid. Every permit must close with a final inspection.

The township describes the occupancy certificate as what lets a builder sell and occupy a new structure. Its pages describe no resale inspection when an existing house changes hands. The $1,200 zoning permit for a new house includes an erosion and sediment check where needed, a zoning review and a compliance inspection, and additional or failed zoning inspections cost $75 each.

Pennsylvania building code in West Hanover Township

West Hanover opted in to administer the Uniform Construction Code on April 12, 2004, with amendments, and links its codified ordinances from the building page. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists West Hanover Township (community 421600) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective August 2, 2012.

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

West Hanover Township permit search and official resources

West Hanover has no online permit search. Permit records are requested with the township’s right-to-know request form, and the board named the township manager Open Records Officer by Resolution 2026-26 on March 19, 2026. Board of Supervisors agendas and minutes, with the monthly zoning and engineer’s reports they receive, are posted in the township’s agenda center.

• Building and code enforcement page and hours
• Zoning and building permits, $100 deposit
• Most common items that require permits (PDF)
• Building fee schedule (PDF)
• Zoning fee schedule (PDF)
• Building permit application (PDF)
• Electrical permit application (PDF)
• Zoning permit application, February 2026 (PDF)
• Deck construction guide (PDF)
• Common fails for pool inspections (PDF)
• Agricultural building exemption form (PDF)
• Driveway permit application (PDF)
• Planning and zoning forms
• Minutes of July 23, 2026: Ordinance 2026-01 adopted (PDF)
• Right-to-know request form (PDF)
• West Hanover Township Sewer Authority
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

West Hanover Township building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a deck or pool?

The posted schedule sets $132.50 for a residential project such as a hot tub, pool, deck, porch or gazebo, plus a $75 zoning permit and the $4.50 state fee.

Why do I pay $100 when I apply?

Every building and electrical application requires a $100 deposit at submission; the rest of the fee is paid when the permit is picked up.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

A fence needs a zoning permit; a residential building permit is needed only where electric runs to a gate.

Does a shed need a building permit?

Only at 1,000 square feet or more. Smaller sheds need a zoning permit, $75 for a small residential project.

When are commercial inspections done?

Only on Wednesdays.

Can I draw my own plans?

Yes. The application says homeowners may prepare their own construction plans and documents for residential work.

How long is a zoning permit good for?

Twelve months from issue, under Section 195-184.C(1) of the zoning ordinance; a renewal costs $75.

Are there new rules for data centers?

Yes. Ordinance 2026-01, adopted July 23, 2026, adds zoning requirements for data centers and battery energy storage systems.

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