West Manchester Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In West Manchester Township, York County, the Zoning Department (717-792-3505) issues building and zoning permits, reviews each building application and passes it to Code Administrators, Inc., the township’s third-party UCC plan review and inspection agency, which charges its own fees. Under Resolution 26-02, effective January 5, 2026, the township fee is $6 per $1,000 of construction plus a $25 administrative fee, and every square foot of new impervious surface pays a $1 stormwater fee, up to 10,000 square feet.

What requires a building permit in West Manchester Township?

Section 150-363 of the zoning ordinance requires a permit before any change in the use of land or a structure, the erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure, the alteration or development of land (mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling included), most signs, and animal waste impoundments, ponds, dams and retention basins. The department then sorts work into building permits, which follow the UCC and need inspections, and zoning permits, which it issues and inspects itself.

Every project that adds impervious area, building or paving alike, also pays the township stormwater fee and must manage or infiltrate the runoff on its own lot.

What West Manchester decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code, which the township adopted as its building code by Ordinance 04-08 in 2004; L&I lists the opt-in date as July 1, 2004, with no amendments. The Board of Supervisors sets the zoning ordinance (Chapter 150), the plumber registration rules (Chapter 95), the stormwater ordinance and the yearly fee resolution, and on April 27, 2023 it appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the township’s UCC agency.

West Manchester Township building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning Department issues all township permits except burning permits, investigates property complaints, and is where land development, subdivision, variance and special exception applications start. Rachelle Sampere is the township’s Zoning and Codes Enforcement Officer. Building permit applications filed since April 28, 2023 are checked by the department and then sent to Code Administrators, Inc. for plan review and inspections; permits filed before April 27, 2023 were issued through Commonwealth Code Inspection Services, which still inspects those projects (717-846-2004).

The City of York is a separate municipality with its own permit bureau; see the York guide and the York County guide.

West Manchester Township permit types

The township posts a residential UCC permit and plans examination application, a commercial building permit application and a zoning permit application, with a deck and porch plan guide, infiltration details and a sample site plan.

Residential permits

A residential building application goes in with a site plan showing the property lines, existing and proposed structures and the distance from the work to each line, two complete sets of construction plans, the total cost of the project and every contractor and subcontractor, noting for each whether a workers’ compensation certificate has been provided. Nothing is paid at application; the township’s fees, the stormwater fee and any sewer charges are assessed when the permit is issued, alongside Code Administrators’ plan review and inspection fees.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial applications need three complete sets of stamped and sealed construction plans. Every permanent commercial sign needs a building permit and an inspection by the third-party agency, while temporary signs need only a zoning permit. New businesses, changes of address or name and closings must be registered with the Zoning Department, which passes the details to police and fire.

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. Variances, special exceptions, appeals and interpretations go to the Zoning Hearing Board at $550 each, plus reimbursable costs above $275, with a $275 refundable deposit for hearing signs. The township allows only no-impact home businesses, which register for $15 plus a $15 administrative fee. Carnivals, fairs and similar events, usually in parking lots and for no more than seven days, and seasonal sales of up to 45 days a year need a zoning permit from the Zoning Officer (Chapter 150-262), and transient retail sellers such as food trucks need a license from the department, $25 for up to a month plus $15.
• Stormwater. New impervious area pays the stormwater fee and must be infiltrated on site; the township posts typical infiltration designs, and a stormwater site plan costs $25 plus expenses. Erosion and sediment control is reviewed under an agreement with the York County Conservation District.
• Floodplain. New FEMA flood risk maps can be reviewed at the Zoning Department.
• Driveways and sewer. Driveway, sidewalk and curb permits start at $25 plus a $25 administrative fee, an access drive permit is $75 plus $25, state roads need a PennDOT highway occupancy permit, and a sewer connection permit is $1,050.
• Septic. Two paper copies of the septic design go to the Sewage Enforcement Officer with a new-system application.

West Manchester Township permit costs and fees

Township fees come from Resolution 26-02, which the Board of Supervisors adopted and made effective on January 5, 2026. Code Administrators’ plan review and inspection fees are separate and follow the agency’s own schedule; the township refers fee questions to Code Administrators at 717-859-3350.

Worked from the zoning page’s rule: a $6,000 shed of 120 square feet needs a zoning permit of 6 × $6 = $36 plus $25 and $25, or $86, and a stormwater fee of 120 × $1 = $120, for $206. A $5,000 fence adds no impervious area, so it costs $30 + $50 = $80. Homeowners doing their own work include the cost of materials. For building permits, add Code Administrators’ charges to the township fee and the stormwater fee for any new roof or paving.

Land development fees include $350 plus $10 a lot for a single-family subdivision, $350 plus $10 an acre for other subdivisions and $350 plus $10 a unit for a residential land development plan, a recreation fee of $1,500 per lot or dwelling unit in place of land, and public improvement inspections at $35 an hour. A public hearing before the Board of Supervisors costs $1,000, and an agreement to place a structure in an easement $500.

On-lot sewage fees in the resolution are $300 for a new system or a replacement of a tank or absorption area and $200 for other repairs, modifications or a temporary holding tank, each with one inspection, $150 for a soil probe and $350 for a percolation test, plus $250 each if the officer digs the holes or supplies the water. Planning work, field visits, plot plans and real estate letters are billed at $90 an hour, and a request to extend the pumping interval costs $100.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Plumbing: under Ordinance 74-2 (Chapter 95), every plumber working in the township must register each year, $50 for a master and $25 for a journeyman, and a plumbing permit is issued only to a registered plumber or to the property owner. Renewals need a copy of the master license from York City, Dover or Harrisburg and current workers’ compensation proof, no inspections are made before the year’s renewal, permits must be picked up before the job begins, and the plumber calls for the final inspection.
• Electrical and mechanical: almost all electrical work needs a building permit, reviewed and inspected by Code Administrators.
• Contractors: the zoning application asks for the contractor’s Pennsylvania registration number, and the building application lists every trade contractor.

The township’s pages show no local electrician or general contractor license beyond plumber registration; home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General.

How to apply for a West Manchester Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township says building applications average 15 business days for residential work and 30 for commercial permits, matching the state limits, and zoning permits seven to ten business days. Building permits take longer than zoning permits because the third-party agency reviews them. Missing contractor details, unsealed commercial plans, an unregistered plumber or a zoning hearing are common causes of delay.

Inspections in West Manchester Township

Code Administrators inspects UCC building permits issued since April 28, 2023; questions about its inspections and fees go to 717-859-3350. Projects permitted before April 27, 2023 are still inspected by Commonwealth Code Inspection Services at 717-846-2004. Zoning permits are inspected by the Zoning Department itself, and plumbers must call for a final inspection when each job is done.

Septic installations are inspected by the Sewage Enforcement Officer, with one inspection included in a $300 new-system or $200 repair permit and holding tanks inspected yearly for $130. The township’s pages describe no resale use and occupancy inspection for house sales; new and changed businesses register with the Zoning Department instead.

Pennsylvania building code in West Manchester Township

West Manchester has enforced the Uniform Construction Code since 2004 under Ordinance 04-08, opting in on July 1, 2004 with no amendments, and has used Code Administrators, Inc. for plan review and inspections since April 2023. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists West Manchester Township (community 422233) 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

West Manchester Township permit search and official resources

West Manchester has no online permit search. Permit records are requested from the township’s Open Records Officer at info@wmtwp.com using the township’s right-to-know request form, and photocopies cost $0.35 a page under Resolution 26-02. Copies of the zoning ordinance with map cost $18, and the zoning map alone $5.

• Zoning and Codes: permits, plumbers and business registration
• Resolution 26-02, 2026 fee schedule (PDF)
• Residential UCC permit application (PDF)
• Commercial building permit application (PDF)
• Zoning permit application (PDF)
• Deck and porch plan submittal (PDF)
• Stormwater infiltration details (PDF)
• Stormwater management
• 2026 plumber license renewal letter (PDF)
• New business registration packet (PDF)
• Zoning map
• Zoning Hearing Board
• Right-to-know information
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

West Manchester Township building permit FAQs

Who reviews and inspects building permits?

Code Administrators, Inc., appointed by the Board of Supervisors on April 27, 2023; the Zoning Department checks each application first.

How much is a zoning permit?

$6 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost plus a $25 administrative fee and a $25 technology fee.

Why is there a stormwater fee?

Since January 1, 2013 all new impervious area, from buildings to paving, pays $1 per square foot and must be infiltrated on the lot.

Do I need a permit for a deck?

Decks up to 30 inches above the ground need a zoning permit; higher decks need a building permit.

Does re-shingling a roof need a permit?

No. Replacing the shingles and installing siding need no permit.

My permit was issued before April 2023. Who inspects it?

Commonwealth Code Inspection Services, which reviewed and issued permits filed before April 27, 2023; call 717-846-2004 to schedule.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Plumbing permits are issued only to a plumber registered with the township or to the property owner.

When do I pay?

Fees are assessed and collected when the permit is issued, not at application.

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