Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Berwick Township, Pennsylvania

Berwick Township’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Buildings associated with a Township land-development or subdivision plan.

  • A zoning permit must first be obtained from the Adams County Office of Planning and Development or the Berwick Township Zoning Officer, whichever is applicable.

  “Building permits will not be issued until a zoning permit is obtained from the Adams County Office of Planning and Development or the Berwick Township Zoning Officer (whichever is applicable).”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Berwick Township.

  • Township code includes Chapter 280, Zoning.

  “Chapter 280 Zoning (§ 280-1 – § 280-133)”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-site sewage suitability testing for lots in proposed subdivisions inside Berwick Township.

  • Applies where buildings will not connect to an existing public sewage disposal system.
  • parameters are not a permit determination.

  “The soils tests called for above shall be performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The Township Sewage Enforcement Officer will perform the tests and certify the results.”

• Well permitRequired

  Development where the recorded subdivision-plan notation is applicable inside Berwick Township.

  • The code states the permit is required before applying for a building permit.

  “Where applicable, notation to indicate that prior to applying for a building permit, a well and driveway permit must be obtained from Berwick Township.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  New construction or development near a watercourse inside Berwick Township.

  • The restriction applies to the area measured 50 feet landward from the top-of-bank of any watercourse.

  watercourse top-of-bank buffer: >= 50 feet (No new construction or development may be located within the measured area.)

  “No new construction or development shall be located within the area measured 50 feet landward from the top-of-bank of any watercourse.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land-development applications inside Berwick Township.

  • A completed submission includes application fees and a deposit for engineering and legal review as required by the chapter.
  • No accessible official dollar schedule was located.

  “In conjunction with submittal of the plan, the application must be completed. The application must be completed, signed, and submitted with the plan. This must include supplementary data, application fees and a deposit of required fees for engineering and legal review, as required by this chapter.”

• Permit processPartial

  Township preliminary subdivision and land-development plan submissions.

  • The submission must be completed, signed, and include plan, supplementary data, application fees, and required engineering/legal-review deposit.
  • The cited process is for preliminary plans, not a complete building-permit process.

  advance preliminary-plan submission: >= 15 business days (Before the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting at which the applicant seeks review.)

  “Preliminary plans and all required accompanying documentation shall be submitted to the Township a minimum of 15 business days in advance of the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting in which the applicant wishes to review the plan.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Berwick Township or Adams County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Berwick Township.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Berwick Township.
• Inspections — Construction inside Berwick Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Berwick Township.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Berwick Township.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Berwick Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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