Bolthole Index

Adams County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bonneauville, Pennsylvania

Bonneauville Borough, in Adams County, Pennsylvania, has adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its building code1. The borough also runs its own zoning, with a published district schedule2. Adams County does not issue building permits3. Septic permits come from a local Sewage Enforcement Officer, and we could not confirm which one serves the borough4.

At a glance

Building code
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the borough1
Zoning
Borough zoning with SFR, MDR, HDR, Village and Commercial districts2
Lot size, SFR district
1 acre without borough water and sewer; 10,000 sq ft with both5
Setbacks, SFR house
25 ft front, 10 ft each side, 30 ft rear6
Septic
Local agency permit; public sewer connection may be mandatory47
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for most construction8
Subdivision
Regulated by a borough chapter9

Who to call

Zoning

Borough of Bonneauville (borough office and zoning officer)

Zoning permits and the zoning officer for Bonneauville Borough; borough office for building-code questions

(717) 334-2662

zoning@bonneauvilleborough.com

46 East Hanover Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325

Septic permits

Municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) (the borough or township where the property is located)

On-lot septic permits come from the municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer; Adams County has no county septic office

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Bonneauville, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Bonneauville Borough publishes its own district schedule, with SFR Single-Family Residential, MDR Mixed Dwelling Residential, HDR High Density Residential, Village and Commercial districts2. Adams County's zoning ordinance applies only in Germany and Menallen Townships and, by contract, East Berlin Borough, so it does not govern Bonneauville10.

In the SFR district, a single-family house needs 1 acre where borough-approved central water and sewer are not both available, and 10,000 square feet where both are5. Setbacks for that house are 25 feet in front, 10 feet on each side and 30 feet in back6. Building coverage tops out at 30 percent of the lot and impervious coverage at 40 percent11. Other districts differ, so confirm your parcel's district on the official zoning map with the zoning officer. We could not confirm borough rules on RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings2.

Do you need a building permit in Bonneauville, and who issues it?

Yes. Bonneauville Borough has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code1. The code requires a permit before starting construction work12. Adams County itself does not issue building permits; the borough handles them3.

A zoning permit is a separate step. Applications go in writing on a borough form, with the required fees, to a designated borough staff person13. The borough sets building permit fees by resolution, and we could not confirm a dollar schedule, so ask the borough office14. A certificate of occupancy is required before a new principal building is used or occupied15.

How do septic permits work in Bonneauville?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before installing, building or occupying a structure served by an onlot sewage system4. The Adams County Office of Planning & Development points land buyers to the municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer16. We could not confirm which agency serves the borough, so ask the borough office first.

Inside the borough, a septic tank cannot be used on improved property that is connected to public sewer or required to connect7. Check with the borough whether your lot must connect before planning any septic system. The same check decides your lot size under SFR zoning5.

Building a home in Bonneauville: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the borough zoning officer which district your parcel is in and whether public water and sewer are available517.
  2. Check whether the lot must connect to sewer; if not, contact the Sewage Enforcement Officer about an onlot permit74.
  3. File a zoning permit application with the borough13.
  4. Obtain the building permit under the Uniform Construction Code1.
  5. Pass the required inspections, which are required for residential construction18.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy before moving in15.

Pennsylvania sets no statewide contractor license for most construction, so owners can usually act as their own builder8. We could not confirm a borough owner-builder rule.

What stays with Adams County, and what to check before you buy?

Adams County reviews subdivision and land development plans and gives advice, but each municipality makes the final approval19. Bonneauville also regulates subdivision under its own chapter9. Floodplain permits are handled by the local municipality, not the county20. A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT permit21.

For land outside the borough, see the Adams County page. County figures: the effective property tax rate is 1.4%22, and the median property tax bill is $3,569 a year23.

Watch-outs

  • Borough rules apply only inside Bonneauville; zoning in nearby townships comes from their own ordinances or the county, so confirm the municipality of your parcel first10.
  • We could not confirm borough rules on wells, floodplain permits, short-term rentals or agricultural buildings; ask the borough office before you buy2.
  • Building permit fees are set by borough resolution and may change, so get the current schedule from the borough office14.

Sources

  1. Chapter 80: Construction Codes - Borough of Bonneauville, PA (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Schedule A: Table of Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Bonneauville (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Adams County Office of Planning & Development - FAQs (2026 county census)
  4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Schedule A: Table of Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Bonneauville (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Schedule A: Table of Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Bonneauville (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article I: Connections to Public Sewers - Borough of Bonneauville, PA (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 220: Subdivision and Land Development - Borough of Bonneauville, PA (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Adams County - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  11. Schedule A: Table of Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Bonneauville (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  13. Article I: General Provisions; Administration - Borough of Bonneauville, PA (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 80: Construction Codes - Borough of Bonneauville, PA (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  15. Article I: General Provisions; Administration - Borough of Bonneauville, PA (Borough of Bonneauville), quoted and re-checked
  16. Municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) (the borough or township where the property is located) (adamscountypa.gov)
  17. Borough of Bonneauville (borough office and zoning officer) (bonneauvilleborough.com)
  18. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  19. Electronic Submission of Documents for Review, quoted and re-checked
  20. Adams County - Planning FAQs, quoted and re-checked
  21. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Bonneauville

Borough of Bonneauville’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction within Bonneauville Borough.

    • The adopted UCC is as amended from time to time.
    “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this municipality.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Activities regulated by Bonneauville Borough's zoning chapter.

    • The cited inspection authority is for determining zoning compliance; the source does not establish a complete schedule of UCC construction inspections.
    “Conduct inspections to determine compliance, and receive complaints of violation of this chapter;”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Any new principal building or new or replacement principal nonresidential use inside Bonneauville Borough.

    • The certificate is issued only if the Zoning Officer determines compliance with the chapter to the best of the officer's knowledge; the Borough may withhold it until other Borough ordinances are complied with.
    “It shall be unlawful to use and/or occupy any new principal building or establish any new or replacement principal nonresidential use until a certificate of use and occupancy for such building or use has been issued by the Borough staff.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Bonneauville Borough.

    • The published dimensional schedule identifies SFR, MDR, HDR, Village, and Commercial districts; individual parcel classification requires the official zoning map.
    “SFR Single-Family Residential District: [...] MDR Mixed Dwelling Residential District: [...] HDR High Density Residential District: [...] V Village District: [...] C Commercial District:”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Improved property inside Bonneauville Borough required to connect to a public sewer.

    • A privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank, or similar receptacle may not be used or maintained once the property has connected to sewer or is required to connect under § 184-2(A).
    “No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle shall be used or shall be maintained at any time upon any improved property which has been connected to a sewer or which shall be required under Subsection A to be connected to a sewer.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Bonneauville Borough.

    • The adopted chapter includes plan requirements and processing procedures, design standards and required improvements, and fees.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Bonneauville 2-17-1976 by Ord. No. 44 (Ch. 22 of the 1994 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Municipal fees for UCC administration and enforcement inside Bonneauville Borough.

    • The fee amount is established by governing-body resolution from time to time; no dollar schedule was established in the opened code section.
    “Fees assessable by the municipality for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the code shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning-permit applications inside Bonneauville Borough.

    • Applications must be in writing on a Borough form, complete, submitted with required fees, and submitted to designated Borough staff.
    “All applications for a zoning permit or a decision by the Zoning Hearing Board shall be made in writing on a form provided by the Borough. Such completed application, with required fees, shall be submitted to a designated Borough staff person.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Bonneauville

Borough of Bonneauville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwelling in Bonneauville Borough's SFR Single-Family Residential District.

    • The 1-acre standard applies without both Borough-approved central water and Borough-approved central sewage service; the 10,000-square-foot standard applies with both services.

    minimum lot area: >= 43560 square feet (Without both Borough-approved central water service and Borough-approved central sewage service.) · minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet (With both Borough-approved central water and Borough-approved central sewage services.)

    “a1) Without both Borough-approved central water service and Borough-approved central sewage service [...] a1) 43,560 (1 acre) [...] a2) With both Borough-approved central water and Borough-approved central sewage services [...] a2) 10,000”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwelling in Bonneauville Borough's SFR Single-Family Residential District.

    • The dimensional schedule contains stated accessory-structure, sight-clearance, corner-lot, nonconforming-setback, and average-adjacent-building exceptions.

    minimum front-yard setback: >= 25 feet (Single-family detached dwelling in SFR district.) · minimum rear-yard setback: >= 30 feet (Single-family detached dwelling in SFR district.) · minimum side-yard setback each: >= 10 feet (Single-family detached dwelling in SFR district.)

    “Minimum Front Yard Setback (feet) [...] Minimum Rear Yard Setback (feet)** [...] Minimum Side Yard Setback** (each) (feet) [...] SFR Single-Family Residential District: a) Single-family detached dwelling: a) 25 a) 30 a) 10 each a) 30 a) 40”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwelling in Bonneauville Borough's SFR Single-Family Residential District.

    • The schedule identifies both building-coverage and impervious-coverage maxima.

    maximum building coverage: <= 30 percent (Single-family detached dwelling in SFR district.) · maximum impervious coverage: <= 40 percent (Single-family detached dwelling in SFR district.)

    “Maximum Percent Building Coverage [...] Maximum Percent Impervious Coverage [...] SFR Single-Family Residential District: a) Single-family detached dwelling: a) 25 a) 30 a) 10 each a) 30 a) 40”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Bonneauville Borough.
  • Building height — Structures inside Bonneauville Borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Bonneauville Borough.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Bonneauville Borough.
  • Who permits septic — On-lot sewage disposal for land inside Bonneauville Borough not required to connect to public sewer.
6 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Bonneauville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Adams County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Adams County: county rules, score and offices