Bolthole Index

Adams County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic in the Borough of Fairfield, Pennsylvania

The Borough of Fairfield, Pennsylvania (Adams County) administers its own zoning under Chapter 14 of the Borough Code, and a Zoning Officer must issue a zoning permit before you build12. New homes on vacant parcels must connect to the Authority's water system, and private wells are not allowed there34. We could not confirm who issues on-lot septic permits inside the borough; ask the borough office5.

At a glance

Zoning
Borough-run under Code Chapter 14; five zoning districts plus airport and flood overlays15
Zoning permit
Required; Zoning Officer acts within 30 days and permit lapses after 12 months unless extended2
Building permit fee
$0.30 per square foot for new residential construction6
Certificate of occupancy
Required before occupying new or substantially altered structures; $40 occupancy permit fee76
Water and sewer
New construction on an unimproved parcel must use Authority water; sewer connection on borough notice3
Private wells
No alternate well on an unimproved parcel proposed for new construction4
Septic permit
Not confirmed for the borough; Pennsylvania requires a local-agency permit for any on-lot system8
RV, tiny home, ADU
Not confirmed; ask the Zoning Officer9

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Fairfield office

Borough secretary and permit applications for Fairfield borough; zoning and other permit forms are available in person, by phone, by email or on the borough website

(717) 642-5640

borofairfieldpa@comcast.net

Zoning

Permit/Zoning Officer (PA Municipal Code Alliance)

Appointed permit and zoning officer for Fairfield borough, as listed on the Adams County municipal directory

(717) 496-4996

Septic permits

Sewage Enforcement Officer (local agency under Act 537)

On-lot septic permits in Adams County are handled by a local-agency Sewage Enforcement Officer, not a county office; which agency covers Fairfield borough was not confirmed

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 Fairfield means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Fairfield, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The Borough of Fairfield administers zoning under Chapter 14 of its Borough Code1. The borough office describes five zoning districts, each governed by its own section of the code5. Adams County's zoning ordinance applies only in Germany and Menallen Townships (and by contract East Berlin Borough), so county zoning does not apply in Fairfield10.

We could not confirm Fairfield's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes, minimum lot size or setbacks, because the district tables were not available to us. Look up your parcel's district on the borough's zoning map, then ask the Permit/Zoning Officer about your plan before you buy9.

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

Inside Fairfield, a Zoning Officer must certify that a proposed building, addition or alteration complies with the zoning ordinance before a zoning permit is issued2. The borough's published fee schedule also lists building permits, at $0.30 per square foot for new residential construction, including finished basements and moved or modular units6.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before covered residential work begins in municipalities enforcing it11. Adams County itself does not issue building permits12. We could not confirm whether the borough or a third-party agency does the code inspections, so ask the borough office5.

Construction started before a permit costs double the stated fee6.

How do septic permits work inside Fairfield?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before any building served by an on-lot sewage system is built or occupied8. The Borough Code's sewage chapter sets public-sewer connection rules, and owners of improved property next to a sewer must connect after written borough notice3. We could not confirm which agency or Sewage Enforcement Officer permits on-lot systems inside the borough, so ask the borough office. Adams County has no septic office of its own13.

A state exemption can apply to an owner or immediate-family residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, but only under specific conditions8. A lot inside a borough is unlikely to qualify.

Do new homes in Fairfield have to use public water?

Yes, on unimproved parcels. New construction on an unimproved parcel must connect to the Authority's water supply system3. No alternate water well or source may be installed or used on an unimproved parcel proposed for new construction4. Existing private wells may be kept for uses other than drinking and domestic water4.

Outside the borough, Pennsylvania does not require homeowners to hold a driller's license to drill their own well14, but that does not override the borough's rule inside Fairfield.

Building a home in Fairfield: the steps, in order

  1. Look up the parcel's zoning district on the borough zoning map and call the borough office at (717) 642-56405.
  2. Ask the Permit/Zoning Officer whether your use is allowed and apply for a zoning permit29.
  3. If the parcel touches a floodplain, get a floodplain management permit first15.
  4. Confirm water and sewer connections with the borough3.
  5. Get the building permit and inspections, then a certificate of occupancy from the Zoning Officer before you move in7.

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

Land outside Fairfield's limits follows different rules; see the Adams County page. Adams County does not issue septic permits16.

Check three things before buying. First, whether the parcel lies in an identified floodplain, which requires a floodplain management permit before construction15. Second, whether the lot is served by Authority water and sewer3. Third, whether a driveway onto a state road needs a PennDOT permit17; the borough's fee schedule also lists a $2 driveway permit issuance fee6. Adams County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%18.

Watch-outs

  • Subdivision and land development inside Fairfield are regulated under Chapter 13 of the Borough Code, so splitting a lot needs borough review19.
  • We could not confirm Fairfield's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or short-term rentals; ask the Permit/Zoning Officer before relying on any of them9.
  • We could not confirm whether an owner-builder exemption applies inside the borough; Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license for most construction work20.

Sources

  1. Borough of Fairfield, PA Code of Ordinances (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article XVI: Enforcement and Administration - Borough of Fairfield, PA (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 10: Sewage, Sewage Disposal and Water Supply - Borough of Fairfield, PA (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 10: Sewage, Sewage Disposal and Water Supply - Borough of Fairfield, PA (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Fairfield office (fairfieldborough.com)
  6. Borough of Fairfield, PA Fee Schedule (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article XVI: Enforcement and Administration - Borough of Fairfield, PA (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  8. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Permit/Zoning Officer (PA Municipal Code Alliance) (adamscountypa.gov)
  10. Adams County - Zoning (2026 county census)
  11. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Adams County Office of Planning & Development - FAQs (2026 county census)
  13. Sewage Enforcement Officer (local agency under Act 537) (adamscountypa.gov)
  14. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Article G: Administration - Borough of Fairfield, PA (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  16. PA DEP - Act 537 Sewage Facilities Program (2026 county census)
  17. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Borough of Fairfield, PA Code of Ordinances (Borough of Fairfield), quoted and re-checked
  20. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Fairfield

Borough of Fairfield’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    Property for which Fairfield borough has issued a zoning permit.

    • The Zoning Officer makes beginning-of-construction and completion inspections under the zoning ordinance.
    “It shall be the duty of the Zoning Officer to make the following minimum number of inspections of property for which a Zoning Permit has been issued.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Vacant land and structures in Fairfield borough that are erected, substantially altered, or changed in use.

    • A certificate must be issued by the Zoning Officer before occupancy or use.
    “No vacant land shall be occupied or used, and no structure or part of a structure hereafter erected, substantially altered or changed in use, shall be occupied or used until a Certificate of Occupancy shall have been issued by the Zoning Officer.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Fairfield borough.

    • Zoning is administered under the Borough Code's Chapter 14.
    “Chapter 14 Zoning (§ 14-100 – § 14-1620)”
  • Well permitLimited

    Unimproved parcels inside Fairfield borough proposed for new construction.

    • No alternate well, source, or system may be installed or used on an unimproved parcel proposed for new construction.
    • Existing private wells at the ordinance's effective date may be maintained for specified non-domestic purposes.
    “No alternate water well, source, or system other than the Authority water supply shall be installed or used for any purpose on any unimproved parcel for which new construction is proposed; provided, however, private water wells, sources, and systems in existence at the effective date of the ordinance codified in this Article may be maintained and used for purposes other than supplying water for human consumption, domestic use, or uses for livestock and animals.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    New residential construction and improved properties inside Fairfield borough where the Borough's sewer-connection conditions apply.

    • New construction on an unimproved parcel must connect to the Authority water system.
    • Sewer connection applies upon Borough written notice to an improved property abutting, adjoining, or otherwise accessible to the sewer collection system.
    • Existing listed improved parcels not connected to Authority water are excepted unless their existing human-consumption/domestic-use source fails or becomes contaminated.
    “As soon as the sewerage collection system and the sewage treatment plant to be constructed by the Authority has been completed to the extent sewerage can be collected and treated, each and every owner of improved property within the Borough abutting on or adjoining any street, alley, lane or other public highway in which a sewer of the sewerage collection system is located, or which is otherwise accessible to such a sewer shall, upon receipt of written notice of the Borough ordering connection, be required to connect his or her premises with the sewerage collection system without delay and to pay the proper connection charge of the Authority. [...] Any new construction–that is, construction of a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy, or use by human beings–on an unimproved parcel shall be required to connect to the Authority’s water supply system.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Fairfield borough.

    • The Borough Code contains Chapter 13 governing subdivision and land development.
    “Chapter 13 Subdivision and Land Development (§ 13-101 – § 13-801)”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction or development located within an identified floodplain area in Fairfield borough.

    • The Floodplain Administrator must first determine that proposed development is in an identified floodplain area.
    • The floodplain management permit is required before construction or development begins.
    “Where the Floodplain Administrator determines that proposed development is located within an identified floodplain area, a floodplain management permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within said identified floodplain area.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building, zoning, occupancy, driveway, and subdivision applications inside Fairfield borough.

    • The published fee schedule includes building permits, zoning permits, occupancy permits, driveway permits, and subdivision/land-development fees.
    • A construction-started-before-permit additional fee is double the stated fee.

    residential new-construction building-permit fee: 0.3 USD per square foot (Finished basement included; mobile homes, modular units, and relocated structures included.) · occupancy permit fee: 40 USD · driveway permit issuance fee: 2 USD

    “Residential - Enclosed areas considered to be the house proper. Finished basement shall be included. Mobile homes, modular units and structures moved from one location to another. $0.30/square feet”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning-permit applications inside Fairfield borough.

    • The Zoning Officer must certify compliance before issuing a zoning permit.
    • The Zoning Officer acts within 30 days of application submission.
    • A permit becomes void after 12 months unless an extension request is timely submitted and approved.

    zoning-officer action period: <= 30 days (Measured following submission of the application.)

    “No Zoning Permit shall be issued until the Zoning Officer has certified that the proposed building, structure, sign, or addition or alteration thereto, complies with all the applicable provisions of this Ordinance, as well as the provisions of all other applicable ordinances.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Fairfield borough.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Fairfield borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Fairfield borough.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Fairfield borough.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Fairfield borough.
13 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Fairfield publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Adams County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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