Bolthole Index

Adams County, Pennsylvania

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

Freedom Township, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, adopted by the Board of Supervisors, so Adams County does not zone land here12. The township has adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its Municipal Building Code3. On-lot septic permits go through a Sewage Enforcement Officer, not an Adams County office4.

At a glance

Zoning
Township ordinance, not the county's12
Building permit
Uniform Construction Code adopted by the township3
Septic
Permit from a Sewage Enforcement Officer45
Agricultural District lot
1 to 3 acres for a non-farm house, more if soils require6
Agricultural District coverage
Impervious coverage capped at 25%7
RV living
Not confirmed; state park camping limits do not apply to private land8
Driveway on a state road
PennDOT permit required9
Floodplain
Municipal permit in flood hazard areas10

Who to call

Zoning

Freedom Township Municipal Building (zoning and township offices)

Township zoning approval and the Municipal Building Code; open by appointment

(717) 873-0475

zgulden@freedomtwp.org

2184 Pumping Station Road, Fairfield, PA 17320

Septic permits

Freedom Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (KPI Technology)

On-lot septic permits in Freedom Township

(717) 339-0612

Building permits

Building Permit Officer (PA Municipal Code Alliance)

Building permits listed by Adams County for Freedom Township

(717) 496-4996

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

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Does Freedom Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Freedom Township, Adams County adopted its own zoning ordinance through the Board of Supervisors1. Adams County's ordinance applies only in Germany and Menallen Townships, so it does not govern land in Freedom Township2. Questions about a use, a setback or a district go to the township zoning officer, reached through the township office11.

The township ordinance sets rules by district. In the Agricultural (AG) District, accessory apartments are a listed use12, and impervious coverage may not exceed 25%7. Dwelling units carry minimum floor areas of 600 square feet for one bedroom, 750 for two bedrooms and 900 for three bedrooms, with an exception for certain federally labeled mobile homes13. Vacation rentals in the Residential Low-Density (RL) District are allowed only under conditions14.

Do you need a building permit in Freedom Township?

Building permits in Freedom Township come through the township, not Adams County, which does not issue them15. The township has adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its Municipal Building Code3, and the state code requires a building permit before work starts16. Adams County's listing for the township names a building permit officer, the PA Municipal Code Alliance17.

Fees are set by the Board of Supervisors by resolution, so ask the township for the current schedule18. The Board also decides by resolution how the code is administered19. A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used20. A farm building with no habitable space is outside the state construction code act, though township zoning and other rules can still apply21.

How do septic permits work in Freedom Township?

Septic permits for homes on private systems come from the township's Sewage Enforcement Officer, not from an Adams County office22. Adams County lists the township's Sewage Enforcement Officer as KPI Technology23. Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before a building served by an onlot system is installed, built, occupied or used24.

In the Agricultural District, a non-farm single-family house needs a lot of at least one acre and at most three acres, and the lot can grow if soil testing or hydrogeologic studies call for a larger absorption area6. Plan the lot around the soil test. Where an accessory apartment is added to a home on an on-lot system, a sewage permit must come before the building permit5. Whether a given parcel qualifies for the state's 10-acre permit exemption depends on conditions the Sewage Enforcement Officer can confirm24.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Freedom Township?

We could not confirm what the township's ordinance says about living in an RV, camping on private land, or tiny homes. Ask the zoning officer at the township office before you buy or park anything11. Pennsylvania's published RV stay limits apply only to state park campgrounds and do not answer the question for private land8.

A factory-built manufactured home is a different case. Pennsylvania's construction code treats new labeled manufactured housing under its own rules, but utility connections, grading and additions still fall under the code25. Whether the township zoning ordinance allows one on your lot is unconfirmed, so ask before closing.

Building a home in Freedom Township: the steps, in order

  1. Call the zoning officer at the township office to confirm the district and the use11.
  2. Book soil testing with the Sewage Enforcement Officer and get the septic permit2324.
  3. If the lot is a new subdivision, expect township subdivision and land development review, with an advisory county review that takes 30 days after a complete application2627.
  4. If the driveway meets a state road, apply for a PennDOT highway occupancy permit9.
  5. Apply for the building permit under the township's Municipal Building Code317.
  6. Schedule the foundation, systems and frame inspections the code lists, then obtain the certificate of occupancy2820.

What to check before you buy land in Freedom Township

Start with floodplain: Pennsylvania municipalities regulate floodplain development, and development activities need a permit10. The township's code index lists a floodplain chapter, but we could not confirm its permit steps, so ask the township office11.

Next, soils. Across Adams County, 14% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so most lots need a site evaluation and some need an engineered system29. For land outside the township, see the Adams County page.

On costs, Adams County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%30, and the median property tax bill is $3,569 a year31. Farmland sells for about $9,138 per acre countywide32. Wells and driveways on township roads are unconfirmed; ask the township about both.

Watch-outs

  • Hours at the Freedom Township office are by appointment only, so call (717) 873-0475 before visiting11.
  • We could not confirm the township's rules on RV living, tiny homes, wells, or driveway permits on township roads; ask the township zoning officer11.
  • Lot-size and coverage figures above apply to the Agricultural District; other districts differ6.

Sources

  1. Chapter 230: Zoning (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Adams County - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 86: Construction Codes, Uniform (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  5. ecode360.com (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article V: Agricultural District (AG) (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article V: Agricultural District (AG) (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Adams County - Planning FAQs, Floodplains, quoted and re-checked
  11. Freedom Township Municipal Building (zoning and township offices) (freedom.adamscountypa.gov)
  12. Article V: Agricultural District (AG) (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. ecode360.com (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Article VII: Residential Low-Density District (RL) (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Adams County Office of Planning & Development - FAQs (2026 county census)
  16. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. Building Permit Officer (PA Municipal Code Alliance) (adamscountypa.gov)
  18. ecode360.com (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Chapter 86: Construction Codes, Uniform (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  20. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  21. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. PA DEP - Act 537 Sewage Facilities Program (2026 county census)
  23. Freedom Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (KPI Technology) (adamscountypa.gov)
  24. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Chapter 195: Subdivision and Land Development (Freedom Township), quoted and re-checked
  27. Electronic Submission of Documents for Review, quoted and re-checked
  28. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  29. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  30. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  31. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  32. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): 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 Freedom Township

Freedom Township’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated as the Municipal Building Code within Freedom Township.

    • The incorporated UCC is amended from time to time.
    “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapter 401 et seq., as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the Municipal Building Code of Freedom Township ("code").”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land within Freedom Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

    • Chapter 230 was adopted April 8, 2020 by Ordinance No. 2020-01; amendments are noted in the code.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Freedom Township 4-8-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-01. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwelling units regulated by Chapter 230 in Freedom Township.

    • Mobile homes constructed in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards effective June 15, 1976 are excepted from the stated minimum floor-area schedule.

    one-bedroom unit minimum habitable floor area: 600 square feet · two-bedroom unit minimum habitable floor area: 750 square feet · three-bedroom unit minimum habitable floor area: 900 square feet

    “One-bedroom unit: 600 square feet. Two-bedroom units: 750 square feet. Three-bedroom units: 900 square feet.”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    On-lot sewer systems serving dwellings in Freedom Township.

    • The directly retrieved rule addresses accessory apartments added to dwellings served by an on-lot sewer system.
    “If accessory apartments are added to a dwelling served by an on-lot sewer system, a sewage permit must be secured from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer prior to securing a building permit.”
  • Septic permitLimited

    An accessory apartment added to a dwelling served by an on-lot sewer system in Freedom Township.

    • A sewage permit must be secured from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer before securing a building permit.
    “If accessory apartments are added to a dwelling served by an on-lot sewer system, a sewage permit must be secured from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer prior to securing a building permit.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development within Freedom Township.

    • The chapter was adopted June 13, 1991 by Ordinance No. 91-1; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “Chapter 195 Subdivision and Land Development”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    UCC administration and enforcement fees assessed by Freedom Township.

    • Fees are established by Board of Supervisors resolution from time to time.
    “Fees assessable by Freedom Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the Act shall be established by the Board of Supervisors by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPartial

    UCC administration and enforcement within Freedom Township.

    • The Board of Supervisors determines the administrative method by resolution from time to time.
    “Administration and enforcement of the code within Freedom Township shall be undertaken in any of the following ways as determined by the Board of Supervisors from time to time by resolution:”

Rules another office applies inside Freedom Township

Freedom Township 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)

    Nonagricultural single-family detached dwellings in the Agricultural (AG) District.

    • The lot may need to be increased after required Township and/or DEP soil testing and hydrogeologic studies to accommodate an individual on-lot sewage disposal system.

    minimum lot area: 1 acre (nonagricultural single-family detached dwelling) · maximum lot area: 3 acres (may be increased for required on-lot sewage disposal)

    “Single-family detached dwelling (nonagricultural). Minimum lot area is one acre with maximum of three acres. However, the lot area may need to be increased if, after completing soil testing and any hydrogeologic studies required by the Township and/or DEP, a larger lot area is required to accommodate an individual on-lot sewage disposal system.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Uses in the Agricultural (AG) District.

    maximum impervious coverage: <= 25 percent

    “Impervious coverage shall not exceed 25%.”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Accessory apartments in the Agricultural (AG) District in Freedom Township.

    • The use is subject to § 230-62A(1).
    • parameters
    “Accessory apartments, in accordance with § 230-62A(1).”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Vacation rentals in the Residential Low-Density (RL) District.

    • The use is subject to § 230-62A(55).
    “Vacation Rental, in accordance with § 230-62A(55).”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential construction within Freedom Township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences within Freedom Township.
  • Inspections — Residential construction within Freedom Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy within Freedom Township.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land within Freedom Township.
10 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain

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 Freedom Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Adams County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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