Bolthole Index

Adams County, Pennsylvania

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

Reading Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, so a new house, shed or change of use starts with a township zoning/land use permit12. Applicants must also obtain a building permit under Act 45 before construction3. Septic permits come from the Township's Sewage Enforcement Officer, not from Adams County4.

At a glance

Zoning
Township zoning ordinance (Chapter 27) with several districts15
Building permit
Required; the application cites Act 453
Septic permit
Required, issued by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer64
Septic pumping and inspection
Required for all on-lot septic7
R-1 minimum lot
1 acre for conventional development8
R-1 setbacks
50 ft front, 25 ft side, 30 ft rear9
Owner-builder
Pennsylvania licenses few contractors statewide; the Township's own rule is unconfirmed10
RV and tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the Township office2

Who to call

Zoning

Reading Township municipal office (zoning, land use permits, driveway permits, floodplain and stormwater applications)

Zoning/land use permits, driveway permits, well permit applications, floodplain development applications and the township fee schedule

717-624-4222

50 Church Rd, East Berlin, PA 17316

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

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Does Reading Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Reading Township, Adams County has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 27 of the Township Code1. It sorts land into Agricultural Conservation, Land Conservation, Village, R-1 and R-1A Low Density Residential, R-2 Moderate Density Residential and Commercial/Industrial districts5. Adams County's own zoning ordinance is not applied here, so the Township office is the place to ask which district a parcel sits in2.

In the R-1 district, conventional development needs a minimum lot of 1 acre8. R-1 setbacks are 50 feet in front, 25 feet on the side and 30 feet in the rear for principal structures and accessory structures over 200 square feet9. Impervious coverage in R-1 is capped at 40 percent11, and buildings may be up to 35 feet tall12. Other districts have their own numbers, and cluster development has a different minimum lot area8. We could not confirm tiny-home, RV-living or minimum-house-size rules, so ask the Township office before you buy2.

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

Yes. The Township's zoning/land use permit application says the applicant is responsible for obtaining a building permit before starting construction, as required by Act 453. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before work starts on covered construction13. Reading Township's zoning/land use permits are processed at the Township office, and the Township website also points to the PA Municipal Code Alliance for zoning/land use permits2.

We could not confirm which building code edition the Township enforces, the inspection stages, or whether an owner-builder exemption applies, so ask the Township office before you pour a foundation. Adams County does not issue building permits14.

How do septic permits work in Reading Township?

Septic permits for Reading Township come from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer, not from a county office4. The Township's code requires a sewage permit for any individual or community system, on tracts of any size6. A new house with no septic system or septic permit cannot get a zoning permit until proof of compliance with state DEP rules for on-lot disposal is submitted15. In practice, septic approval comes first and the zoning permit second.

The Township also requires pumping and inspection of all on-lot septic72. If the property is within 150 feet of the Township sewer system, the owner must connect within 60 days after Township notice16. The Township's services page lists a well permit application, but we could not confirm when a permit is required, so ask the Township office2.

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

  1. Ask the Township office which zoning district the parcel is in and whether the use you plan is allowed52.
  2. Get a septic permit from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer, since no zoning permit is issued without proof of on-lot septic compliance615.
  3. Apply for the zoning/land use permit at the Township office2.
  4. Obtain the building permit under Act 45 before construction starts3.
  5. If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is also required17. The Township services page also lists its own driveway permit application2.
  6. Splitting a lot is regulated under the Township's subdivision and land development chapter18.

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

Adams County does not issue building permits or septic permits inside Reading Township; the Township and the state rules above govern them144. For land outside the Township, see the Adams County page. Adams County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%19, and its median property tax bill is $3,569 a year20.

Before you buy, confirm the district, the septic evaluation and any floodplain limits with the Township office. The Township website lists a floodplain development permit application, but we could not confirm exactly when it is required2. Fewer than one in six soils across Adams County rate as not limited for a conventional septic drain field (14%), so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system21.

Watch-outs

  • Reading Township's R-1 numbers do not apply to the other districts, so confirm the parcel's district with the Township office before relying on any lot size or setback82.
  • We could not confirm the Township's building code edition, inspection stages, certificate of occupancy rules, manufactured-home rules or short-term rental rules; the Township office is the one to ask2.
  • Do not budget a house before the septic permit: the Township issues no zoning permit for a lot without a septic system or septic permit until proof of DEP compliance is submitted15.

Sources

  1. Reading Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Reading Township municipal office (zoning, land use permits, driveway permits, floodplain and stormwater applications) (reading.adamscountypa.gov)
  3. Reading Township Zoning / Land Use Permit Application (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Reading Township Code, Chapter 18 Sewers and Sewage Disposal (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Reading Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Reading Township Code, Chapter 18 Sewers and Sewage Disposal (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Reading Township Services (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Reading Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Reading Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Reading Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Reading Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Adams County Office of Planning & Development - FAQs (2026 county census)
  15. Reading Township Zoning / Land Use Permit Application (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Reading Township Code, Chapter 18 Sewers and Sewage Disposal (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Reading Township Code of Ordinances (Reading Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  21. 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

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 Reading Township

Reading Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction projects inside Reading Township.

    • The application identifies the requirement as being under Act 45.
    “I also understand that it is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain a Building Permit prior to starting construction as per Act 45.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Reading Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

    “This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Reading Township Zoning Ordinance.””
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    All land inside Reading Township.

    • The code's contents identify Agricultural Conservation, Land Conservation, Village, R-1, R-1A, R-2, and Commercial/Industrial zoning districts.
    “Agricultural Conservation (AC) District [...] Land Conservation (LC) District [...] Village (V) District [...] Low Density Residential (R-1) District [...] Low Density Residential (R-1A) District [...] Moderate Density Residential (R-2) District [...] Commercial/Industrial (CI) District”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    On-lot and community sewage systems inside Reading Township.

    • The Township ordinance provides for permits from the Sewage Enforcement Officer and Township administration.
    “All permits for the construction, installation, alteration or change of an individual sewage system or community sewage system shall be obtained from the Reading Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO)”
  • Septic permitRequired

    On-lot and community sewage systems inside Reading Township.

    • The Chapter 18 permit is to be obtained from the Sewage Enforcement Officer.
    “Such a sewage permit shall be required in all instances in which a person desires to install, construct, alter or change an individual or community sewage system on any tracts of land of any size at any location in Reading Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    All on-lot septic systems inside Reading Township.

    • The Township also requires pumping.
    “Reading Township requires pumping and inspection of all on-lot septic.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Projects seeking a Reading Township zoning/land-use permit with no existing septic system or on-lot septic permit.

    • No zoning permit is issued until proof of compliance with DEP regulation for on-lot septic disposal is submitted.
    “If septic system does not exist nor septic permit has not been issued, no zoning permit will be issued until proof of compliance with DEP regulation for on lot septic disposal is submitted.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    An improved property inside Reading Township that is accessible to the sewer system and whose principal building is within 150 feet of it.

    • Connection must occur within 60 days after Township notice.
    • parameters unavailable in excerpt.

    building distance from sewer system: <= 150 feet (Principal building of an accessible improved property.) · connection deadline after notice: <= 60 days (After Township notice to connect.)

    “The owner of any improved property accessible to and whose principal building is within 150 feet from the sewer system shall connect such improved property with and shall use such sewer system, in such manner as this Township may require, within 60 days after notice to such owner from this Township to make such connection”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Reading Township.

    • The official ordinance index identifies a Township Chapter 22 for Subdivision and Land Development.
    “Chapter 22 - Subdivision & Land Development”

Rules another office applies inside Reading Township

Reading 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 sizeSpecified

    Conventional residential development in Reading Township's R-1 Low Density Residential District.

    • Cluster development has a different minimum lot area.

    minimum lot area: >= 1 acre (Conventional development in R-1.)

    “A. Conventional Development. [...] (3) The minimum lot area shall be 1 acre.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Conventional residential development in Reading Township's R-1 Low Density Residential District.

    • Side and rear setbacks for accessory structures of 200 square feet or less are 10 feet.

    front setback: >= 50 feet (Conventional R-1 development.) · side setback: >= 25 feet (Principal structures and accessory structures exceeding 200 square feet.) · rear setback: >= 30 feet (Principal structures and accessory structures exceeding 200 square feet.)

    “The minimum front yard setback shall be 50 feet. [...] The minimum side yard setback for principal structures and accessory structures in excess of 200 square feet shall be 25 feet. [...] The minimum rear yard setback for principal structures or accessory structures in excess of 200 square feet shall be 30 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Conventional residential development in Reading Township's R-1 Low Density Residential District.

    maximum impervious lot coverage: <= 40 percent (Conventional R-1 development.)

    “The maximum impervious lot coverage shall not exceed 40 percent.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Conventional residential development in Reading Township's R-1 Low Density Residential District.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Conventional R-1 development.)

    “The maximum building height shall be 35 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Reading Township.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Reading Township.
  • Inspections — Building construction inside Reading Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — New or changed building uses inside Reading Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Reading Township.
6 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • 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 Reading 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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