Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Bedford County, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required for a new home under Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code¹³

Building permit office

The county Planning Commission does not issue permits; confirm the municipality's code agency, with PMCA as the county's published contact²⁴

Zoning

Zoning and land-use rules vary by municipality; ask the parcel's township or borough⁷

Septic permits

Handled by the local agency and Sewage Enforcement Officer designated for the parcel's municipality⁵⁶

RV or tiny-home living

No countywide occupancy rule was confirmed; ask the township or borough before placing or occupying one⁸

Owner-builder exemption

An owner may do qualifying work without contractor licensing, but that does not waive the UCC building permit⁹¹

Private well

Commercial drillers need state licensing, while a homeowner drilling on owned or leased land is excluded from that licensing requirement¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Bedford County, Pennsylvania?

Yes. Construction and building work covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before work begins, including a new home in Bedford County¹. Rural location does not remove the statewide UCC requirement³. Pennsylvania does exclude qualifying agricultural buildings from the Construction Code Act, but the structure cannot contain habitable space, so that exception does not turn a barn into an unpermitted dwelling¹¹. A property owner may perform qualifying work without contractor licensing, but doing the work yourself does not waive the UCC building permit⁹¹. Permitted construction must remain accessible for required inspections, and a certificate of occupancy is required before the building is used¹²¹³.

Who issues Bedford County building permits, and how do you reach them?

The Bedford County Planning Commission does not issue building permits; its official FAQ sends applicants to the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance's Bedford office⁴². Permit administration still depends on the township or borough: municipalities generally enforce the UCC themselves or through certified third-party agencies, while residential work in an opt-out municipality is enforced by a certified third-party agency hired by the owner or contractor³. Call the township or borough first to confirm its current UCC agency and zoning procedure⁷. For a subdivision or land-development application, the municipality must sign the application before Bedford County Planning reviews it¹⁴. Building-permit fees vary with the issuing authority, and Bedford County Planning has a separate published schedule for subdivision and land-development review¹⁵¹⁶. The state's UCC fee schedule applies only when the Department of Labor and Industry is the permitting authority, not countywide¹⁷.

Does Bedford County have zoning?

Zoning and land-use rules in Bedford County vary by municipality, so the township or borough where the parcel lies determines which local ordinance applies⁷. A Bedford County mailing address alone does not answer what can be built. Ask that municipality about permitted uses, setbacks, lot size, building height, accessory dwellings and whether an RV or tiny home may be occupied; we could not confirm countywide standards for those questions. If a land division is planned, subdivision review is a separate layer: the municipality must sign the application before Bedford County Planning reviews it¹⁴.

How do septic permits work in Bedford County?

On-lot septic permitting and enforcement in Bedford County are handled by local agencies rather than one countywide septic counter⁵. Local agencies issue permits for retaining tanks and individual or community on-lot systems, with exceptions including large-volume systems⁶. The Bedford County Township & Borough Sanitary Corporation explains the process for its member municipalities, but its coverage is not countywide, so first ask the parcel's township or borough which local agency serves it¹⁸⁵. Only 7.1% of county soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility an early contingency rather than assuming a standard system will fit¹⁹. A narrow exemption can apply on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres under specific ownership, family-use and siting conditions; have the local agency verify eligibility rather than assuming acreage alone qualifies²⁰.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Bedford County?

We could not confirm a countywide Bedford County rule for long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy. Ask the parcel's township or borough whether its local ordinance permits the proposed use, what setbacks or lot standards apply, and whether living in the unit during construction is allowed⁷. A tiny home used as a dwelling remains subject to Pennsylvania's statewide construction-code system rather than escaping a building permit merely because it is small¹²¹. A manufactured home has its own UCC treatment: utility connections, grading, later additions, relocation and certain repairs or occupancy changes can trigger code review beyond the manufacturer's approved design²². Composting or incinerating toilets also do not eliminate wastewater planning for a new residence; washwater or excess liquid needs an approved disposal method under the same permit, subject to the stated exception²³.

Building a home in Bedford County: the steps, in order

1. Identify the exact township or borough and ask which zoning and land-use rules apply to the parcel⁷.
2. Confirm the municipality's designated UCC enforcement agency; Bedford County Planning directs permit seekers to the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance but does not issue the building permit itself⁴².
3. Contact the municipality's local sewage agency or Sewage Enforcement Officer for the on-lot septic permit before finalizing the house site⁵⁶.
4. If creating a lot, obtain municipal sign-off before submitting the subdivision or land-development application for county review¹⁴.
5. Submit the UCC application and applicable fee to the correct code agency before work begins¹¹⁵.
6. Schedule the required construction inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before using the residence¹²¹³.
7. Apply to PennDOT if the driveway affects state highway land or connects to a PennDOT drainage facility²⁴.

What should you check before buying Bedford County land?

Start with septic suitability: only 7.1% of Bedford County soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so a favorable-looking clearing may still need a different system or house site¹⁹. Terrain also deserves a field check because 48.1% of county land is at a slope of 15% or less, while 73.4% is wooded²⁵²⁶. Confirm the municipality and its zoning before relying on a listing's claim that land is unrestricted⁷. Check mapped flood hazards too: UCC-regulated construction in a floodplain requires design documentation prepared and sealed by a registered design professional²⁷. A driveway affecting state highway land needs PennDOT approval²⁸. Bedford County farmland averages about $5,010 per acre, the typical home value is about $219,854, and the median property-tax bill is about $1,403 per year, useful benchmarks rather than parcel-specific quotes²⁹³⁰³¹.

Watch-outs

• The Bedford County Planning Commission does not issue building permits, and the correct UCC enforcement arrangement can depend on the township or borough, so confirm the agency before filing²⁴.
• A Bedford County parcel advertised as having no zoning may still face municipal land-use rules, statewide building-code requirements and local septic approval⁷¹⁵.
• The Bedford County Township & Borough Sanitary Corporation serves member municipalities rather than the entire county; ask the parcel's municipality to identify its Sewage Enforcement Officer¹⁸⁵.

Sources

1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
2. bedfordcountypa.org, quoted and re-checked
3. Uniform Construction Code (UCC), quoted and re-checked
4. Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance — Bedford office (bedfordcountypa.org)
5. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
6. Municipal On-Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
7. bedfordcountypa.org, quoted and re-checked
8. Bedford County Planning Department FAQ (2026 county census)
9. Contractor Licensing (2026 county census)
10. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
14. bedfordcountypa.org, quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
16. Planning, quoted and re-checked
17. Fee Schedule - UCC Buildings, quoted and re-checked
18. Bedford County Township & Borough Sanitary Corporation (bedfordsanitarycorp.com)
19. 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
20. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
22. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
25. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
26. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
27. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
28. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
29. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
30. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
31. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 10, 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.