Borough of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania: building permits, zoning and sewage

At a glance

Building permits

Required before UCC-covered residential construction²

Zoning

Borough zoning applies inside Birdsboro¹

Code office

Systems Design Engineering: 610-916-8500³

Water and sewer

Birdsboro Municipal Authority provides borough service⁴

Onlot sewage

Local-agency permit required, subject to state exceptions⁵

Owner-builder

No statewide license for most contractors; local requirements and building permits still need attention⁶²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Does the Borough of Birdsboro have zoning for RVs, tiny homes and lots?

The Borough of Birdsboro has a municipal zoning ordinance that applies to land inside the borough.¹ The borough’s code office is Systems Design Engineering, and the municipal website links a zoning map and zoning permit application.³

Before buying, ask that office to identify the parcel’s district and confirm the proposed dwelling type, lot size, setbacks, height and coverage limits.³ We could not confirm Birdsboro’s district-specific dimensional limits or permission for residential RV use, temporary camping, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the borough zoning office for a written answer for the proposed use.³

Do you need a building permit in the Borough of Birdsboro, and who issues it?

Residential work in the Borough of Birdsboro that falls under Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before covered construction begins.² Contact Systems Design Engineering at 610-916-8500 for borough zoning and code questions; the borough website provides building and zoning permit applications and a fee schedule.³ Ask the code office which applications and drawings your project needs before submitting.³

Pennsylvania requires inspections for construction covered by an issued residential UCC permit, and a residential building governed by the UCC cannot be occupied without a certificate of occupancy.⁷⁸ Pennsylvania’s lack of statewide licensing for most construction contractors does not waive the building-permit requirement for an owner-built home.⁶²

How do septic permits and public sewer work inside the Borough of Birdsboro?

Birdsboro Municipal Authority provides water and sewer service for the borough and surrounding areas; ask the authority about service availability for the exact property before designing an onlot system.⁴ We could not confirm the current Birdsboro sewage enforcement officer or the parcel-specific public sewer connection obligation; ask Borough Hall to identify the responsible sewage agency and confirm the connection requirement.⁹

For a building served by an individual or community onlot sewage system, Pennsylvania requires a local-agency permit before installation, contracting for construction, construction, occupancy or use, subject to statutory exceptions.⁵ The completed system generally cannot be covered until the permit issuer or authorized representative approves covering it.¹⁰ A composting toilet for a new residence does not eliminate the need for approved washwater or excess-liquid disposal.¹¹

Building a home in the Borough of Birdsboro: what are the steps?

1. Ask Systems Design Engineering to confirm the parcel’s zoning district, proposed residential use and required zoning application.³
2. Ask Birdsboro Municipal Authority about water and sewer service; if the proposal needs onlot sewage, establish the local-agency permit path before contracting for the system.⁴⁵
3. Obtain the building permit before UCC-covered construction and arrange the required inspections with the code official.²⁷
4. Ask the municipality about floodplain approval if the site lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area; Pennsylvania requires municipal review of development there.¹²
5. Secure the residential certificate of occupancy before using a home governed by the UCC.⁸

What stays with Berks County, and what should a Birdsboro buyer check?

The Borough of Birdsboro regulates subdivision and land development through its own code, while Berks County Planning Commission also reviews subdivision and land-development submissions routed through the municipality.¹³¹⁴ County planning review does not replace Birdsboro’s municipal approval.¹⁴ For land outside the borough, use the Berks County guide and establish which municipality administers zoning.¹⁵

A driveway involving state highway land or a connection to a PennDOT drainage facility needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit.¹⁶ Before a purchase, distinguish a transfer inspection from approval to occupy new construction: Birdsboro says residential property transfers no longer require a use and occupancy inspection, but Pennsylvania still requires a certificate of occupancy for a residential building governed by the UCC.³⁸

Watch-outs

• Birdsboro’s RV, tiny-home and district-specific lot standards remain unconfirmed; ask Systems Design Engineering before buying for those uses.³
• Ask Borough Hall to identify the current sewage enforcement officer, and ask Birdsboro Municipal Authority about service at the property before assuming septic is an option.⁹⁴

Sources

1. Borough of Birdsboro, PA Code of Ordinances - Table of Contents (eCode360) (Borough of Birdsboro), quoted and re-checked
2. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
3. Borough of Birdsboro Zoning and Code Office — Systems Design Engineering, Inc. (birdsboropa.org)
4. Birdsboro Municipal Authority (birdsboroma.com)
5. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Borough of Birdsboro Administrative Offices (birdsboropa.org)
10. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Borough of Birdsboro, PA Code of Ordinances - Table of Contents (eCode360) (Borough of Birdsboro), quoted and re-checked
14. Fee Schedule for Reviews, quoted and re-checked
15. Berks County - Multi-Municipal Planning, quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 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.