Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Richland Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes: the township adopts its own zoning chapter, with approval by the zoning officer¹

Building permit

Township application covering building permit, zoning review and plan examination²

Building code

Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, plus township code provisions³⁵

Septic

Permit from the local sewage enforcement officer; agency for the township not confirmed⁴

Mobile homes

Permitted only in mobile home parks⁶

Driveway on a state road

PennDOT highway occupancy permit⁷

RV / tiny home

Not confirmed; ask the zoning officer²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does Richland Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Richland Township adopts its own zoning chapter, Chapter 240 of the township code, and zoning approval comes from the township's zoning officer, with variances heard by the zoning hearing board¹. The code names districts R-4, U, C, L-1, M and A, and zoning approval in those districts requires site plan approval⁸.

Cambria County does not zone this land itself: zoning and land-use rules depend on the municipality where the parcel sits⁹. Minimum lot size, setbacks and minimum home size depend on the district, and we could not confirm those figures; ask the township zoning officer which district a parcel is in².

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

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires property owners to obtain a building permit before starting work¹⁰. In Richland Township the paperwork runs through the township's own "Application for Building Permit, Zoning Review and Plan Examination"². Township code adopts building code provisions with local changes⁵.

Fees follow a schedule the board of supervisors adopts by resolution, so ask the township office for the current amounts¹¹. Inspections and a certificate of occupancy are required before a residential building is used¹².

How do septic permits work in Richland Township?

Septic permits in Pennsylvania come from a local agency, applied for through the certified Sewage Enforcement Officer¹³. Local agencies carry out on-lot septic permitting and enforcement⁴. The township's building permit form asks for sewage approval on new construction, so expect to have it before the building permit is processed².

We could not confirm which agency's officer serves Richland Township. Ask the township office, which can name the agency². The state also lets a permit exemption apply in narrow cases for a residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres¹⁴.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or mobile home in Richland Township?

Mobile homes are permitted only in mobile home parks inside Richland Township⁶. We could not confirm the township's rules for RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny homes, so call the zoning officer before parking or placing one on a lot².

Pennsylvania's state park camping limits do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land¹⁵.

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

1. Ask the township zoning officer which zoning district the parcel is in and what is allowed there².
2. Get sewage approval for new construction², through the local sewage enforcement officer¹³.
3. Submit the township's building permit application with plans, site plan and county 911 address².
4. If the driveway meets a state highway, apply for a PennDOT highway occupancy permit⁷.
5. Have each required inspection done and get the certificate of occupancy before moving in¹⁶¹².

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

For land outside Richland Township, see the Cambria County page. Inside the township, Cambria County's Planning Commission reviews subdivision and land development plans where a municipality has adopted ordinances, and the township's subdivision rules are in Chapter 215 of its code¹⁷¹⁸.

Before buying, check flood status with the township, since each municipality enforces floodplain rules¹⁹. Conventional septic soils are scarce: only about 0.9% of Cambria County soils rate as not limited for a standard drain field, so plan for a site evaluation or an engineered system²⁰.

Watch-outs

• Septic, well, RV, tiny home, lot size and setback rules for Richland Township were not confirmed; ask the township zoning officer before you buy².
• Private wells: Pennsylvania does not require homeowners drilling their own well on their own land to hold a driller's license²¹.
• Agricultural buildings without habitable space are excluded from the state construction code, but zoning and other local rules may still apply²².

Sources

1. Richland Township Code Ch. 240 Zoning, Art. IV General Provisions (Richland Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Richland Township Zoning Officer and Township Office (richlandtwp.com)
3. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
5. Richland Township Code Ch. 96 Building Construction (Richland Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Richland Township Code Ch. 240 Zoning, Art. IV General Provisions (Richland Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
8. Richland Township Code Ch. 240 Zoning, Art. IV General Provisions (Richland Township), quoted and re-checked
9. Municipal Ordinances – Cambria County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
10. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
11. Richland Township Code Ch. 96 Building Construction (Richland Township), quoted and re-checked
12. Uniform Construction Code regulations, Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
13. Onlot Sewage Program (Home Buyer's / Builders Guide), quoted and re-checked
14. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Uniform Construction Code regulations, Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
17. Planning Commission - Cambria County, PA, quoted and re-checked
18. Richland Township Code Ch. 96 Building Construction (Richland Township), quoted and re-checked
19. Pennsylvania Floodplain Development Guide, quoted and re-checked
20. 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
21. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit, quoted and re-checked
22. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 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.