Potter Township, PA Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

Potter Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania zones its own land through a township zoning ordinance with agricultural and rural residential districts¹. Building permits follow the state Uniform Construction Code and come from one of the code agencies the township lists²³. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency under the state sewage facilities program; we could not confirm which one covers Potter Township⁴.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, township zoning ordinance with mapped districts¹⁵
Building permit: Required under the state Uniform Construction Code; township lists its code agencies²⁶
Who issues building permits: Your choice of the code agencies the township lists³
Septic: Local sewage agency under state program; township contact unconfirmed⁴
Minimum lot, rural residential: 1 acre, less with public water or sewer⁷
Minimum lot, agricultural: 20 acres, with a 2-acre house-lot exception⁸
Owner-builder: No statewide contractor license for most work⁹

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Potter Township Office

Township office for Potter Township; first call for zoning questions and the zoning map

(814) 364-9176

secretary@pottertownship.org

124 Short Road, Spring Mills, PA 16875

Building permits

Penns Valley Code Enforcement Agency (one of three code agencies Potter Township lists)

Uniform Construction Code building permits and inspections; the township also lists Bureau Veritas and Keystone Inspection Agency

814-349-8177

info@PVCode.org

225 East Main Street P.O. Box 357 Millheim, PA 16854

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Potter Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Potter Township, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Potter Township has its own zoning ordinance, divided into districts that include Agricultural (A) and Rural Residential (RR)¹⁵. Centre County itself has no countywide zoning ordinance, so the township, not the county, decides what you can build¹⁰.

In the Agricultural district the base lot is 20 acres, but a parcel may be cut down for a single-family dwelling to 2 acres or, under the second option, 1-acre lots with conditions, and no further subdivision is then allowed⁸. A perc test and soil log are required before a zoning permit there⁸. In Rural Residential, non-agricultural uses need 1 acre unless public water or sewer is available⁷.

Setbacks measured from the road center line are 65 feet in both districts¹¹¹². Agricultural side yards are 35 feet and rear yards 50 feet¹¹; Rural Residential side and rear yards are 25 feet¹². Building coverage is capped at 25% in both¹³¹⁴.

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

Yes. Potter Township has adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its building code², and the state requires a permit before any covered work starts⁶. Centre County does not issue these permits for you; the township lists its code agencies instead³.

The township offers three options for building code administration and lets applicants choose which agency to work with³. The Penns Valley Code Enforcement Agency in Millheim is one of them, alongside Bureau Veritas and Keystone Inspection Agency³. Each agency has its own fee schedule, so ask the agency you pick what a permit costs³.

A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used¹⁵. Inside the township's floodplain overlay, both the floodplain ordinance and the underlying zoning district must be met¹⁶.

How do septic permits work in Potter Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before an on-lot sewage system is installed or a building served by one is occupied⁴. Local agencies are municipalities, groups of municipalities or county health departments, so the agency differs from place to place¹⁷.

We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits for Potter Township. Zoning in the Agricultural district requires a perc test and soil log before the zoning permit, and the lot must meet Act 537 and the township's sewage ordinance⁸. Call the Potter Township Office to find out who runs the program¹⁸.

Soil matters here: about 16% of Centre County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system¹⁹. The state's 10-acre exemption for an owner's or immediate family's residence has strict owner-of-record and siting conditions, so confirm it with the local agency before relying on it⁴.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Potter Township?

We could not confirm the township's rule on living in an RV or tiny home on private land. The township's zoning ordinance governs where dwellings and temporary uses are allowed, so ask the Potter Township Office before parking or placing either one¹⁸.

State rules about RV stays cover state park campgrounds, not your own parcel, and do not answer this question²⁰. For manufactured housing, the state building code still applies to additions, resale and relocation, but it does not settle local zoning or septic approval²¹.

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

Confirm the district on the township zoning map and check lot size and setbacks with the Potter Township Office¹⁸⁵.
In the Agricultural district, get the perc test and soil log done before the zoning permit⁸.
Find who issues septic permits for the township and apply with them⁴.
If the driveway meets a state highway, apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit²².
Choose one of the township's code agencies and apply for the building permit³.
Build to the permit and schedule inspections; foundations, systems, framing and a final inspection are covered²³.
Get the certificate of occupancy before moving in²⁴.

Pennsylvania has no statewide licensing for most construction contractors, though municipalities may add their own⁹.

What to check before you buy land in Potter Township

Which district the parcel sits in decides almost everything: Agricultural land is set up for large lots, and Rural Residential allows smaller ones⁸⁷. Ask the Potter Township Office whether the parcel touches the floodplain overlay¹⁶¹⁸.

If you plan to split the land, the county's subdivision ordinance applies only where a municipality has not adopted its own, so ask the township which applies²⁵. Private wells are not covered by a state construction standard, and the township code has a chapter on wells that we could not review²⁶.

County-level figures: wooded land covers about 81% of Centre County²⁷, and the effective property tax rate is about 1.1%²⁸.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for Potter Township or whether the township runs an on-lot sewage management program; call the Potter Township Office before you sign a purchase contract¹⁸.
Each of the township's code agencies sets its own permit fees, so get quotes from the agency you choose³.
Rules for RVs, tiny homes and accessory dwellings were not confirmed for the township; ask the Potter Township Office¹⁸.
A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, separate from the building permit²².

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Potter Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Centre County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic in Potter Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania