Building permits, zoning and septic rules in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Borough zoning ordinance with R1, R2, MU, I and IC districts¹

Building permit

Required under the Pennsylvania UCC; applications start at the borough office⁴²

Minimum lot, R1 single-family

5,000 sq ft, 50 ft wide⁵

Setbacks, R1 single-family

25 ft front, 5 ft side, 5 ft rear⁶

Accessory dwelling

Conditional use; owner must live on the lot⁷

Septic

Local Sewage Enforcement Officer under Act 537; borough's agency unconfirmed³

Short-term rental

Conditional use permit and borough rental license⁸

Who to call

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

Does New Cumberland, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. New Cumberland Borough adopted its own zoning ordinance and map in 2023, with residential, mixed-use, industrial and downtown and airport overlay districts¹. Cumberland County does not run zoning for the borough; the county says zoning is established and administered by municipalities⁹.

In the R1 Residential district, a single-family or twin lot needs at least 5,000 sq ft and 50 ft of width⁵. In R2, single-family lots also need 5,000 sq ft, with a 40 ft minimum width¹⁰. R1 single-family setbacks are 25 ft front, 5 ft side and 5 ft rear, with 40% maximum impervious coverage⁶. Maximum building height in R1 is 35 ft for single-family homes¹¹. The front-setback footnote could not be fully read, so confirm it with the borough.

Do you need a building permit in New Cumberland, and who issues it?

Yes, for most construction. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before construction or building work begins¹². In New Cumberland, the borough states that building permits may be required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of buildings and structures².

The borough's Codes Enforcement & Zoning page lists decks, roof replacement, additions and structural changes among the work that needs a permit, and says all permits start at the borough office at 1120 Market Street, (717) 774-0404². Zoning approval is a separate step from the UCC permit, so a fence, deck, shed or garage project gets a call to the borough's Zoning Enforcement Officer first².

A driveway onto a state highway also needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit, which the building permit must flag¹³.

Can you build an accessory dwelling or rent short-term in New Cumberland?

Accessory dwelling units are a conditional use in New Cumberland Borough: the owner must live in one of the dwellings, only one unit is allowed per lot, it must meet the principal use's setback, bulk and area rules, and extra parking is required⁷.

Short-term rentals also need a conditional use permit, a borough rental license and a rental inspection, with overnight guests limited to the sleeping capacity⁸. We could not confirm rules for tiny homes or living in an RV inside the borough, so ask the Zoning Enforcement Officer before buying.

How do septic permits work inside New Cumberland?

Pennsylvania's Act 537 puts on-lot sewage permits with a local agency and its Sewage Enforcement Officer, who approves or denies the permit before installation¹⁴. The borough's own sewer chapter was not confirmed, and we could not confirm which agency or officer covers an on-lot system inside New Cumberland³.

Cumberland County's soils give some context: about 37% of county soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field¹⁵. Before assuming a septic system is possible on a parcel, ask the borough office whether the address is on public sewer².

Building a home in New Cumberland: the steps, in order

1. Call the borough Zoning Enforcement Officer at (717) 774-0404 to confirm the parcel's district, lot size and setbacks².
2. Check the FEMA flood map; the borough restricts development in the floodplain along the Susquehanna River and Yellow Breeches Creek¹⁶.
3. File the zoning permit application and the building permit application through the borough office².
4. If the project is a subdivision or land development, plans are also reviewed by the Cumberland County Planning Department¹⁷.
5. Pass the required UCC inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before using the building¹⁸.

What stays with Cumberland County and the state?

The borough decides zoning and building permits, but the rules for land outside the borough differ; see the Cumberland County page for unincorporated townships. County planning reviews subdivision and land-development plans for consistency with municipal documents, and does not replace the borough's authority¹⁹. On-lot sewage permits remain a local-agency matter under state Act 537³, and property taxes in Cumberland County average an effective 1.2%²⁰.

Watch-outs

• A later zoning amendment, Ordinance #727, was reported as pending but we could not verify it, so confirm current district rules with the borough office¹.
• We could not confirm permit fees, the septic agency, well rules or minimum dwelling size inside the borough; call the borough office at (717) 774-0404².
• Flood-prone parcels near the Susquehanna River and Yellow Breeches Creek face restricted development and may require a building permit for work that otherwise would not¹⁶.

Sources

1. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
2. New Cumberland Borough Codes Enforcement & Zoning (building permits) (newcumberlandborough.com)
3. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
4. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
5. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
6. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
7. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
8. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
9. Municipal Information, quoted and re-checked
10. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
11. New Cumberland Borough Zoning Ordinance and Map of 2023 (Ordinance #717) (Borough of New Cumberland), quoted and re-checked
12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
13. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
14. ACT 537 - AN OVERVIEW OF THE SEWAGE FACILITIES PROGRAM, quoted and re-checked
15. 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
16. New Cumberland Borough Floodplain Management (newcumberlandborough.com)
17. Subdivision & Land Development | Cumberland County, PA, quoted and re-checked
18. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
19. Subdivision & Land Development, quoted and re-checked
20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.