Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Southampton Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance with five districts⁴

Zoning permit

Required from the zoning officer before use, erection or alteration¹

Building permit

State Uniform Construction Code permit required before building work²

Septic

Permit from a Sewage Enforcement Officer before installation⁵

Farm-related lots (Agricultural District)

10 acres⁶

Home setbacks (Agricultural District)

35 ft front, 15 ft each side, 25 ft rear⁷

Who to call

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

Does Southampton Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Southampton Township in Cumberland County has its own zoning chapter, and the township is divided into five districts: Agricultural, Woodland Conservation, Village Center, Commercial and Manufacturing⁴. A zoning permit from the township zoning officer is required before a use starts or a structure is built or altered¹.

Cumberland County does not run this zoning. The county states that zoning regulations are established and administered by the municipalities⁸, so the township's rules are the ones that apply on your parcel.

The township's Planning & Zoning Department administers the zoning and subdivision regulations and has a full-time Zoning Officer who reviews zoning permit applications⁹. Which district a parcel sits in is on the township zoning map, so confirm it with the zoning office before you buy⁴.

What are the lot size, setback and height rules in Southampton Township?

The figures below are for the Agricultural District only; other districts were not checked, so confirm your parcel's district first.

Single-family detached dwellings in the Agricultural District carry a 35 ft front setback, 15 ft on each side and 25 ft at the rear⁷. Maximum impervious coverage is 30%¹⁰ and maximum building height is 35 ft¹¹.

Farm-related uses in the Agricultural District need 10 acres⁶. For a single-family dwelling the table gives no stated lot size and points to Act 537 and the township sewage officer, so septic approval, not a zoning acreage, is what sizes a house lot there⁶.

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

Yes for building work, under state law. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires the property owner or an authorized representative to obtain a UCC building permit before beginning construction or building work². A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used¹².

A municipality may enforce the UCC itself, through a certified third-party agency, or leave it to state and third-party enforcement if it opts out¹³. We could not confirm which of these Southampton Township uses or what its permit fees are, because the township sets fees by resolution¹⁴. Ask the Planning & Zoning Department at 717.532.9646 which agency takes UCC applications⁹.

The zoning permit is separate from the UCC permit and comes from the township zoning officer¹.

How do septic permits work in Southampton Township?

Septic permits are local, not county-issued. Under Pennsylvania's Act 537, a local agency's Sewage Enforcement Officer approves or denies permits for on-lot sewage systems before installation⁵. Local agencies can be individual municipalities, groups of municipalities or county health departments¹⁵.

We could not confirm which Sewage Enforcement Officer serves Southampton Township or what its septic permit costs. Call the township office at 717.532.9646 to be pointed to the right one⁹.

Soils matter on rural lots: across Cumberland County only 37.2% of soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so plan on a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁶.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Southampton Township?

We could not confirm. The township's use table and its Article X rules decide whether an RV, tiny home or manufactured home can be occupied on a lot, and we were unable to confirm what they say for any district. Do not assume that a lack of county zoning means no rules: the township sets them⁸.

Ask the Southampton Township Zoning Officer, before you buy or move anything onto the land, whether temporary camping, an RV, a tiny home or an accessory dwelling is allowed in the district that covers your parcel⁹.

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

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the township zoning office⁹.
2. Check whether the lot can be created or must be subdivided; non-farm development in the Agricultural District is limited to 10% of the parent parcel's gross area¹⁷, and county planning reviews subdivision and land-development plans¹⁸.
3. Get septic site testing and a permit through the Sewage Enforcement Officer before any system is installed⁵.
4. If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required¹⁹.
5. Secure the zoning permit from the zoning officer¹.
6. Obtain the UCC building permit, then pass inspections and receive a certificate of occupancy²¹².

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

Cumberland County's Planning Department reviews subdivision and land-development plans and sewage planning modules, but it does not administer township zoning¹⁸²⁰. For the county's wider picture, see the Cumberland County page.

Before buying, confirm the zoning district, septic feasibility and whether the parcel touches a state highway¹⁹. If the land is in a flood plain, UCC documentation sealed by a registered design professional is required²¹, and the township has a floodplain management chapter we could not review.

Cumberland County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%²², with a median bill of $3,180 a year²³.

Watch-outs

• The setback, coverage and height figures here are for the Agricultural District only; confirm your parcel's district with the township zoning office before relying on them⁷.
• We could not confirm who enforces the building code or issues septic permits inside Southampton Township; call the township office at 717.532.9646⁹.
• Rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings and short-term rentals inside the township were not confirmed; ask the Zoning Officer⁹.
• The county's zoning maps may not be the officially adopted zoning map, so confirm a parcel's classification with the township²⁴.

Sources

1. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article III: Districts and Map Established - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
3. Act 537 - An Overview of the Sewage Facilities Program, quoted and re-checked
4. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article III: Districts and Map Established - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
5. Act 537 - An Overview of the Sewage Facilities Program, quoted and re-checked
6. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article IV A: Agricultural District - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article IV A: Agricultural District - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Municipal Information, quoted and re-checked
9. Southampton Township Planning & Zoning Department (southamptontwp.com)
10. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article IV A: Agricultural District - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
11. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article IV A: Agricultural District - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
13. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article III: Districts and Map Established - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
15. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
16. 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
17. Chapter 350 Zoning, Article IV A: Agricultural District - Township of Southampton, PA (Southampton Township), quoted and re-checked
18. Subdivision & Land Development | Cumberland County, PA, quoted and re-checked
19. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
20. Cumberland County Planning Department (cumberlandcountypa.gov)
21. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
24. Municipal Information, 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.