Building permits, zoning and sewer rules in Borough of Paxtang, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permits

Apply through the borough for proposed construction and electrical, plumbing or structural repairs.¹

Zoning

Borough zoning applies inside Paxtang.²

Public sewer

Improved property within 150 feet of a public sewer line must connect within 90 days after borough notice.³

Septic permits

Pennsylvania requires local-agency approval for onlot systems; ask the borough to identify its sewage enforcement contact.⁴

RV and tiny-home living

We could not confirm residential permission; ask the borough Zoning Officer about the proposed use and district.²¹

Move-in approval

A UCC residential building requires a certificate of occupancy before use or occupancy.⁵

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in Borough of Paxtang, PA?

Paxtang requires the owner or authorized contractor to file a building permit application for proposed construction or electrical, plumbing or structural repairs.¹ A Paxtang building project cannot begin until the Codes Officer issues the Building Permit Card.¹ Pennsylvania’s UCC process also requires a building permit before covered work starts and a certificate of occupancy before use.⁶ Ask the borough to classify the exact project and identify the building and zoning applications needed; Paxtang publishes both sets of application documents.¹

Who handles building permits and zoning in Borough of Paxtang?

Contact the Paxtang Borough Office at (717) 564-4770 for building permit questions.¹ Paxtang lists Approved Codes Services as its Building Codes Officer and separately identifies a Zoning Officer and Deputy Codes Officer.¹ Building permit applications are available through the Borough Secretary or as printable forms submitted to the borough office with processing payment.¹ Paxtang accepts cash, check or money order and directs applicants to the fee schedule for charges based on the planned work.¹ Request the current fee calculation before submitting an application.¹

Does Borough of Paxtang have zoning for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Paxtang has municipal zoning, including the SR Suburban Residential district and other base and overlay districts.²⁷ The borough’s own zoning applies inside Paxtang; Dauphin County’s lack of a countywide zoning ordinance does not remove Paxtang’s rules.²⁸ We could not confirm Paxtang’s residential RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling permissions, or district-specific lot sizes and setbacks; ask the borough Zoning Officer for the proposed parcel’s district and written requirements.²¹ Pennsylvania’s manufactured-housing construction rules do not resolve local zoning or utility approval, so factory construction alone does not establish that a home can occupy a Paxtang lot.⁹

How do sewer connections and septic permits work in Borough of Paxtang?

Paxtang requires improved property whose property lines are within 150 feet of a public sewer line to connect within 90 days after borough notice.³ Paxtang requires a connection permit and fee, and prohibits maintaining septic tanks or cesspools on property required to connect.³ The borough manages sewer service and identifies Capital Region Water as the sewer provider.¹⁰ If an onlot system is proposed, Pennsylvania generally requires a local-agency permit before installation, contracting for construction, construction, occupancy or use; ask the borough office to identify the responsible sewage enforcement contact.⁴¹⁰ We could not confirm a Paxtang-specific septic permitting contact.¹⁰

What are the steps to build a home in Borough of Paxtang?

1. Ask Paxtang’s Zoning Officer to confirm the parcel’s district and proposed residential use before designing the home.²¹
2. Resolve public sewer connection requirements with the borough before choosing an onlot sewage design.³¹⁰
3. Submit the borough building permit application with payment, contractor workers’ compensation proof and the applicable site-plan drawing.¹
4. Wait for the Codes Officer’s Building Permit Card before starting work; the borough says most applications are processed within 5-10 business days of submission to the Codes Officer.¹
5. Keep permitted construction accessible for inspections, notify the construction code official when work is ready, and obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before moving in.¹¹⁵

What should you check before buying property in Borough of Paxtang?

For a Paxtang purchase, ask the borough’s floodplain manager to review the proposed development location; Pennsylvania requires municipal review and permitting for development in a Special Flood Hazard Area.¹¹² A driveway built or changed on state highway land, or connected to a PennDOT drainage facility, requires PennDOT approval.¹³ Paxtang also has a subdivision and land-development chapter, so ask the borough about review before proposing a lot split.¹⁴ For property outside Paxtang, use the Dauphin County guide to distinguish county context from Paxtang’s municipal zoning.⁸²

Watch-outs

• Paxtang’s required public sewer connection cannot be replaced by maintaining a septic tank or cesspool on property required to connect.³
• We could not confirm permission to live in an RV while building in Paxtang; ask the borough Zoning Officer before committing to that plan.¹²
• A composting toilet does not eliminate Pennsylvania’s requirement for an approved method of treating washwater or excess liquid at a new residence.¹⁵

Sources

1. Paxtang Borough Building and Zoning Office (paxtang.org)
2. Paxtang Borough Code Ch. 425 Zoning, Art. III (Borough of Paxtang), quoted and re-checked
3. Paxtang Borough Code Ch. 336 Sewers, Part 3 Sewer connections (Borough of Paxtang), quoted and re-checked
4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Paxtang Borough Code Ch. 425 Zoning, Art. III (Borough of Paxtang), quoted and re-checked
8. Dauphin County - Municipalities (2026 county census)
9. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Paxtang Borough Office — Sewer Service (paxtang.org)
11. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Borough of Paxtang, PA Code table of contents (Borough of Paxtang), quoted and re-checked
15. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (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.