Bolthole Index

Juniata County, Pennsylvania

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

Walker Township, Juniata County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, and the township zoning officer issues the building permit before you build12. Septic permits come from the township's sewage enforcement officer under state law, not from the county3. Minimum lot size depends on the zoning district, and the township's code sets setbacks and a 35-foot height limit4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, township zoning ordinance with RA, F, R-1, SF, I-C and FP districts15
Building permit
Required from the township zoning officer before building, moving or altering a building2
Certificate of occupancy
Required before using or occupying a permitted structure6
Septic
Permit from the township's sewage enforcement officer3
Minimum lot (RA district)
40,000 sq ft per dwelling unit7
Maximum building height
35 feet (agricultural buildings exempt in RA)4
Mobile homes
Limited: foundation, anchoring and enclosure standards apply8

Who to call

Also useful

Walker Township Office

General township contact; the township secretary can direct you to the zoning officer

717-348-7028

walkertownshipjc@gmail.com

9698 William Penn Hwy Thompsontown, PA 17094

Zoning

Walker Township Zoning Officer

Zoning building permits and use permits under the township zoning ordinance

Septic permits

Walker Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (Page SEO, Inc.)

On-lot sewage (septic) site evaluation, permits and final inspections for Walker Township

717-436-2291

30 Bass Dr., Apt 1, Mifflintown, PA

Planning & zoning

Juniata County Planning & Community Development

County Planning Commission review of subdivision and land development plans; does not issue building permits or zoning

717-436-7729

Juniata County Courthouse, Bridge and Main Streets, Mifflintown, PA 17059 (mailing: P.O. Box 68, Mifflintown, PA 17059)

Online permits →

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 Walker Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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

Walker Township, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, adopted in 1975 and amended since1. The township's districts are RA Rural Agricultural, F Forest, R-1 Residential, SF Single Family, I-C Commercial and FP Flood Plain5. Juniata County does not zone the township; each municipality adopts its own ordinance9.

Rules differ by district, so find your parcel's district on the township zoning map first:

  • RA Rural Agricultural: at least 40,000 square feet per dwelling unit7, with a 30-foot front yard, 30-foot side yard and 50-foot rear yard10.
  • R-1: at least 15,000 square feet with central water service, and 20,000 square feet without it11.
  • SF Single Family: 30,000 square feet with public sewer, and 40,000 square feet without it12.

Buildings may not exceed 35 feet in RA, F, R-1 and SF, and a dwelling must be at least one story4.

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

Yes. Walker Township's zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to begin excavation or construct, move or alter any building, including an accessory building, until the zoning officer has issued a building permit2. Repairs or maintenance that do not change the use are exempt2. Applications go in on a form the zoning officer prescribes, with the required fee13.

The zoning officer enforces the township ordinance and, if your plans meet it, normally approves the application; a denial can be appealed to the Zoning Hearing Board14. Once the building is finished, a certificate of use and occupancy is required before anyone uses or occupies it6.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code also requires a building permit for residential construction, issued by the municipality's code official or a certified third-party agency15. We could not confirm which code official handles that permit in Walker Township; ask the township office16.

How do septic permits work in Walker Township?

Pennsylvania law requires a permit from the local agency before installing, constructing or occupying a building served by an on-lot sewage system17. In Walker Township that work is done by the township's sewage enforcement officer, Page SEO, Inc., who evaluates the site, issues the sewage permit and performs final inspections3.

The system may not be covered until the permitting body gives approval to cover18. County septic permits do not apply here: Pennsylvania administers on-lot permitting through local agencies, not the county19.

A state exemption exists for an owner or immediate family on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres where the owner was owner of record as of January 10, 1987, unless a local ordinance requires a permit17. Few buyers qualify, so ask the sewage enforcement officer before relying on it. Across Juniata County only about 11% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system20.

Can you live in an RV or mobile home on your land in Walker Township?

We could not confirm Walker Township's rules for living in an RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling. Call the township office and ask the zoning officer before you buy16.

Mobile homes are allowed only on limited terms: the zoning ordinance requires an enclosure of compatible design and materials around the entire base of each mobile home, and foundation and anchoring standards apply8. Mobile home parks are a conditional use in the R-1 district8. We could not confirm which districts allow an individual mobile home.

Pennsylvania's statewide rules on RV camping cover state park campgrounds only and do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land21.

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

  1. Call the township office and confirm your parcel's zoning district and setbacks16.
  2. Contact the sewage enforcement officer for site testing and a sewage permit3.
  3. Apply to the zoning officer for the building permit, with the required fee13.
  4. If the work touches a state road, get a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit for the driveway; permits are usually given within 30 days when all needed information is provided22.
  5. Arrange the required inspections: foundation, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, frame and masonry, wallboard and a final inspection23.
  6. Obtain the certificate of use and occupancy before moving in6.

What stays with Juniata County, and what to check before you buy in Walker Township

Juniata County does not issue building permits or zoning for Walker Township. The county planning office reviews subdivision and land development plans for Planning Commission review24; see the Juniata County page for land outside the township.

Before you buy, check four things. First, which district the parcel is in, since lot size and setbacks differ5. Second, floodplain: the township regulates development in its floodplains and may require proof of compliance before a building permit16. Third, the soils: ask the sewage enforcement officer for site-test results3. Fourth, taxes: Juniata County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%25.

Watch-outs

  • Zoning rules differ by district and the township's lot-size, setback and height rules are written for specific districts, so confirm your parcel's district before relying on any number5.
  • The agricultural-building exemption in the township ordinance covers height regulations only, not the permit requirement26.
  • We could not confirm the township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum home size, permit fees or mandatory public water and sewer connection; ask the township office16.
  • The township office keeps hours by appointment, so call ahead16.

Sources

  1. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Walker Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (Page SEO, Inc.) (walkertownship.org)
  4. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Municipal Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
  10. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Walker Township Zoning Officer (walkertownship.org)
  15. Uniform Construction Code (UCC), quoted and re-checked
  16. Walker Township Office (walkertownship.org)
  17. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), 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. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
  23. PART XIV, quoted and re-checked
  24. Plan Reviews, quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Walker Township Code Chapter 27 Zoning (Walker Township), 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Walker Township

Walker Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, erection, moving or alteration of any building inside Walker township (zoning building permit)

    • Issued by the zoning officer
    • No permit required for repairs or maintenance that do not change the use or violate the chapter
    “it shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction or erection’ of any building, including an accessory building, or to commence the moving or alteration of any building, including an accessory building, until the zoning officer has issued a building permit for such work.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Certificate of use and occupancy under the Walker township zoning ordinance (§27-1303)

    • Only the zoning officer's reporting of certificates is quoted; §27-1303 text itself was not opened
    “it shall be unlawful to use and/or occupy any structure, building, sign, and/or land or portion thereof for which a permit is required herein until a certificate of use and occupancy”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Walker township

    • Ordinance dated 5/7/1975 with amendments (1991, 2001)
    “this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Walker township: RA, F, R-1, SF, I-C, FP

    • Zoning map referenced in §27-402
    “part 4 designation of districts §27-401. §27-402. §27-403. §27-404. general districts zoning map district boundaries”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Residential Low-Density district inside Walker township

    • 20,000 sq ft required without off-site water services
    • Lot width minimum 125 feet

    lot area with central water: >= 15000 sq ft (20,000 sq ft without off-site water)

    “the lot area per dwelling unit shall not be less than 15,000 square feet per lot or 2.90 dwelling units per acre maximum net density with the provision of a centralized water service.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — RA Rural Agricultural district, per dwelling unit, inside Walker township
      “the lot area per dwelling unit shall not be less than 40,000 square feet.”
    • Specified — SF Single Family Residential district inside Walker township
      “with public sewer, lots shall be required to be 30,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    RA Rural Agricultural district inside Walker township

    • Accessory buildings at least 12 feet from side or rear lot lines
    • Livestock buildings 100 feet from public right-of-way, 200 feet from a residential district

    front yard: >= 30 ft · side yard: >= 30 ft · rear yard: >= 50 ft

    “(1) minimum lot width 150 feet (2) minimum side yard 30 feet (3) minimum front yard 30 feet (4) minimum rear yard 50 feet”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    F Forest district: impervious coverage cap; other districts not reviewed

    • Commercial I-C: buildings not more than 50% of lot

    impervious coverage F district: <= 12 percent

    “no lot shall be covered by more than 12% with impervious surfaces.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    RA district (same 35 ft in F, R-1, SF) inside Walker township

    • Buildings devoted to agricultural use exempt from height regulations in RA
    • Dwelling must be at least one story

    max building height: <= 35 ft (agricultural buildings exempt)

    “the height of a building shall not be greater than 35 feet.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Individual mobile homes inside Walker township

    • Foundation, anchoring and enclosure standards apply
    • Mobile home parks are a conditional use in R-1 (§27-704)
    • Which districts permit individual mobile homes was not verified
    “an enclosure of compatible design and materials shall be erected around the entire base of each mobile home.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural buildings in RA district, height regulations only

    • Exemption is from height limits only
    “buildings devoted to agricultural use shall be exempt from height regulations.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning building permit process inside Walker township

    • Application in form prescribed by zoning officer with required fee
    “the application for a permit shall be submitted in such form as the”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Walker Township or Juniata County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Walker township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Walker township
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy
12 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

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

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