Bolthole Index

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and sewer rules in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown Borough, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania requires a Residential or Commercial Permit before any building is erected, added to or altered1. The borough runs its own zoning and administers the state Uniform Construction Code23. Properties on borough sewer lines must connect to it4. We could not confirm who handles on-lot septic or wells inside the borough.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before erecting, adding to or altering a building1
Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance, enforced by the borough2
Building code
Borough administers the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code3
Sewer
Connection to borough sewer lines required; only Borough Council can waive it4
Accessory structures
Rear yard, at least 3 feet from side and rear lot lines, 15 feet maximum height in residential districts56
Driveways
Repaving or expanding a driveway needs a permit7

Who to call

Building permits

Elizabethtown Borough Planning & Zoning Department

Zoning enforcement, residential and commercial permits, and administration of the Uniform Construction Code inside the borough

(717) 367-1700

600 South Hanover St. Elizabethtown, PA 17022

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Elizabethtown, PA?

Yes. Elizabethtown Borough requires a Residential Permit or Commercial Permit before a building is erected, added to or altered, and before a building or land changes use1. Fences, walls, signs and repaving or expanding a driveway also need a permit7. Applications that conflict with zoning or run over easements and rights-of-way are returned with a plot plan and must be revised and resubmitted8. Permit fees are quoted after approval, when the borough calls to say the permit is ready; we could not find a published fee schedule9.

Who issues building permits in Elizabethtown, and how do you reach them?

The Borough of Elizabethtown issues them itself, through its Planning & Zoning Department, at 600 South Hanover St., phone (717) 367-170010. The borough administers Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code10. Required inspections are done by the borough's Building Code Official; where a UCC permit is issued, a third-party agency, Commonwealth Code Inspection Services, handles them, and UCC inspections need at least 24 hours' notice11. Inside borough limits, the Lancaster County planning office is not the permit counter; it gives advisory support to municipalities12. Residential buildings cannot be occupied without a certificate of occupancy13.

Does Elizabethtown have zoning, and what does it mean for lots, setbacks and RVs?

Yes. The borough enforces its own zoning ordinance, with districts including R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential214. Lot area, lot width and impervious coverage limits are set district by district, so check the ordinance section for your lot's district1516. In residential districts, an accessory building must sit in the rear yard, at least 3 feet from any rear or side lot line, and stand no taller than 15 feet56. We could not confirm borough rules on living in an RV, tiny homes, manufactured homes or minimum dwelling size; ask the Planning & Zoning Department at (717) 367-1700 before buying10.

How do sewer and septic work inside Elizabethtown?

Borough property owners and premises served by borough sewer lines must connect to them, and only Borough Council can waive that4. Sewer service requires final subdivision or land-development plan approval, recorded at the county level, before the application is approved17. We could not confirm who permits on-lot septic or private wells inside the borough, so ask the borough office first. Outside the borough, Lancaster County's on-lot permits come from municipal sewage enforcement officers under the state's Act 53718.

Building a home in Elizabethtown: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and whether borough sewer reaches it, by calling the borough at (717) 367-170010.
  2. If the lot is being divided, get subdivision or land-development approval first17.
  3. Apply for the Residential Permit; expect a returned application if it conflicts with zoning or easements8.
  4. Pay the fee the borough quotes at approval9.
  5. Schedule inspections with at least 24 hours' notice11.
  6. Get a certificate of occupancy before moving in13.

What stays with Lancaster County, and what should you check before you buy?

Land outside the borough follows other rules; see the Lancaster County page. Lancaster County's property tax rate averages about 1.4%, with a median bill of $3,941 a year1920. Septic permits fall under the state's Sewage Facilities Act, with an exemption for some owner-occupied buildings on contiguous tracts of at least 10 acres21, which a borough lot will rarely meet. Floodplain and agricultural rules inside the borough remain unconfirmed.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Elizabethtown's rules on RVs, tiny homes, wells, floodplain development or owner-built homes, so call the borough at (717) 367-1700 before you commit10.
  • A permit may also be needed for a dumpster or a driveway repaving, not only the building itself7.

Sources

  1. Planning & Zoning | Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  2. Planning & Zoning | Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  3. Planning & Zoning | Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  4. Part 1: Sewer System Connections - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  5. Part 13: Supplementary Regulations - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  6. Part 13: Supplementary Regulations - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  7. Planning & Zoning | Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  8. Elizabethtown Borough Residential Permit Application (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  9. Elizabethtown Borough Residential Permit Application (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  10. Elizabethtown Borough Planning & Zoning Department (etownonline.com)
  11. Elizabethtown Borough Residential Permit Application (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  12. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
  13. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 27: Zoning - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 27: Zoning - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  16. Chapter 27: Zoning - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  17. Part 1: Sewer System Connections - Borough of Elizabethtown, PA (Borough of Elizabethtown), quoted and re-checked
  18. PA DEP - Act 537 Onlot Disposal System (2026 county census)
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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 Borough of Elizabethtown

Borough of Elizabethtown’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, addition, or alteration of buildings and specified land-use changes inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • A residential or commercial permit is required before the listed work or use change.
    • parameters may differ by project type.
    “A Residential Permit or Commercial Permit is required before the erection, addition, or alteration of any building, before the use or change in use of a building or land, and before the change or extension of a nonconforming use.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Residential projects inside Elizabethtown borough when inspections are required by the permit.

    • Borough Building Code Official conducts required inspections unless a UCC permit is issued; then Commonwealth Code Inspection Services handles inspections.
    • Applicant must schedule required UCC inspections with at least 24-hour notice.

    inspection scheduling notice: >= 24 hours (For required UCC inspections)

    “If inspections are required, they will be conducted by the Borough’s Building Code Official. In cases where a UCC Permit is issued, inspections will be handled by our third-party agency, Commonwealth Code Inspection Services (CCIS).”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Elizabethtown borough limits.

    • The Borough administers and enforces its Zoning Ordinance.
    “The Planning and Zoning Department is charged with promoting the general health, safety, and welfare of the people of the Borough of Elizabethtown through fair, consistent, unbiased enforcement of all applicable codes and regulations associated with buildings and structures, land use activities, and community planning.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • Zoning-map boundaries apply to the listed districts.
    “§ 303 Boundaries Between the OS&C, INS, R-1, R-2, R-3, C-CBD, G-C, L-I, G-I and MU Districts.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lots in Elizabethtown borough zoning districts, including R-1, R-2, and R-3.

    • Numeric limits depend on the zoning district and the applicable lot-area section.
    “§ 607 Lot Area, Lot Width and Impervious Coverage Regulations. [...] § 707 Lot Area, Lot Width and Impervious Coverage Regulations. [...] § 807 Lot Area, Lot Width and Impervious Coverage Regulations.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Structures in Elizabethtown borough zoning districts.

    • Requirements vary by district and structure type.
    • Residential accessory structures must be in the rear yard and generally at least three feet from rear or side lot lines.

    residential accessory structure rear or side lot-line setback: >= 3 feet (Five feet from an alley and/or within the fourteen-foot alley right-of-way)

    “In residential zoning districts, any building or structure accessory to a residential use shall be located within the rear yard of the principal building and shall not be located less than three feet from any rear or side lot line.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lots in Elizabethtown borough zoning districts, including R-1, R-2, and R-3.

    • Impervious coverage controls are district-specific.
    “§ 607 Lot Area, Lot Width and Impervious Coverage Regulations. [...] § 707 Lot Area, Lot Width and Impervious Coverage Regulations. [...] § 807 Lot Area, Lot Width and Impervious Coverage Regulations.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Structures in Elizabethtown borough zoning districts.

    • Height rules vary by zoning district and structure type.
    • Residential accessory structures have a maximum 15-foot height.

    residential accessory structure height: <= 15 feet

    “The maximum height of any accessory structure within a residential zone is 15 feet. The height of an accessory structure within a nonresidential zone is 20 feet.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Borough property owners, customers, and premises served by Borough sewer lines inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • Borough Council alone may waive the connection requirement.
    • Sewer service requires a Borough application, applicable charges, and Borough approval.
    “All Borough property owners, customers or premises shall be connected to Borough sewer service lines as of the effective date of this Part. A waiver of this provision may be granted only by Borough Council.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Premises seeking Borough sewer service inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • Applicant must demonstrate final subdivision or land-development plan approval and County-level recording before sewer application approval.
    “The applicant must also demonstrate that the premises has received final subdivision or land development plan approval and recorded at the County level.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Repaving or expansion of driveways inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • The official Borough page expressly identifies repaving or expansion, not all driveway work.
    “Placement of fences, walls, repaving or expansion of driveways, and signs require a permit.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Residential permits inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • Applicant is notified of applicable permit fees after approval.
    • No numeric fee schedule was extracted.
    “Once your permit has been approved, THE APPLICANT will be notified by telephone that it is ready for pickup, along with the applicable permit fee(s).”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Residential permit applications inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • Applicant must submit accurate and complete site-condition information.
    • A conflicting application is returned for revision and resubmission.
    “If the proposed project conflicts with zoning regulations or encroaches on easements or rights-of-way, the application will be returned along with a plot plan highlighting the affected areas. You will then be required to revise and resubmit your application”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Elizabethtown

Borough of Elizabethtown does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction subject to the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code inside Elizabethtown borough.

    • The Borough administers the UCC as adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
    “The Borough also administers Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as adopted by the Department of Labor and Industry.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Elizabethtown or Lancaster County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Elizabethtown borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Elizabethtown borough.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Elizabethtown borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Elizabethtown borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Elizabethtown borough.
8 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain

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 Borough of Elizabethtown publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lancaster County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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