South Whitehall Township, PA Zoning, Building Permits & Septic

South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania requires a building permit for construction inside the township, filed at the township building¹. The township, not Lehigh County, sets zoning, with 17 base districts². Septic permits come from a sewage enforcement officer under a third-party firm, not from the county³.

At a glance

Building permit: Required for construction inside the township; filed at the township building¹
Zoning: Township zoning (Chapter 350) with 17 base districts²
Minimum lot, R-R district: 1 acre for a single detached dwelling⁴
Septic: Township sewage enforcement officer, a third-party firm³
Accessory dwellings: Attached units are accessory uses; detached units need a special exception⁵
Owner-builder: No statewide contractor license for an owner building their own primary residence⁶

Who to call

Building permits

South Whitehall Township Permit Office (Community Development)

Building permit applications, zoning officer review and certificates of occupancy inside South Whitehall Township

610-398-0401

4444 Walbert Avenue, Allentown, PA 18104

Septic permits

South Whitehall Township sewage enforcement (Hanover Engineering)

On-lot sewage (septic) permits and enforcement inside South Whitehall Township

Roads & driveways

PennDOT District 5

Highway Occupancy Permits for a new or altered driveway onto a state highway

610-871-4106

1002 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101

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

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Does South Whitehall Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

South Whitehall Township has its own zoning, Chapter 350 of the township code, which divides the township into 17 base zoning districts². Lehigh County itself states it has no zoning authority, so the township ordinance is the one that applies⁷.

The residential districts are RR-3, RR-2, R-R, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5 and R-10⁸. Rules differ by district. In the R-R Rural Residential and Agricultural district a single detached dwelling needs at least 1 acre, with a front setback of 50 feet, side setback of 15 feet and rear setback of 50 feet⁴⁹. In R-2 the minimum is 20,000 square feet with 125 feet of frontage, and setbacks of 35 feet front, 25 feet side and 40 feet rear¹⁰¹¹. Maximum dwelling height in both districts is 40 feet¹²¹³.

In R-3, primary uses are allowed only where public sewer is connected; otherwise R-R dimensions apply¹⁴. Attached accessory dwelling units are accessory uses, while detached ones need a special exception⁵.

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

Yes. South Whitehall Township requires a building permit for construction inside the township, and applications are filed at the township building rather than by email¹¹⁵. Applications are then reviewed by third-party agencies and, for zoning, the township zoning officer¹.

The work is administered under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code¹⁶. Residential inspections are done by a third-party agency under township contract¹⁷. A certificate of occupancy is required and is issued once the township's building code officials approve the work¹⁸.

Lehigh County does not issue building permits; the township does¹⁹. Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license for an owner doing unpaid work on their own primary residence, but the permit is still required⁶.

Who do you call about South Whitehall Township building permits?

Permit applications go to the township building at 4444 Walbert Avenue, Allentown, PA 18104, by drop-off at the front desk or the drop box, and not by email²⁰. The permit clerks answer at 610-398-0401²⁰.

Zoning questions go to the township zoning officer, who reviews applications alongside the third-party agencies¹. For questions about subdivision or land development, the township regulates those under its own ordinance²¹; the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission reviews plans regionally but does not set zoning.

How do septic permits work in South Whitehall Township?

Septic permits are not issued by a county health department. Under Pennsylvania's Act 537 program, a local agency issues on-lot sewage permits and enforces the rules²²²³. In South Whitehall Township that role is filled by a third-party sewage enforcement firm, Hanover Engineering, with a certified sewage enforcement officer³.

A permit is required statewide before a building served by an individual onlot sewage system is built or occupied²⁴. If the lot is on public sewer, the septic question may not apply; the township can tell you which applies. Countywide, only about 17.8% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system²⁵. We could not confirm the township's own septic ordinance, so ask the township before you buy.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in South Whitehall Township?

We could not confirm what the township zoning ordinance says about living in an RV, camping on a lot or occupying a tiny home in South Whitehall Township. Pennsylvania's statewide RV rules we found cover state park campgrounds, which do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land²⁶.

Because the township sets zoning, not Lehigh County, the zoning officer is the person to ask, and to ask in writing before buying². Manufactured homes that carry the federal construction and safety label are addressed by the state Uniform Construction Code²⁷.

Building a home in South Whitehall Township: the steps, in order

Confirm the zoning district and minimum lot size for the parcel with the township zoning officer².
Check whether the lot is on public sewer or needs an on-lot system, and arrange a site evaluation with the township's sewage enforcement officer³.
If the driveway meets a state highway, apply to PennDOT for a Highway Occupancy Permit²⁸.
File the building permit application at the township building; third-party agencies and the zoning officer review it¹.
Have inspections done by the township's third-party agency¹⁷.
Obtain a certificate of occupancy before use¹⁸.

What stays with Lehigh County and the state, and what should you check before you buy?

Lehigh County does not zone or issue building permits inside South Whitehall Township; the county's own answer for other land is on the Lehigh County page. Driveways onto a state highway need a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit²⁸.

Development inside a Special Flood Hazard Area requires a permit under Pennsylvania floodplain rules²⁹; the township has a floodplain management chapter that we did not confirm, so ask the township. Lehigh County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%³⁰, and the median property tax bill is $4,591 a year³¹.

Watch-outs

Zoning rules vary by district, so confirm the parcel's district before relying on any lot size or setback figure⁴.
Permit applications are not accepted by email; they are dropped off at the township building¹⁵.
We could not confirm township rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size or driveways; ask the township zoning officer²⁰.
The district schedules also say more restrictive sections of Chapter 350 take precedence over the lot-size schedules⁴.

Sources

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.

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

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in South Whitehall Township, PA