Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Walnutport, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes. Borough-wide zoning with eight districts plus floodplain and steep-slope overlays¹⁴

Building permit

Required under the state Uniform Construction Code, which the borough administers²⁵

Permit fees

Set by borough resolution; amounts not confirmed⁶

Septic

Permit required from a local agency; not confirmed which one serves the borough. Sewer hookup is required near a borough sewer line³⁷

Maximum height

35 feet generally; 15 feet for accessory structures to dwellings⁸

Owner-builder

Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor licensing for most construction⁹

Who to call

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

Does Walnutport, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

Yes. The Borough of Walnutport adopted its own zoning in Chapter 450 of the borough code, so zoning is decided by the borough, not by Northampton County¹. The borough is divided into eight districts: recreation/conservation (RC), low-, medium- and high-density residential (R-1, R-2, R-3), town center (TC), town commercial/business (TCB), general commercial (GC) and industrial (I)⁴. Floodplain and steep slopes are overlay districts, so a lot in a flood area or on a steep slope can carry extra rules on top of its base district⁴.

Structures are limited to 35 feet in height, with a 15-foot limit for structures that are accessory to dwellings; principal buildings in the TC or GC districts can go up to 60 feet⁸. A permitted detached structure accessory to a dwelling needs at least 3 feet of side and rear yard setback, with exceptions¹⁰. We could not confirm lot sizes, principal-building setbacks, or whether RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are allowed in a given district; ask the borough office which district a parcel sits in and what it permits.

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

Yes, for most construction. Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code requires the owner or an authorized representative to obtain a building permit before beginning construction or building work⁵. Inside Walnutport, Chapter 165 of the borough code elects to administer and enforce the code locally, so the borough is the place to start². County government does not issue these permits¹¹.

Permit fees are set by borough resolution, and we could not confirm the amounts⁶. Pennsylvania lists some small projects that need no permit, such as fences up to 6 feet high, but only where the work breaks no other law or ordinance, and zoning still applies¹². Agricultural buildings without habitable space are excluded from the state construction code¹³.

Call the borough office at 610-767-1322 to confirm who reviews plans and inspects work¹⁴.

How do septic and sewer work in Walnutport?

A building on an individual on-lot sewage system needs a permit from the local sewage agency before installation, construction, occupancy or use³. Pennsylvania lets municipalities, groups of municipalities or county health departments act as that agency, and we could not confirm which one serves Walnutport¹⁵. Ask the borough office who the sewage enforcement officer is.

Sewer connection is its own rule. Where an occupied building is within 150 feet of a borough sanitary sewer and can reach it, the owner must connect within 90 days after official notice, and the borough may build the connection if the owner refuses⁷. That means many lots inside the borough will be on public sewer rather than a septic field, so check whether a sewer line abuts the street before you plan an on-lot system.

Building a home in Walnutport: the steps, in order

1. Ask the borough office which zoning district the parcel is in and what that district permits⁴.
2. Check for floodplain or steep-slope overlays, which add rules in the borough⁴.
3. If you are dividing land or developing a lot, expect review under the borough's subdivision and land development chapter¹⁶.
4. Confirm sewer or on-lot septic: sewer connection where a line is close, or a septic permit from the local agency⁷³.
5. Apply for the building permit through the borough, which administers the state code².
6. A driveway that meets a state highway needs a PennDOT permit¹⁷.
7. Pass the required inspections and get a certificate of occupancy before moving in¹⁸.

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

Land outside the borough is not covered by Walnutport's rules; see the Northampton County page for unincorporated and township land. Septic is a local-agency or state matter rather than a zoning decision, so verify it separately for any address³.

Before you buy, confirm three things with the borough office. First, the district and any floodplain overlay, since a flood-area lot needs a floodplain development permit from the municipality before work begins¹⁹. Second, whether sewer is available⁷. Third, whether the lot is a legal buildable lot under the borough's subdivision rules¹⁶. A private water well drilled by a homeowner on their own land does not require the driller's license, though borough rules on wells were not confirmed²⁰.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm the borough's permit fee amounts, its principal-building setbacks, minimum lot sizes, or its rules on RVs, tiny homes and accessory dwellings; ask the borough office⁶.
• Search results for "Walnutport" often show Lehigh Township, which surrounds the borough and has its own zoning office; the township's rules do not apply inside the borough¹.
• Floodplain lots need a municipal floodplain development permit before work, in addition to a building permit¹⁹.

Sources

1. Article IV: Districts - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
2. Chapter 165: Construction Codes - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
3. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Article IV: Districts - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
5. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
6. Chapter 165: Construction Codes - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 346: Sewers and Sewage Disposal - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
8. Article IV: Districts - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
9. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Article IV: Districts - Borough of Walnutport, PA (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
11. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Borough of Walnutport office (walnutportpa.org)
15. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
16. Table of Contents - Borough of Walnutport, PA - eCode360 (Borough of Walnutport), quoted and re-checked
17. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (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.