Bolthole Index

York County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dallastown, Pennsylvania

Dallastown borough, York County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance with six zones1, and building and zoning permits come from the borough office, not York County23. Septic permits are issued by a local agency under Act 537, and we could not confirm which agency covers Dallastown4. Call the borough office before you buy or build.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough office, not York County32
Zoning
Borough zoning with six zones: R-O, R-T, C-S, C-H, I-G and S15
Minimum lot (R-T)
6,000 sq ft and 60 ft wide6
Front and side setback (R-T)
15 ft front; 5 ft side for a single-family detached home7
Septic
Local agency permit under Act 537; agency for Dallastown not confirmed4
RV or tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the borough zoning officer8
Owner-builder
Statewide exclusion from home-improvement contractor rules; permits still apply9

Who to call

Zoning

Dallastown Borough Office

Borough administration; the contact for zoning and building permit questions inside Dallastown

717.244.6626

175 East Broad Street, Dallastown, PA 17313

Building permits

Dallastown Borough building and zoning permits

Building permits, zoning permits and stormwater permits for projects inside Dallastown

Planning & zoning

York County Planning Commission

County planning information and referrals to the correct municipal permit office; it does not issue building permits

717-771-9870

28 E Market Street, 3rd Floor, York, PA 17401

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 Borough of Dallastown means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Dallastown have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Dallastown borough has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 224, which divides the borough into six zones: R-O, R-T, C-S, C-H, I-G and S15. York County does not zone land inside the borough; municipalities hold that power10.

Rules depend on the zone. In the Residential-Town (R-T) zone, a lot needs at least 6,000 square feet and 60 feet of width6. A single-family home needs a 15-foot front setback and a 5-foot side setback in R-T7, and impervious coverage is capped at 60 percent11. In the Residential-Outlying (R-O) zone the base lot is 10,000 square feet and 80 feet wide, rising to 30,000 square feet and 100 feet where there is no public sewer12. The Slope (S) zone needs one acre, 150 feet of width and 50-foot setbacks1314.

Principal buildings in R-T are limited to 30 feet in height unless the yards are enlarged15. Dallastown's zoning hearing board decides special exceptions1.

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

A building permit is required in Dallastown, and the borough, not York County, issues it316. The York County Planning Commission states that it does not issue building permits17.

The borough's own page lists work that needs a building permit, including roofing, decks, electrical and plumbing work, additions and swimming pools, and sheds or garages over 240 square feet2. Smaller sheds, fences, patios and paved or stone driveways need a zoning permit instead2. Applications go with drawings to the borough office, and a residential plan review takes up to 15 business days2.

Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code is the building code behind these permits18. We could not confirm the borough's permit fee schedule; ask the borough office.

What stormwater and driveway rules apply to a new build in Dallastown?

Once the total of new impervious area on a Dallastown property exceeds 500 square feet, a stormwater permit must be obtained2. Paved or stone driveways and parking spaces need a zoning permit from the borough2.

A driveway that connects to a state highway also needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit, usually issued within 30 days when the application is complete19. Inside a mapped flood hazard area, the municipality must issue a floodplain development permit before work starts20; we could not confirm how Dallastown applies that, so ask the borough office.

How do septic permits work in Dallastown?

Pennsylvania septic permits are issued by a local agency, which can be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department, with DEP providing oversight421. We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits for Dallastown, so ask the borough office who the sewage enforcement officer is.

Zoning matters here: in the R-O zone, a dwelling without public sewer needs a larger lot of 30,000 square feet12, and R-T properties are expected to connect to public water and sewer22. For private wells, Pennsylvania licenses the drillers, not homeowners drilling their own well on their own land23.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Dallastown?

We could not confirm whether Dallastown allows living in an RV or a tiny home on a lot; the borough's supplementary zoning regulations were not available to us. Pennsylvania's state park campground stay limits apply only to those campgrounds and do not answer this question24.

Ask the Dallastown borough zoning officer at the borough office before you buy8. A manufactured home that is delivered with a federal label still falls under the state building code in several situations, such as additions and relocation25.

Building a home in Dallastown: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zone with the borough office and check the lot, width and setback rules for that zone1.
  2. Ask the borough office about subdivision and land development rules if you are splitting or combining lots26.
  3. Apply for the building permit with drawings at the borough office2.
  4. Add a zoning permit for items such as driveways, and a stormwater permit if new impervious area exceeds 500 square feet2.
  5. Get the septic or sewer answer in writing from the borough office before you commit4.
  6. Have required inspections done and get a certificate of occupancy before using the building27.

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

York County does not zone or issue building permits inside Dallastown1017. The county's page covers land outside the borough: York County.

Before you buy, confirm the zone and its setbacks, ask about stormwater and sewer, and check for flood hazard mapping. The borough office at 175 East Broad Street is the place to start8. Statewide, owner work on your own residence is excluded from the home-improvement contractor law, but that does not waive building permits or zoning9.

Watch-outs

  • Pools, sheds and fences each have their own permit path in Dallastown; ask the borough office before you build, because a shed over 240 square feet needs a building permit and a smaller one needs a zoning permit2.
  • We could not confirm the borough's building permit fees, RV or tiny-home rules, or the septic permit agency; the Dallastown borough office is the place to ask8.
  • Pennsylvania's septic permit exemption for tracts of at least 10 acres is unlikely to help on a borough lot28.

Sources

  1. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  2. Dallastown Borough building and zoning permits (dallastownboro.com)
  3. York County Planning Commission - Building Permit Reports (2026 county census)
  4. Act 537 Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  6. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  7. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  8. Dallastown Borough Office (dallastownboro.com)
  9. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, quoted and re-checked
  10. Data Center Development in York County, quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  12. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  13. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  14. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  15. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  16. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. York County Planning Commission (ycpc.org)
  18. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Borough of Dallastown Code, Chapter 224 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  23. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Borough of Dallastown, PA Code table of contents (Borough of Dallastown), quoted and re-checked
  27. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  28. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Dallastown

Borough of Dallastown’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Dallastown borough

    • Zoning Chapter 224 with zones R-O, R-T, C-S, C-H, I-G and S; uses by special exception are decided by the zoning hearing board.
    “the borough of dallastown is divided into six zones enumerated below and shown on the map entitled "zoning map of dallastown borough."”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts R-O, R-T, C-S, C-H, I-G, S in Dallastown borough

    “r-o residential-outlying zone r-t residential-town zone c-s commercial-shopping zone c-h commercial-heavy and highway zone i-g industrial-general zone s slope zone”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential-Open (R-O) zone, Dallastown borough

    • With on-lot sewage disposal (no public sewer), 30,000 sq ft and 100 ft width per dwelling unit are required

    minimum lot area: >= 10000 sq ft (30,000 sq ft where no public sewer) · minimum lot width: >= 80 ft (100 ft where no public sewer)

    “(1) minimum lot area: 10,000 square feet. (see subsection i below.) (2) minimum lot width: 80 feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential-Town (R-T) zone, Dallastown borough

    • Side setback 5 ft for single-family detached, 10 ft other uses
    • Accessory buildings: rear 10 ft; side combined 8 ft, no less than 3 ft each

    front setback: >= 15 ft · rear setback: >= 20 ft · side setback single-family detached: >= 5 ft

    “(1) front setback: 15 feet. (2) each side setback. single-family detached dwellings: five feet; all other uses: 10 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential-Town (R-T) zone, Dallastown borough

    • Open area at least 40% (30% for lots 40 ft wide or less)

    maximum impervious coverage: <= 60 percent

    “not more than 60% of the lot area may be covered with an impervious surface”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Residential-Town (R-T) zone, Dallastown borough, principal buildings

    • May extend to 3 1/2 stories/40 ft if each yard is increased one foot per added foot over 30 ft
    • Accessory buildings two stories, 25 ft

    principal building height: <= 30 ft (40 ft with increased yards)

    “the height limit for a principal building or structure shall be 2 1/2 stories, but not over 30 feet, except that the height limit may be extended to 3 1/2 stories but not over 40 feet if each yard is increased one foot in width for each additional foot of height over 30 feet.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Residential-Town (R-T) zone, Dallastown borough

    • R-O zone: public water required; public sewer required if available with adequate capacity; otherwise DEP-approved on-lot disposal
    • Slope zone: connect if available with adequate capacity, otherwise DEP-approved on-lot systems
    “each use shall be connected to public water and public sewer service.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development in Dallastown borough

    • Chapter text not opened
    “chapter 183 subdivision and land development”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Dallastown borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Dallastown borough
  • Building code adopted — Dallastown borough
  • Inspections — Dallastown borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Dallastown borough
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Dallastown publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. York County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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