Zoning, building permits and sewer rules in the Borough of New Salem, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, borough ordinance with four zones: SF, VC, MU and GR¹³

Building permit

Required under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the borough⁴²

Occupancy certificate

Required, issued together with the zoning use and occupancy certificate⁵

Minimum lot (SF zone)

15,000 sq ft with public water and sewer; 1 acre with neither⁶

Setbacks (SF zone)

35 ft front, 10 ft each side, 30 ft rear⁷

Public sewer

Buildings within 200 feet of the sewer system must connect⁸

Septic permits

A local agency issues them; the agency for New Salem is unconfirmed⁹

Who to call

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

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

Yes. The Borough of New Salem in York County zones its own land under Chapter 240, with a zoning map, a zoning hearing board and a zoning enforcement officer¹. The borough has four zones: single-family residential (SF), village center (VC), mixed-use (MU) and general residential (GR)³.

In the SF zone, the minimum lot depends on utilities: 15,000 square feet with public water and sewer, 20,000 with one of them, and 1 acre with neither⁶. SF setbacks are 35 feet in front, 10 feet on each side and 30 feet in the rear⁷. Impervious surface may cover no more than 45% of an SF lot¹⁰, and a principal building may rise 2 1/2 stories but not over 30 feet¹¹.

Farm buildings on an existing farm are allowed by right in SF and are exempt from the height limits only¹². We could not confirm the rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or manufactured homes; ask the zoning enforcement officer before you plan around them.

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

Yes. New Salem borough has adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code⁴. The applicant pays a fee at the time of application and requests permits from both the borough's building code official and its zoning enforcement officer²¹³.

Inspections and occupancy certificates run through the same two offices: final building inspections are conducted together with the zoning inspections¹⁴, and a use and occupancy certificate is required under both the construction code and Chapter 240⁵.

The York County Planning Commission does not issue building permits; the municipality does¹⁵. We did not find a published borough fee schedule or confirm which exemptions the borough applies, so ask the borough office for current fees.

How do septic and sewer work inside New Salem?

New Salem has a public sewer system, and an improved property with a building any part of which is within 200 feet of it must connect: apply for the permit within 30 days of borough notice and connect within 90 days⁸. In the SF zone, public water is also required where capacity is available and extension is feasible⁸.

Where no sewer is available, Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before an on-lot sewage system is installed or used⁹. Local agencies may be municipalities, groups of municipalities or county health departments¹⁶. We could not confirm which agency serves New Salem, so ask the borough office before you buy a lot without sewer access.

A lot on neither public water nor sewer needs 1 acre in the SF zone, so on-lot sewage is the main reason to check lot size first⁶.

Building a home in New Salem: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the zone (SF, VC, MU or GR) and the lot standards that apply to it with the zoning enforcement officer³.
2. Check whether public sewer is within 200 feet, and plan for connection if it is⁸.
3. Apply to both the building code official and the zoning enforcement officer, and pay the permit fee².
4. If the driveway meets a state highway, apply for a PennDOT highway occupancy permit; PennDOT usually issues it within 30 days when the application is complete¹⁷.
5. Schedule inspections; final inspections are coordinated with zoning inspections¹⁴.
6. Obtain the use and occupancy certificate before moving in⁵.

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

York County does not run zoning for the borough: zoning and land use policy is delegated to municipalities¹⁸. For land outside the borough, see the York County page, because each township sets its own rules.

As a county-level reference, York County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%¹⁹ and the median property tax bill is $3,947 a year²⁰. Floodplain development requires a permit from the municipality²¹, and the borough also has a construction-in-flood-prone-areas chapter we have not reviewed. Private water wells are not subject to state construction standards, and homeowners may drill their own on their own land²².

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm who issues septic permits in New Salem, whether RVs or tiny homes are allowed, or what the borough's building permit fees are; ask the borough office before you buy².
• A building permit and zoning approval are separate steps here, and a use and occupancy certificate is required under both codes⁵.
• The 200-foot sewer connection rule is mandatory once the borough gives notice, with a 30-day permit deadline and a 90-day connection deadline⁸.
• County-level references such as property tax describe York County, not the borough alone¹⁹.

Sources

1. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
2. Chapter 80 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
3. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
4. Chapter 80 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
5. Chapter 80 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
6. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 170 Sewers and Sewage Disposal, connection article (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
9. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
11. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
12. Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Zone Regulations (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
13. Borough of New Salem building code official and zoning enforcement officer (ecode360.com)
14. Chapter 80 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of New Salem), quoted and re-checked
15. York County Planning Commission (ycpc.org)
16. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Data Center Development in York County, quoted and re-checked
19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
21. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. 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.