Bolthole Index

York County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Red Lion borough, Pennsylvania

Red Lion borough in York County, Pennsylvania adopts and administers its own zoning chapter1, and building permits follow the state Uniform Construction Code and are submitted through the Red Lion Borough Office2. York County does not zone for the borough or issue its permits3. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency, and we could not confirm which one covers the borough4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; Uniform Construction Code permits go through the borough office2
Zoning
Yes, the borough's own zoning chapter with zones R-O, R-T, BC, C and I15
Minimum house size
900 sq ft for a single-family detached dwelling6
Residential lot area
10,000 sq ft in R-O with public water and sewer; 6,000 sq ft in R-T78
Septic
Local agency issues permits; borough-specific agency not confirmed4
RV living
Not confirmed; ask the borough office2
Owner-builder
Permits and zoning still apply to owner-performed work9

Who to call

Building permits

Red Lion Borough Office (building and zoning permits)

Receives all UCC building permit applications and zoning permit applications inside the borough

(717) 850-0790

rlboro@redlionpa.org

438 E. Lancaster Street, Red Lion, PA 17356

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 Red Lion means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Red Lion borough have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Red Lion borough adopts and administers its own Chapter 27 Zoning, and the borough zoning hearing board decides special exceptions1. The borough is divided into five zones: R-O, R-T, BC, C and I5.

In the Residential-Outlying (R-O) zone, each principal use needs at least 10,000 square feet with public water and sewer, or 12,000 square feet with public water only7. Setbacks there are 25 feet in front, 10 feet on each side (8 feet for a single-family detached dwelling) and 40 feet in the rear10. Buildings may cover no more than 30% of the lot11.

In the Residential-Town (R-T) zone, a single-family detached dwelling needs 6,000 square feet per unit with public water and sewer, or 12,000 square feet with public water only8. Buildings may cover up to 40% of the lot12. Principal buildings in both zones are limited to 2 1/2 stories and 30 feet13.

Do you need a building permit in Red Lion borough, and who issues it?

Yes. Red Lion Borough has adopted an ordinance establishing the Uniform Construction Code as the standard for building construction, remodeling and repair inside the borough2. All building permits must be submitted through the Red Lion Borough Office, which has authorized outside code agencies to conduct plan reviews and inspections2.

Pennsylvania's rule is that property owners must obtain a permit before starting work, and a certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used14. A separate zoning permit is also part of the process, so a project needs both approvals1.

The borough states that applicants who are not current on taxes or other municipal service accounts will be denied a zoning or building permit2. Fee schedules are published by the agency the borough uses; we could not confirm a borough fee schedule, so ask the borough office.

What is the minimum house size in Red Lion borough?

Single-family detached dwellings in every Red Lion borough zone need at least 900 square feet of habitable floor area per dwelling unit6. The same rule requires at least 150 square feet of habitable space for the first occupant and 100 square feet for each additional occupant6.

A tiny home under that floor area would not meet the borough's rule for a single-family detached dwelling, and we could not confirm any separate tiny-home or accessory-dwelling provision6. The borough's R-O and R-T lists do not show an accessory dwelling use, so ask the borough office before planning a second unit.

How do septic permits work in Red Lion borough?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before installing or using an on-lot sewage system4. In York County, local agencies are municipalities, groups of municipalities or health departments, and DEP provides oversight15. We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits inside Red Lion borough, so ask the Red Lion Borough Office.

Public sewer matters here. In the R-O and R-T zones, each principal use must connect to public water and sewer where the borough manager finds capacity available and extension feasible16. Where public sewer is not feasible, soil percolation tests are required and PA DEP must find no sanitation or health hazard16. The Commercial, Borough Center and Industrial zones require public water and sewer outright16.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Red Lion borough?

We could not confirm any Red Lion borough rule on living in an RV, and the answer is not found in the zoning parts we reviewed. Pennsylvania's statewide RV figures cover state park campgrounds only and do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot17. Ask the Red Lion Borough Office, which handles zoning permits, before parking an RV for occupancy2.

For tiny homes, the 900 square foot minimum for single-family detached dwellings is the number to design around6.

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

For land outside the borough, see the York County page. York County leaves zoning and land use to its municipalities and does not issue building permits3.

Before buying inside Red Lion, confirm the zone on the borough zoning map1. A driveway that connects to a state highway needs a PennDOT permit18. Construction in a flood plain needs documentation sealed by a registered design professional19. Subdividing a lot is regulated by the borough's subdivision and land development chapter20.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Red Lion borough; ask the Red Lion Borough Office before relying on public sewer or an on-lot system4.
  • Unpaid taxes or municipal service accounts can block a zoning or building permit in Red Lion borough2.
  • The borough's own rules on RVs, short-term rentals and accessory dwellings were not confirmed, so check zoning with the borough office before buying1.

Sources

  1. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  2. Red Lion Borough Office (building and zoning permits) (redlionpa.org)
  3. Data Center Development in York County, quoted and re-checked
  4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  6. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 4 General Use Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  7. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  8. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  9. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, quoted and re-checked
  10. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  12. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  13. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. Act 537 Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
  16. Borough of Red Lion Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 3 Zone Regulations (Borough of Red Lion), quoted and re-checked
  17. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  20. Borough of Red Lion, PA eCode360 table of contents (Borough of Red Lion), 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 Red Lion

Borough of Red Lion’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Red Lion borough; borough adopts and administers its own Chapter 27 Zoning

    • Zoning hearing board decides special exceptions and boundary interpretations
    “the borough of red lion is divided into zones enumerated below and shown on the map entitled "zoning map of red lion borough," which map is part of this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zones in Red Lion borough: R-O, R-T, BC, C, I

    • Zoning map is part of the chapter

    zones: R-O, R-T, BC, C, I

    “r-o residential-outlying zone r-t residential-town zone bc borough center zone c commercial zone i industrial zone”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings in Red Lion borough (all zones)

    • Each unit must also provide at least 150 sq ft habitable floor space for first occupant and 100 sq ft for each additional occupant
    • Smaller minimums apply to two-family, attached and multifamily units by bedroom count

    minimum habitable floor area, single-family detached: >= 900 sq ft

    “single-family detached dwellings: 900 square feet per dwelling unit.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential-Town (R-T) zone, Red Lion borough, single-family detached dwelling

    • Other dwelling types and other uses have different minimums
    • Lot width 60 feet per unit with public water and sewer, 90 feet per unit with public water only

    lot area, public water and sewer: >= 6000 sq ft per unit · lot area, public water/no public sewer: >= 12000 sq ft per unit

    “single-family detached dwelling 6,000 square feet per unit 60 feet per unit 12,000 square feet per unit 90 feet per unit”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential-Outlying (R-O) zone, Red Lion borough

    • Single-family detached dwellings have eight-foot side setback
    • Part 4 setback modifications may apply

    front setback: >= 25 feet · side setback: >= 10 feet (8 feet for single-family detached) · rear setback: >= 40 feet

    “each lot shall provide front, side, and rear setbacks not less than the following: a. front setback: 25 feet. b. each side setback: 10 feet; except for single-family detached dwellings which shall have a setback of not less than eight feet. c. rear setback: 40 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential-Outlying (R-O) zone, Red Lion borough

    • Not less than 70% open area
    • Not more than 15% of lot paved with impervious surface

    max building coverage: <= 30 percent

    “not more than 30% of the lot area may be covered by buildings, including accessory buildings.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Residential-Town (R-T) zone, Red Lion borough
      “not more than 40% of the lot area may be covered by buildings, including accessory buildings, except that lots with a lot width of 40 feet or less may have a coverage of up to 50%.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Residential-Outlying (R-O) zone, Red Lion borough

    • Accessory building limit two stories, not over 25 feet
    • No structure may cast a shadow on the south-facing wall of any dwelling between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on December 21

    principal building height: <= 30 feet (two and half stories)

    “the height limit for a principal building shall be two and half stories, but not over 30 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Principal uses in the R-O and R-T zones, Red Lion borough

    • Applies where the borough manager determines capacity is available and extension is feasible
    • If public sewer is not feasible, soil percolation tests are required and PA DEP must find no sanitation or health hazard
    • Commercial, Borough Center and Industrial zones require public water and sewer outright
    “each principal use shall be provided with public water and public sewer service if it is determined by the borough manager that water and sewer capacity is available and that it is feasible to have the service extended to serve the principal use or if the construction of a community system is feasible.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Red Lion borough

    • Only the chapter title was read; substantive requirements not reviewed
    “chapter 22 subdivision and land development”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits in Red Lion borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Red Lion borough
  • Building code adopted — Building code in Red Lion borough
  • Inspections — Building inspections in Red Lion borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Red Lion borough
16 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • 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 Red Lion publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. York County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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