Building setbacks are set by your borough or township zoning ordinance under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, not by York County. In York Township's low-density residential districts, typical minimums are 20-25 feet front, 10-15 feet side, and 20-25 feet rear.
Pennsylvania delegates setback (yard) regulation to municipalities through the Municipalities Planning Code, which authorizes zoning ordinances to regulate the areas, courts, yards, and distances to be left unoccupied by structures. York County itself sets no setbacks. Numbers vary by district and municipality: York Township's rural-agricultural district requires 25 feet front, 15 feet side, 25 feet rear, while its residential districts commonly require a 20-foot front and 10-foot side setback. Accessory structures in York Township must be at least 6 feet from side and rear lines and are barred from the front yard unless set back 100 feet. Always look up the exact setbacks for your zoning district with your local municipality.
Building inside a required setback is a zoning violation; the municipal Zoning Officer issues an enforcement notice, and fines can reach $500 per day under 53 P.S. §10617.2.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how York County's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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