Harrisburg, PA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt from the district height cap
- Antennae, steeples, chimneys, flag poles, silos, and similar roof-level appurtenances
- Airport compliance showing
- Required at 200 feet or more above average surrounding ground
- Affordable housing, RL Existing row
- 36 feet maximum principal building height
- Affordable housing, RL Low-income row
- 50 feet maximum principal building height
- Pitched-roof peak allowance
- Area equal to 20% of the building footprint
- Relief from height standards
- Variance from the Zoning Hearing Board
Summary
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, each zoning district sets its own maximum height, but § 7-307.8 exempts antennae, steeples, chimneys, flag poles, and similar roof-level appurtenances from that cap, and any structure 200 feet or more above ground must prove airport compliance to the Zoning Officer. Certified affordable housing developments follow the principal building height figures printed in Table 2 of § 7-307.3B.
7-307.3B Affordable Housing Development Standards Table 2 Percentage of Units Affordable Density Bonus Minimum Lot Area (square feet) per Dwelling Unit Max Impervious Lot Coverage Principal Building Height RL Zoning District Existing -- -- 5,000 50% 36 feet maximum Low-income (<80% MFI) 20% 35% 3,250 65% 50 feet maximum ... § 7-307.8. Height exceptions. A. The maximum height specified for each zoning district shall not apply to: communications antennae, household or standard antennae, water towers, cupolas, clock or bell towers, steeples or spires of places of worship and similar architectural extensions, utility lines and poles, industrial raw material storage silos (other than for fuels), flag poles, elevator shafts and stairway enclosures, ventilators, skylights, windmills, smokestacks, chimneys, or other similar appurtenances usually required to be and customarily placed above the roof level and not intended for human occupancy.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 7-307 of the Harrisburg Codified Ordinances covers height in two places that the code prints in full. Section 7-307.8 lists what the district height caps do not reach, and Table 2 of § 7-307.3B prints principal building height for certified affordable housing developments. The general maximum height for each zoning district sits in the development standards attachment to § 7-307.3A, which is not reproduced in the body text, so this page does not state a district-wide figure.
Exceptions: Under § 7-307.8(A), the maximum height specified for each zoning district does not apply to communications antennae, household or standard antennae, water towers, cupolas, clock or bell towers, steeples or spires of places of worship and similar architectural extensions, utility lines and poles, industrial raw material storage silos other than for fuels, flag poles, elevator shafts and stairway enclosures, ventilators, skylights, windmills, smokestacks, chimneys, or similar appurtenances placed above the roof level and not intended for human occupancy. Under subsection B, a structure proposed at 200 feet or more above average surrounding ground level must give the Zoning Officer enough information to prove it complies with federal, state, and City requirements on airport approaches and warning lights.
Affordable housing: Table 2 applies to developments that have received a certificate of qualification under Chapter 12-101 of Title 12, and all of its measurements are in feet unless stated otherwise. In the RL Zoning District the Existing row prints 36 feet maximum principal building height, the Low-income row prints 50 feet maximum, and the Workforce row prints 40. The RM rows print 45, 60, and 55, and the CN rows print 75, 100, and 85. These figures were added by Ord. No. 6-2021, adopted 4-13-2021.
How height is measured: The zoning glossary in § 7-333.2 measures height from the average elevation of the proposed ground level along the front of the building to the highest point of a structure. For a building with a defined and pitched roof, an area equal to 20% of the building footprint can exceed the maximum height to provide for the roof peak, provided that area is not occupied by persons.
Relief: Under § 7-307.2, any request for relief from the development standards requires a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board under Chapter 7-323.
Violations & Fines
Height violations are enforced through Chapter 7-701, which § 7-307.99 makes applicable. In a civil enforcement proceeding brought by the City of Harrisburg, a violator pays a judgment of not more than $500 plus court costs, including reasonable attorney fees, and each day the violation continues is a separate violation. A magisterial district judge decides the case first. The City can also withhold permits or approvals for property developed in violation of the Planning and Zoning Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chimneys and antennae count against the height limit in the City of Harrisburg?
When does a tall structure have to show airport compliance?
What height does Table 2 allow for affordable housing in the RL district?
How do I get approval for a building taller than my district allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Harrisburg
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