Accessory Structures in Bethlehem, PA (2026)
5 verified accessory structures rules for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Bethlehem is a Pennsylvania city of approximately 75,781 residents that straddles Lehigh County and Northampton County in the Lehigh Valley. The City of Bethlehem Code is hosted on American Legal Publishing at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/bethlehem/, and the Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance is maintained as a separate comprehensive document that the City rewrote in a multi-year process completed around 2023. Pennsylvania has not enacted any statewide accessory dwelling unit (ADU) preemption statute comparable to California Government Code §66313 et seq. or Oregon ORS 197.312, so whether an ADU (sometimes called an accessory apartment, in-law suite, or second dwelling unit) is permitted on a Bethlehem property is determined entirely by the Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. §10101 et seq.). Property owners should request a written zoning determination from the Bethlehem Department of Community and Economic Development before making design or financing commitments.
Bethlehem PA ADU Rules (Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance; PA MPC 53 P.S. §10101 et seq.; No State ADU Preemption)
Some RestrictionsADU Permits
An accessory dwelling unit in Bethlehem requires permits from two municipal offices: a zoning permit from the Bethlehem Department of Community and Economic Development (confirming the ADU is permitted in the underlying district under the Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance, either by right or by special exception/variance through the Bethlehem Zoning Hearing Board), and a building permit from the Bethlehem Building Code Official under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa Code §401.7 for the construction itself. Pennsylvania has no statewide ADU preemption like California's SB 9 or Oregon's HB 2001, so timelines, fees, and approval criteria are set by the Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance and the PA UCC.
Bethlehem PA ADU Permits (Bethlehem Dept. of Community & Economic Development; PA UCC 34 Pa Code 401.7; Zoning + Building Both Required)
Some RestrictionsADU Impact Fees
Pennsylvania municipalities have unusually limited statutory authority to impose impact fees on new development. Under the Municipalities Planning Code Article V-A (53 P.S. §§10502-A through 10503-A), the only authorized impact fee is a transportation impact fee, and even that requires a multi-year traffic study, an adopted ordinance, and defined impact-fee districts. Other typical "impact" charges (water/sewer connection fees, school district contributions, recreation fees) operate under separate statutory authorities. ADU applicants in Bethlehem generally face only standard zoning and building permit fees, water/sewer tap-in charges through the Bethlehem Authority and the City of Bethlehem sewer service, and any small recreation fee-in-lieu if applicable — no school impact fee and (unless Bethlehem has adopted one under Article V-A) no transportation impact fee.
Bethlehem PA ADU Impact Fees (PA MPC 53 P.S. §10502-A Transportation Impact Fee Authority; Limited Use)
Few RestrictionsShed Rules
Sheds and similar accessory structures in Bethlehem are regulated by two overlapping layers: (1) the Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance, which sets dimensional standards (maximum size, height, setbacks, lot coverage, and location relative to the principal dwelling) by zoning district; and (2) the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa Code §403.1, which exempts certain non-residential utility sheds under 1,000 square feet from UCC building-permit requirements but does not exempt them from local zoning compliance. Bethlehem property owners typically still need a zoning permit from the Bethlehem Department of Community and Economic Development even when no UCC building permit is required, especially in older row-house neighborhoods of Historic Bethlehem and South Bethlehem where rear-yard space is constrained.
Bethlehem PA Shed Rules (Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance; PA UCC Exemption for Sheds <1,000 sq ft, 34 Pa Code 403.1)
Some RestrictionsGarage Conversions
Converting a Bethlehem garage into habitable space (a bedroom, in-law suite, home office, or accessory dwelling unit) requires both (1) zoning approval under the Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance for the change of use — because the converted space is no longer accessory parking and may count toward floor area or trigger an ADU classification — and (2) a building permit under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa Code §401.7. Conversions must comply with the 2018 International Residential Code for habitable spaces (egress windows under IRC R310, ceiling height under IRC R305, light and ventilation under IRC R303, smoke alarms under IRC R314, carbon monoxide alarms under IRC R315), and Bethlehem's local off-street parking minimums must still be met after the garage is repurposed.
Bethlehem PA Garage Conversions (Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance Change-of-Use; PA UCC Permit Required)
Some RestrictionsLooking for Lehigh County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bethlehem city rules.
Accessory Structures in Lehigh County →