What’s Best: Build, Move or Renovate?
Is it better to build, move or renovate our home? While we hear this question many times, there is no clear-cut answer. Every home is unique, and this impacts the response to this question. Additionally, each home occupant sees their surroundings in different ways, which adds nuance to determining what is best for you. Let’s explore some things you will want to consider as you move toward a decision.
Behind the Build: Nancy Craul
How will regulations affect my build? Part IV – Stormwater Management
As a review from our overview newsletter on regulations that will affect your build, stormwater management in its simplest definition is to manage the rate and volume of rain water as it “runs off” impervious surfaces. One of the challenges with stormwater management as it relates to residential building projects is that the interpretation and enforcement of the regulations can vary greatly from one municipality to another.
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How Will Regulations Affect My Build? Part III: Building Code
In this next segment on the impact of regulations on home construction, we are looking at how building codes affect your home. Building codes have a long history, with the earliest example dating back to ancient Babylonia. The Code of Hammurabi, circa 1792-1750 BC, is inscribed on a basalt pillar over 7 feet tall. It included provisions for builders to be held responsible if their work led to harm or death. From their earliest beginnings through today, the primary focus of the building codes is saving lives.
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Behind the Build: Nate Buckwalter
How will regulations affect my build? – Part II: Zoning
| Earlier we took a look at a few different categories of regulations that can affect your building project such as zoning, stormwater and building codes. This week we will take a closer look at how zoning laws and regulations impact how and what we can build in residential construction.Zoning Ordinances create rules around dimensional allowances (setbacks, lot coverage, building height, etc.) as well as the “use” or function of the property. One of the ways this works is that throughout a municipality there will be different areas (Zones) designated as Residential, Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial or Recreational Use. This naturally keeps like or similar uses in certain areas of a specific township.In residential zoning, there will often be several classifications within a specific municipality such as (R1, R2, R3 Zones) These residential zones will typically have different setback requirements based on the lot sizes that they are designed to create. Higher density zoning is typically reserved for areas that have public water and public sewer infrastructure available. It is much more practical to create smaller building lots when a well and septic system isn’t required to serve the home as these obviously require more land to be developed. Aerial Image of Parkside at Lampeter currently under Construction Regarding planning a build on a single lot, the most impactful zoning regulations will often be the building setback requirements, lot coverage requirements, and building height. Building setbacks simply dictate the distance your home must be placed from front, rear and side property lines, this ensures property distance from neighboring homes and keeping homes situated safely back from the street.Lot coverage requirements are typically a percentage allowance that your home and another other impervious surface is allowed to take up relative to the entire lot area. Building Height limits are pretty self-explanatory and are generally around 30-35 for most residential zoning areas. If you are exploring a custom home build, let us help you navigate the zoning regulations that will impact your build. “Zoning has been the most influential innovation in American land-use regulation—and one of the most controversial.” — Jane Jacobs, paraphrased from The Death and Life of Great American Cities Post by: Jordan Metzler |
The World Around us
| We live in an undeniably global world. Our access to products and services impacts our lives, from the variety of food in our stores to the vehicles we drive, from the clothing we wear to the lattes we sip. Whether we realize it or not, individuals around the world touch our lives. Don’t worry—this post is not directed at politics or economics—at least, that’s not my intent. I hope that we can all become slightly more aware of how we rely on people around the globe.  The homes we build, renovate, and inhabit are impacted by our global connections. From the tools at our fingertips to the materials used to construct our homes, the places we call home are enhanced by these connections. Here are just a few examples. Our Canadian neighbors provide a significant amount of lumber for the construction industry. Some steel, aluminum, cement, and gypsum, a key ingredient in drywall, are imported. Roofing shingles, vinyl siding, fuel for deliveries, and a plethora of other items are impacted by the oil industry. Even copper, which is used in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems, while mined in the U.S., saw a net import reliance of 45% in 2024 (according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and its Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 report). Have you ever admired Calacatta marble from the Apuan Mountains in Italy? What about ceramic tile? While some tiles come from Italy, imports from India, Spain, and Mexico typically top the list.  While this list could continue ad nauseam, I hope these examples provide awareness that we no longer build or live off the land directly around us. So when you’re turning on a faucet or peeling a banana, remember that others around the world make it possible. May we all become more mindful of our global citizenship. Post by: Tim Zehr |
Behind the Build: Derick May
How will regulations affect my build?
The residential construction industry is not for the faint of heart! We are governed by many different layers of regulation and codes. Most of these rules and regulations make a lot of sense at a high level, but some become confusing and challenging to navigate in practice.
Adding to the complexity for builders, contractors and our clients is the issue of how these different regulations get interpreted and enforced. Within Lancaster County alone there are 60 different municipalities whose zoning officials, engineers, and building inspectors often have distinct and unique views on the rules and regulations they enforce.