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Oil Tank Removal in Coopersburg & Upper Saucon Township, PA

Short answer: Coopersburg & Upper Saucon Township homeowners aren't required by PA DEP to remove a home heating oil tank1, but a sale, lender or insurer often makes locating, testing or removing it worthwhile2,3. Published Pennsylvania figures: underground removal $1,000–$3,000+, above-ground $500–$1,5004.

About Coopersburg & Upper Saucon Township

This page covers two Lehigh County municipalities: Coopersburg borough and Upper Saucon Township.

Local facts

  • Coopersburg borough and Upper Saucon Township are both Lehigh County municipalities in the Southern Lehigh School District5.
  • Census figures for Upper Saucon Township: 2020 population 16,973; 5,856 households and an owner-occupied rate of 90.8% (ACS 2020–2024); median owner-occupied home value $461,600 (ACS 2020–2024); land area 24.47 sq mi6.
  • Borough of Coopersburg office: Borough Hall, 5 North Main Street, Coopersburg, PA 18036 — www.coopersburgborough.org. Ask there about local permits for tank removal7.
  • Heating fuel, Coopersburg: fuel oil or kerosene heats an estimated 442 of 1,096 occupied homes (40.3%; margin of error ±96 homes); utility gas 20.7%, electricity 35.0%8.
  • Housing age, Coopersburg: an estimated 48.7% of 1,102 housing units were built before 1960, and 32.7% in 1939 or earlier9.
  • ZIP codes, Coopersburg (ZCTA approximation): 18036 — ZCTAs covering at least 1% of the municipality's land area; ZCTAs approximate, and do not exactly match, USPS ZIP delivery areas10.
  • Heating fuel, Upper Saucon Township: fuel oil or kerosene heats an estimated 1,179 of 5,856 occupied homes (20.1%; margin of error ±235 homes); utility gas 31.6%, electricity 35.5%8.
  • Housing age, Upper Saucon Township: an estimated 15.5% of 6,047 housing units were built before 1960, and 5.8% in 1939 or earlier9.
  • ZIP codes, Upper Saucon Township (ZCTA approximation): 18015, 18034, 18036, 18049, 18103 — ZCTAs covering at least 1% of the municipality's land area; ZCTAs approximate, and do not exactly match, USPS ZIP delivery areas10.
  • Census figures are ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates at county-subdivision level. For small boroughs the margins of error are wide, so treat them as approximate.
  • Upper Saucon Township office: Municipal Building, 5500 Camp Meeting Road, Center Valley, PA 18034 — https://www.uppersaucon.org. Ask there about local permits for tank removal7.

Local angle

Selling here? Pennsylvania requires disclosure of known material defects11, so documenting a removed or tested tank before listing avoids a stalled closing2.

Local permits

Tank removal permit rules vary by municipality4. Permit rules vary by municipality; your matched contractor will confirm and pull any required permit. Questions? Call the municipal office listed above.

Published prices (Pennsylvania)

JobPublished figureSource
Above-ground / basement tank removal$500–$1,5004
Above-ground tank removalaverage $1,10012
Underground heating-oil tank removal$1,000–$3,000+4
Underground heating-oil tank removalaverage $1,90012
Soil sample lab analysisabout $220 each, typically 2–3 samples12
Tank sweep (magnetometry), residential lot$250–$500 (Philadelphia source)13

Leaks change the picture: cleanup is a separate, larger project12,4. Figures are published ranges, not quotes.

Lehigh Valley towns with the most oil-heated homes

Share of occupied homes heated mainly by fuel oil or kerosene, estimated by the Census8:

TownFuel-oil shareHomes (± margin of error)
Wind Gap39.9%603 ± 142
Pen Argyl39.2%545 ± 184
Moore Township32.2%1,113 ± 208
Bangor31.7%630 ± 197
Nazareth30.3%908 ± 208

For comparison: Allentown 14.1%, Easton 8.6%8. These are 5-year survey estimates; small towns have wide margins of error.

FAQ

Does PA DEP require me to remove my home heating oil tank?

No. Tanks storing heating oil burned on the premises are excluded from the state program, and DEP says home heating oil tanks are not regulated14,1. Owners usually act because of a sale, a lender, an insurer, or leak risk.

Can I sell a house with a buried oil tank in PA?

State law doesn't prohibit it, but you must disclose known material defects11, and the buyer's lender may require inspection or documentation2,3.

Get a free quote

Tell us where the tank is (basement, side yard, buried, or unknown) and whether you're buying, selling, or refinancing. Allentown Tanks will connect you with a qualified local tank contractor. (215) 434-1322 · Request a quote

Sources

  1. PA DEP Storage Tank Data ("Home heating oil tanks are not regulated")
  2. Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.4-08 Environmental Hazards Appraisal Requirements
  3. Kash Mortgage Group, PA buyer guide
  4. Harned Durham Energy, heating oil tank removal cost
  5. Lehigh County, municipalities and school districts (PDF)
  6. Census QuickFacts: Catasauqua, Upper Saucon, Nazareth, Northampton borough (the URL also requests Fountain Hill and Hanover Twp, which QuickFacts did not return; they are not cited from it)
  7. League of Women Voters of Lehigh County, 2025 municipal directory
  8. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year Table B25040 House Heating Fuel, county subdivision geography (table-based summary file)
  9. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year Table B25034 Year Structure Built, county subdivision geography (table-based summary file)
  10. Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county-subdivision relationship file
  11. 68 Pa.C.S. §7303 seller disclosure
  12. Curren Environmental, PA oil tank removal cost
  13. Flagstone, Philadelphia oil tank guide
  14. Act 32 §103 (UST definition excludes heating oil for consumptive use)
  15. 25 Pa. Code §245.1 definitions
  16. PA DEP Installer/Inspector Certification (certified company list)
  17. PA DEP Storage Tanks Financial Assistance (Underground Heating Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement Program)
  18. PA DEP, Apply for Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement

Sources accessed 2026-10-25 by TANKER Traffic.

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