With HTML files, I can work locally and preview the files in my browser after I’ve saved and made changes (and use LiveReload), but with PHP the browser just loads the code. Do I need to run a local server to work on it locally, or is there an easier way?
The extent of my PHP is using include statements for headers and footers.
Yes you will need a local server to run PHP scripts locally. Check out MAMP for Mac or XAMPP for PC.