Bolthole Index

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Findlay Township, PA

Findlay Township, Pennsylvania requires building permits for new construction and additions through its Building Inspection Department.1 Findlay Township also requires zoning applications before construction or occupancy of a structure.2 In Allegheny County, septic permits and system approval come from the county Health Department, separately from township building and zoning approval.34

At a glance

Building permits
Required for new construction and additions; township Building Inspection Department1
Zoning
Township zoning applies; proposed structures need a zoning application52
Septic permits
Allegheny County Health Department permit and final approval required34
Owner-builder
State contractor-licensing relief concerns licensing; covered residential construction still needs a building permit67
Occupancy
A UCC-regulated residential building needs a certificate of occupancy before use8
Private well testing
County Water Pollution Control offers well-water test kits9

Who to call

Building permits

Findlay Township Building Inspection Department

Township building permits and construction inspections

724-695-0500

1271 Route 30 P.O. Box W Clinton, PA 15026

Zoning

Findlay Township Planning & Zoning

Township zoning applications and land-development questions

724-695-0500

1271 Route 30 P.O. Box W Clinton, PA 15026

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department, Water Pollution Control

County on-lot sewage permits, soil testing and design approval

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Findlay Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Findlay Township, PA?

Findlay Township requires a building permit for a new home or addition, and for remodeling or alterations except residential work without structural or means-of-egress changes.1 The township also lists decks more than 30 inches above grade and swimming pools with water deeper than 2 feet as building-permit projects.1 A low deck can still need zoning approval even when no building permit is required.1 Ask the Building Inspection Department about your exact project before starting work.1

Who handles Findlay Township building permits and inspections?

The Findlay Township Building Inspection Department is the local contact for building-permit questions, and the township Inspection Department inspects construction for Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code compliance.1 Call 724-695-0500 before construction to confirm the required building application.1 Building-permit fees depend on the square footage of proposed construction; request the current fee schedule rather than budgeting a flat amount.12 For permitted residential construction, Pennsylvania requires accessible work, notification when work is ready for inspection, and a final inspection report.10

Does Findlay Township have zoning, and what about setbacks?

Findlay Township has its own zoning ordinance.5 A zoning application determines whether the proposed use is allowed in the parcel’s district before construction or occupancy.2 New garages, porches, sheds, pools, signs and fences are among the structures requiring township zoning permits.2 Ask Findlay Township Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and provide its current lot-size, yard, coverage and height standards before choosing a house site.2 The township also administers a Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance with procedures and design standards for site improvements.2

How do septic permits work inside Findlay Township?

A private on-lot sewage system in Findlay Township needs an Allegheny County Health Department permit before construction, installation, alteration, repair or extension.3 County Sewage Enforcement Officers perform soil testing, review system designs and issue septic permits.9 Where public sewer is unavailable, Findlay Township requires the private sewage system’s location on the site plan.11 The completed system must receive final inspection and approval before use.4 Arrange sewage evaluation while considering the building site, because township building approval and county septic approval are separate requirements.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Findlay Township?

We could not confirm permission to occupy an RV or tiny home on private land in Findlay Township; ask township Planning & Zoning about the proposed dwelling type, parcel district and temporary occupancy while building.5 The township’s zoning application tests whether a proposed structure’s use is permitted before construction or occupancy.2 For a tiny home treated as a UCC-regulated residential building, Pennsylvania requires a certificate of occupancy before use.8 A private sewage system still requires county permitting and final approval.34

Building a home in Findlay Township: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Findlay Township Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel district and review the proposed use through the zoning application.2
  2. If public sewer is unavailable, show the private sewage system on the site plan and obtain the county Health Department septic permit before related construction.113
  3. Obtain the township building permit for new construction and arrange construction inspections.1
  4. Keep permitted residential work accessible and notify the code official when inspections are due.10
  5. Obtain final septic approval and the residential certificate of occupancy before using the system or home.48

What should you check before buying land in Findlay Township?

Ask township Planning & Zoning about the intended use and any subdivision or site-development review before committing to a parcel.2 For access involving construction in an Allegheny County right-of-way, a county highway occupancy permit is required; that rule does not establish a requirement for every private driveway.12 County Water Pollution Control offers private-well test kits, but we could not confirm a Findlay Township well-permit or mandatory utility-connection rule; ask the township about the proposed water supply.911 For the broader county context, see Allegheny County; county sewage permitting applies inside Findlay Township too.13

Watch-outs

  • Pennsylvania’s owner-builder licensing relief does not establish a building-permit exemption for a new home in Findlay Township.61
  • Qualifying agricultural buildings can be excluded from Pennsylvania’s Construction Code Act, but the exemption excludes habitable space and does not remove municipal land-use requirements.14
  • We could not confirm local RV occupancy, tiny-home classification or accessory-dwelling permission; ask Findlay Township Planning & Zoning before buying land for those uses.5

Sources

  1. Findlay Township Building Inspection Department (findlay.pa.us)
  2. Findlay Township Planning & Zoning (findlay.pa.us)
  3. Allegheny County Health Department Article XIV Sewage Management (Findlay Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Findlay Township Code § 49.8 Onlot sewage disposal systems (Findlay Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Findlay Township Code § 5.2 Penalties (Findlay Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Allegheny County Health Department, Water Pollution Control (alleghenycounty.us)
  10. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Findlay Township Code § 49.8 Onlot sewage disposal systems (Findlay Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Permits and Licenses, quoted and re-checked
  13. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  14. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Findlay Township

Findlay Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Findlay Township; the adopted code identifies Chapter 117 as Zoning and provides zoning penalties.

    • The opened excerpts do not include the full Chapter 117 ordinance or district schedule.
    “117/Zoning 25.00 100.00 300.00 500.00/500.00”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Private sewage systems serving land inside Findlay Township; Allegheny County Department of Health and its Sewage Enforcement Officers administer the permit and approval functions.

    • The township requires the private-system location on the site plan where public sewer is unavailable.
    • The county rules operate under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act and applicable county regulations.
    “Permitting activities for these systems are carried out by the Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction, installation, alteration, repair, or extension of an individual or community on-lot sewage system serving property inside Findlay Township.

    • The permit must be obtained from the Allegheny County Health Department before commencement of construction related to the system.
    • A building served by the system may not be occupied or used without the required permit.
    • The township code separately requires the site plan to show the private sewage system where public sewer is unavailable.
    “unless said person has previously applied for and obtained a permit from the Department.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Private sewage systems inside Findlay Township.

    • All private sewage systems must be inspected and approved by an Allegheny County Sewage Enforcement Officer.
    • The county regulation states that no individual or community sewage system may be put into use until final inspection and approval.
    “until final inspection and approval of the completed system has been obtained”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    On-site sanitation for property inside Findlay Township where public sewer is not available.

    • The site plan must indicate the private sewage disposal system.
    • A permit from the Allegheny County Department of Health is required.
    • The system must be inspected and approved by an Allegheny County Sewage Enforcement Officer.
    “The site plan shall indicate the location of a private sewage disposal system where a public sewer is not available. Sewer disposal permits are issued by Allegheny County Department of Health conforming to the PA Sewage & Facilities Act, Act 527, of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. All private sewage systems must be inspected and approved by an Allegheny County Sewage Enforcement Officer.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Findlay Township or Allegheny County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for new or altered buildings in Findlay Township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from building permits or inspections in Findlay Township.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction in Findlay Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings in Findlay Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Findlay Township.
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Findlay Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Allegheny County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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