Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required before any construction or development inside the borough¹

Building code

Borough has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code²

Who issues it

The borough code enforcement officer, on borough forms⁵

Zoning

Set by the borough, not the county; district rules not confirmed here³

Septic

Allegheny County Health Department Sewage Enforcement Officers handle on-lot permits⁴

Subdivision

Regulated by the borough's subdivision and land development chapter⁶

Permit fee

Set by council resolution; amount not confirmed⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Forest Hills, PA?

Yes. Forest Hills borough requires a building permit before any construction or development is undertaken anywhere in the borough¹⁸. The borough has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and elects to administer and enforce it itself².

The permit is issued only after the work conforms to applicable codes and other required government permits, such as sewage facilities approval, are in hand. A permit expires if work has not begun within six months or is not completed within 12 months unless extended in writing¹. State law also requires a certificate of occupancy before a residential building is used⁹.

Who issues building permits in Forest Hills, and how do you apply?

The Borough of Forest Hills issues its own building permits. Applications go in writing to the borough code enforcement officer, or another official council designates, on forms the borough supplies⁵⁸.

The application lists the applicant, owner, contractor, site, other permits, a description and cost of the work, and a site plan⁵. The fee is set by council resolution, and we could not confirm the current amount, so ask the borough office for its fee schedule⁷. Allegheny County does not take building permit applications; it directs owners to file in the municipality where the work is done⁸.

Inspections follow the work as often as the borough finds necessary¹⁰.

Does Forest Hills have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

In Allegheny County, zoning requirements are determined by the municipality³, and Pennsylvania directs zoning questions to the township, borough or city itself¹¹. For Forest Hills that means the borough, not the county, decides what you can build on a lot.

We could not confirm the borough's zoning districts, minimum lot sizes, setbacks, or whether RV living, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are allowed. Ask the borough's code enforcement officer or zoning officer before you buy, and do not assume a use is allowed because a rule is not listed here. The borough's code also has a chapter on subdivision and land development, so splitting or combining lots is regulated locally⁶.

How do septic permits work inside Forest Hills?

On-lot sewage systems in Allegheny County are permitted by the Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act⁴. A permit from the Health Department is necessary before any on-lot disposal system is built¹².

Whether a particular Forest Hills lot is on public sewer or would need an on-lot system is not something we confirmed. Under county rules, a building within 150 feet of an available public sewer may not keep using an individual system¹³. Call the Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Program at 412-578-8036¹⁴ to ask what applies at an address.

Building a home in Forest Hills: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and allowed uses with the borough before you buy³.
2. Check whether the lot is in a floodplain; floodplain applicants must show flood-damage minimization and adequate drainage, and plans are reviewed by the planning commission, borough engineer and county conservation district¹⁵.
3. Confirm sewer or septic with the Allegheny County Health Department¹⁴.
4. Apply for the building permit in writing to the borough code enforcement officer⁵.
5. If the driveway meets a state highway, PennDOT's highway occupancy permit is required before access is allowed¹⁶.
6. Schedule the inspections and get the certificate of occupancy before moving in⁹.

What stays with Allegheny County, and what to check before you buy

Allegheny County handles on-lot septic permits and plumbing permits for the Health Department⁴¹⁴, while the borough handles building permits and zoning. For land outside borough limits, see the Allegheny County page.

Borough building permit violations in the floodplain chapter carry fines from $100 to $1,000 per violation¹⁵. Allegheny County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%¹⁷, and the typical home value is about $247,008¹⁸. Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license for most construction contractors, though municipalities may add their own¹⁹.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Forest Hills's zoning districts, setbacks, minimum lot sizes or rules for RVs, tiny homes and accessory dwellings; ask the borough office³.
• The building permit fee is set by council resolution and we could not confirm the current amount⁷.
• We could not confirm septic or public sewer arrangements for a specific Forest Hills address; call the Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Program¹⁴.

Sources

1. Forest Hills Borough Code Chapter 8 Floodplains, Part 2 Administration (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
2. Forest Hills Borough Code Chapter 5 Code Enforcement, Part 1 Construction Code (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
3. Land Use Planning, quoted and re-checked
4. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
5. Forest Hills Borough Code Chapter 8 Floodplains, Part 2 Administration (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
6. Borough of Forest Hills, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
7. Forest Hills Borough Code Chapter 8 Floodplains, Part 2 Administration (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
8. Borough of Forest Hills, Code Enforcement Officer (ecode360.com)
9. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Forest Hills Borough Code Chapter 8 Floodplains, Part 2 Administration (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
11. Local Registrations, Permits, Zoning (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
13. Article XIV Sewage Management, quoted and re-checked
14. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
15. Forest Hills Borough Code Chapter 8 Floodplains, Part 2 Administration (Borough of Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
18. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
19. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 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.