Bolthole Index

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic in Marshall Township, Pennsylvania

Marshall Township, Pennsylvania requires a building permit for a new home and administers local zoning.123 In Allegheny County, septic permits for land inside Marshall Township come from the County Health Department’s Sewage Enforcement Officers.4 Start with the township building office for construction applications and the Zoning Officer for parcel-specific land-use approval.56

At a glance

Building permit
Required for a new home; township application, third-party review and inspections17
Zoning
Township-wide zoning; identify the parcel’s district38
Septic permits
Allegheny County Health Department Sewage Enforcement Officers49
Setbacks
Conventional detached homes: CR and SR have different side and rear yards10
Owner-builder
No general statewide contractor license for most construction; building approval still applies111
Manufactured homes
Prohibited in identified floodplain areas, with no variance12

Who to call

Building permits

Marshall Township Building Office

Building applications and construction questions

724-935-3090, ext. 230

[email protected]

525 Pleasant Hill Road, Suite 100, Wexford, PA, 15090

Building permits

Marshall Township Building Permit Process

Application requirements, plan review and inspections

Zoning

Marshall Township Zoning Officer

Zoning applications, district map and land-use questions

724-935-3090, ext. 209

[email protected]

525 Pleasant Hill Road, Suite 100, Wexford, PA, 15090

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department Water Pollution Control

On-lot sewage soil testing, design review and septic permits

Health department

Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Program

County plumbing permits and inspections

412-578-8036

2121 Noblestown Road, Suite 207 Pittsburgh, PA 15205

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 Marshall 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 Marshall Township, PA?

A new residential building in Marshall Township needs a building permit before covered construction begins, and the township has adopted Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code.12 The township accepts building applications, while Professional Code Services oversees plan reviews and inspections.7

Building approval and permission to occupy are separate steps: a residential building governed by the UCC cannot be occupied without a certificate of occupancy from a building code official.13 An owner doing the work personally must still obtain the required building approval; Pennsylvania’s lack of a general contractor-license requirement for most construction does not remove the residential building-permit requirement.111

Who handles building and zoning applications in Marshall Township?

Use Marshall Township’s Building Office for the new-residential-construction application and residential occupancy request form.5 Marshall Township makes building applications available at the municipal office and on its website.7 The township’s published process requires complete applications before plan review can move forward and assigns plan reviews and inspections to Professional Code Services.7

For zoning forms and applications, Marshall Township directs applicants to the Forms and Applications button on the homepage; the Zoning Officer is the contact for land-use questions.6 Keep sewage approval separate from these township applications: on-lot sewage permits inside Marshall Township are administered by Allegheny County Health Department Sewage Enforcement Officers.4

Does Marshall Township have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Marshall Township zoning applies throughout the township, with districts established on the zoning map.38 For a conventional detached home in the CR Conservation Residential district, the minimum lot area is 50,000 square feet, rising to 60,000 square feet for lots without public sewer and public water facilities.14 In SR Suburban Residential, the corresponding minimums are 20,000 square feet and 40,000 square feet without those facilities.15

Conventional detached homes in CR require a 40-foot front yard, a 20-foot side yard with 50 feet total across the sides, and a 40-foot principal rear yard.10 SR requires a 40-foot front yard, 15-foot side yard and 35-foot principal rear yard.10 Ask the Zoning Officer to confirm the district and the applicable layout before commissioning house plans.6

How do septic permits work inside Marshall Township?

Allegheny County Health Department Sewage Enforcement Officers handle private on-lot sewage systems inside Marshall Township.4 County rules require a septic permit before construction when on-lot disposal is proposed.9 The county’s sewage officers conduct on-site soil testing, review and approve system designs, and issue septic permits.16

Public sewer availability can change the plan: county rules prohibit continued individual or community sewage-system use when any part of a building is within 150 feet of an available public sewer, and require occupied buildings within 250 feet of public sewer lines or extensions constructed after January 1, 1994 to connect.17 Ask the Health Department how those conditions apply to the parcel before budgeting for septic.17 A composting toilet in a new residence still requires approved disposal of washwater or excess liquid under Pennsylvania’s sanitation rules.18

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

We could not confirm permission for residential RV occupancy, private-land camping, a tiny-home-specific occupancy rule or a minimum dwelling floor area in Marshall Township; ask the township Zoning Officer about the proposed use before buying a trailer or ordering a small home.6 Marshall Township’s zoning covers the entire township, so a parcel’s district needs to be identified rather than treating rural land as unrestricted.38

A small residential building governed by Pennsylvania’s UCC still needs a certificate of occupancy before use.13 Manufactured housing has a separate, confirmed siting restriction in Marshall Township: manufactured homes are prohibited in identified floodplain areas, and the cited provision allows no variance.12

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

  1. Ask the Marshall Township Zoning Officer to identify the district and check the proposed use, lot dimensions and setbacks against the zoning ordinance.6810
  2. If proposing septic, arrange the Allegheny County Health Department’s on-site soil testing and design review and obtain the septic permit before construction.169
  3. Prepare the township’s residential building and zoning applications, survey showing the work, certificate of insurance and construction drawings; complete submissions are required for plan review.7
  4. Obtain the required building permit before covered work starts, then notify the construction code official when permitted work is ready for inspection and keep the work accessible.119
  5. Complete the final inspection and obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before moving in.1913

What stays with Allegheny County when building in Marshall Township?

Marshall Township’s building and zoning applications do not replace Allegheny County Health Department septic approval or county plumbing permits: the county administers on-lot sewage permits and permits new or modified residential plumbing installations.76420 Construction within, under or over an Allegheny County road right-of-way requires a county highway occupancy permit; that rule does not establish a permit requirement for every private driveway.21

Marshall Township also regulates subdivision and land development through its own ordinance, which includes plan procedures and county plan review.22 For a property outside Marshall Township, consult the Allegheny County guide and identify the applicable municipality because zoning requirements are municipal.23 We could not confirm a Marshall Township private-well construction permit rule; ask the township about the parcel before commissioning a well.6

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm residential RV occupancy or tiny-home-specific approval in Marshall Township; ask the Zoning Officer before relying on either as housing.6
  • An available public sewer can require connection even when the plan was to use septic.17
  • Manufactured homes are prohibited in Marshall Township’s identified floodplain areas, with no variance under the cited provision.12

Sources

  1. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 52: Building Construction Code - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Table of Contents - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Water Pollution Control - Allegheny County, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Marshall Township Building Office (twp.marshall.pa.us)
  6. Marshall Township Zoning Officer (twp.marshall.pa.us)
  7. Marshall Township Building Permit Process (twp.marshall.pa.us)
  8. ARTICLE 200: Districts - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  10. ARTICLE 200: Districts - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sec. 83-506. Special requirements for manufactured homes (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. ARTICLE 200: Districts - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. ARTICLE 200: Districts - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Allegheny County Health Department Water Pollution Control (alleghenycounty.us)
  17. Article XIV Sewage Management, quoted and re-checked
  18. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
  21. Permits and Licenses, quoted and re-checked
  22. Table of Contents - Township of Marshall, PA (Marshall Township), quoted and re-checked
  23. Land Use Planning, 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 Marshall Township

Marshall Township’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction, alteration, repair, movement, equipment, removal, demolition, location, maintenance, occupancy, or change of occupancy of every building or structure in Marshall Township.

    • The Township also retains qualifying pre-July 1, 1999 provisions until they fail to equal or exceed Pennsylvania Construction Code Act requirements.
    • Accessory carports, detached private garages, greenhouses, and sheds under 250 square feet accessory to a detached one-family dwelling are excluded under the stated modification.

    accessory structure threshold: < 250 square feet (Must be accessory to a detached one-family dwelling.)

    “The Township hereby adopts the Uniform Construction Code, 34 Pa. Code, Article XIV, as amended, and the standardized codes adopted thereunder as promulgated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, as the official Construction Code of Marshall Township”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Marshall Township, Pennsylvania.

    • Chapter 208 applies township-wide; district boundaries are shown on the Township zoning map.
    “This chapter intends to include the entire area of the Township, including all land, streets, alleys, railroads, and other row, be included in the zoning districts established by this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and overlays inside Marshall Township.

    • The zoning map is incorporated into Chapter 208.
    • District boundaries and map interpretation rules apply.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, Marshall Township is hereby divided into districts which shall be designated as follows:”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Marshall Township.

    • Chapter 174 includes preliminary and final plan procedures, plan specifications, design standards, fees, inspections of improvements, and county plan review.
    “Chapter 174 Subdivision and Land Development”

Rules another office applies inside Marshall Township

Marshall Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Conventional single-family detached dwellings in the CR Conservation Residential district.

    • The table lists 50,000 square feet and 60,000 square feet with footnote 1 for lots without public sewer and public water facilities.

    minimum lot area: 50,000; 60,000 square feet (For lots that do not have public sewer and public water facilities.)

    “CR Conventional SF-D | 50,000 60,000^{1} | 0.75 | 75 ft. | 150 ft. | 40 ft. | 20 ft. one side 50 ft. total | P: 40 ft. | 18% | 40 ft.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Conventional single-family detached dwellings in the SR Suburban Residential district.
      “SR Conventional SF-D | 40,000^{1}20,000 | 1.0^{1}2.0 | 60 ft. | 150 ft.^{1}80 ft. | 40 ft. | 15 ft. | P: 35 ft. | 18% | 40 ft.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Conventional single-family detached dwellings in the CR and SR districts.

    • CR requires 40-foot front, 20-foot one-side and 50-foot total side, and 40-foot principal rear setbacks; SR requires 40-foot front, 15-foot side, and 35-foot principal rear setbacks.

    CR setbacks: front 40; side 20 one side/50 total; rear 40 feet · SR setbacks: front 40; side 15; rear 35 feet

    “Zoning District/Use | Minimum Lot Area(square feet) | Maximum Gross Density(units/acre) | Minimum Lot Frontage | Minimum Lot Width | Minimum Front Yard Setback | Minimum Side Yard Setback | Minimum Rear Yard Setback | Maximum Impervious Surface Ratio | Maximum Building Height”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes within any identified floodplain area inside Marshall Township.

    • No variance is available under the cited floodplain provision.
    “Within any identified floodplain area, manufactured homes shall be prohibited. No variance shall be granted.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Private on-lot sewage systems inside Marshall Township, administered through the Allegheny County Health Department sewage-enforcement program.

    • Pennsylvania Act 537 and applicable Allegheny County sewage-management regulations also apply.
    “Permitting activities for these systems are carried out by the Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers under PA Act 537-The PA Sewage Facilities Act.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Marshall Township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Marshall Township.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Marshall Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Marshall Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Marshall Township.
9 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Marshall 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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