Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Plum, Pennsylvania

Borough of Plum’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residential improvements inside Plum borough

  • Permit needed for additions, porches, decks, pools deeper than 24 inches, accessory structures 200 sq ft and over, structural alterations, egress changes, fences over 6 ft, retaining walls over 4 ft, elevated sidewalks/driveways over 30 inches, and demolition.
  • Residential applications must be submitted at least 15 days before expected construction.

  accessory structure permit threshold: >= 200 sq ft · application lead time: >= 15 days

  “a building permit is needed for an addition, porches, porch roofs, decks, swimming pools (above-ground and in-ground, greater than 24" deep), spas, hot tubs, accessory structures 200 square feet and over, structural alterations to existing structures, removal or change of any required means of egress, fences over six (6) feet high, retaining walls over four (4) feet high, sidewalks more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, driveways more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, and demolition of existing structures.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Plum borough, Allegheny County, PA

  • Ordinances are amended from time to time; the page lists a Plum Borough zoning ordinance and a subdivision and land development ordinance.
  • The 2022-amended zoning PDFs returned HTTP 410 and could not be opened, so district rules were not verified.

  “the borough adopted new zoning and subdivision and land development ordinances in december of 2017, and these ordinances are amended from time to time”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Plum borough

  • Specific thresholds and procedures not verified; ordinance PDF unavailable (HTTP 410).

  “the borough adopted new zoning and subdivision and land development ordinances in december of 2017, and these ordinances are amended from time to time”

• Permit processPartial

  Residential building permit applications inside Plum borough

  • Submission checklist is online; the permit packet PDF could not be opened.

  application lead time: >= 15 days

  “building permit applications are available online or at the office. all residential applications must be submitted at least fifteen (15) days prior to the expected date of construction. a list of what to submit along with your application may be obtained online.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Plum borough
• Building code adopted — Plum borough
• Inspections — Plum borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Plum borough
• Zoning districts — Plum borough

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.