Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Rosslyn Farms, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, the borough's own zoning code (Chapter 190)¹

Zoning permit

Apply to the borough secretary; $25 residential²

Building permit

Applied for at the borough office; review by Harshman, LLC²

Septic permit

Allegheny County Health Department³

Minimum lot, R-2 single family

7,500 sq ft, 50 feet wide⁴

Owner-builder

No statewide contractor license for most construction work⁵

Who to call

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

Does Rosslyn Farms have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Rosslyn Farms is a borough in Allegheny County, and the borough enforces its own zoning code, Chapter 190 of the borough code¹. Zoning does not come from the county, which leaves zoning to the individual municipality⁶.

Only the R-2 medium density residential district has been checked here, and R-2 is described as preserving single family development⁷. In R-2, a single family lot needs at least 7,500 sq ft and 50 feet of width⁴. Required yards are 25 feet in front, 25 feet in the rear for a principal structure (5 feet for accessory structures) and 10 feet on the side⁸. Lot coverage is capped at 40%⁹, and a single family dwelling may not exceed 35 feet in height while accessory structures are limited to 15 feet¹⁰.

Other districts, accessory dwellings and minimum dwelling size were not confirmed; ask the borough secretary.

Do you need a building permit in Rosslyn Farms, and who issues it?

In the Borough of Rosslyn Farms, the process starts with a zoning permit application submitted to the borough secretary with a $25 fee for residential property². Once received, the application is forwarded to Harshman, LLC, which handles zoning, building and code enforcement for the borough².

If the zoning permit is approved, the project may then need a building permit, applied for at the borough office². Building permit fees are paid directly to Harshman². Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before residential construction, enlargement, alteration or a change of occupancy begins¹¹, and a certificate of occupancy before a residential building is used¹².

Allegheny County does not issue municipal building permits; property owners file them in the municipality where the work happens¹³.

How do septic permits work in Rosslyn Farms?

Septic permits in Allegheny County, including for addresses inside Rosslyn Farms, are handled by the county Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers under Pennsylvania's Act 537³. A permit from the Department is required before any construction of an on-lot disposal system¹⁴. Pennsylvania also requires a permit before a building served by an on-lot system is occupied or used¹⁵.

Whether a given Rosslyn Farms address is on public sewer or on-lot disposal was not confirmed; the borough code includes a sewer chapter, so ask the borough secretary before assuming a septic system is possible. The county's rule is that an occupied building within 150 feet of an available public sewer may not keep using an individual system¹⁶.

The borough also requires a dye test and televised sewer lateral inspection before a property is sold or transferred, with a $40 application fee filed at least 45 days before closing².

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Rosslyn Farms?

We could not confirm whether Rosslyn Farms allows RV occupancy, tiny homes or manufactured homes on a lot. The R-2 district's authorized use list names the single family dwelling as its principal use⁷, and no accessory dwelling was found there. Pennsylvania's statewide RV rules cover state park campgrounds, not private lots¹⁷.

For any of these questions, ask the borough secretary at 412-279-8108², who forwards zoning questions to Harshman, LLC.

Building a home in Rosslyn Farms: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, setback and height standards with the borough secretary¹.
2. Submit the zoning permit application and fee to the borough office².
3. If approved, submit the building permit application; Harshman, LLC reviews it and collects its fees².
4. Get a county septic permit if the lot uses on-lot sewage³.
5. Request a street opening permit if work goes under a borough road².
6. Obtain a PennDOT highway occupancy permit if the driveway meets a state highway¹⁸.
7. Pass the required inspections and get a certificate of occupancy before moving in¹².

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

Septic permits and plumbing permits stay with the Allegheny County Health Department³¹⁹. For land outside borough limits, see the Allegheny County page.

Before buying, check whether the parcel lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area, where the municipality must issue a floodplain development permit before work begins²⁰. Allegheny County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%²¹, so confirm the borough's own millage with the borough office. Pennsylvania has no statewide license for most construction contractors⁵, but the borough may still require permits for sheds, fences, decks and pools².

Watch-outs

• Only the R-2 district's standards were reviewed; other Rosslyn Farms districts may have different lot sizes and setbacks⁷.
• Rules for accessory dwellings, RVs, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, short-term rentals and permit fees beyond the $25 zoning application were not confirmed; ask the borough secretary at 412-279-8108².
• Borough permit paths and fees can change; building permit fees are paid directly to Harshman, LLC, not the borough².

Sources

1. Borough of Rosslyn Farms Code, Art. VIII R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Borough of Rosslyn Farms), quoted and re-checked
2. Borough of Rosslyn Farms (Borough Secretary) (rosslynfarmspa.gov)
3. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
4. Borough of Rosslyn Farms Code, Art. VIII R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Borough of Rosslyn Farms), quoted and re-checked
5. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Land Use Planning, quoted and re-checked
7. Borough of Rosslyn Farms Code, Art. VIII R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Borough of Rosslyn Farms), quoted and re-checked
8. Borough of Rosslyn Farms Code, Art. VIII R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Borough of Rosslyn Farms), quoted and re-checked
9. Borough of Rosslyn Farms Code, Art. VIII R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Borough of Rosslyn Farms), quoted and re-checked
10. Borough of Rosslyn Farms Code, Art. VIII R-2 Medium Density Residential District (Borough of Rosslyn Farms), quoted and re-checked
11. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
14. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
15. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Article XIV Sewage Management, quoted and re-checked
17. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Project Plans and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
20. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.