Scott Township, PA Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

Scott Township, Pennsylvania requires a building permit for a new home, additions, decks, sheds and fences, issued through the township's own code enforcement office¹. The township also publishes its own zoning ordinance and zoning map². Septic permits are outside the township's building office: Allegheny County's Health Department issues them through its Sewage Enforcement Officers³.

At a glance

Building permit: Required for new homes, additions, decks, sheds, fences and pools; issued by Scott Township¹
Zoning: Scott Township publishes its own zoning ordinance and map²
Septic: Allegheny County Health Department, Sewage Enforcement Officers³
Subdivision: Township subdivision and land development ordinance applies⁴
State highway driveway: PennDOT highway occupancy permit needed for access to a state road⁵
Agricultural buildings: Qualifying farm buildings are excluded from the state building code⁶

Who to call

Building permits

Scott Township Planning, Zoning and Code Enforcement

Building permits, zoning and code enforcement inside Scott Township

412-276-5300

301 Lindsay Road, 2nd Floor

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program

Plumbing permits and the contact point for on-lot sewage permitting

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 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

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

Yes. Scott Township says a building permit is needed to build a new home or commercial building, add an addition, porch roof, deck, patio, garage, shed, fence, swimming pool or retaining wall, and for any structural modification¹⁷. Replacing doors and windows within existing openings, gutters, kitchen and bath fixtures, and roof shingles does not need one¹.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code is the statewide building code, and the permit must be obtained before work starts⁸. A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used⁹. Inspections are required for residential construction and for electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work¹⁰.

Who issues building permits in Scott Township, and how do you apply?

Scott Township's own planning, zoning and code enforcement office handles building permits, not Allegheny County¹⁷. The township publishes application forms and a fee schedule on its code enforcement page¹¹. Once fees are paid, all applicable forms and applications must be submitted within 24 hours¹²⁷.

The county's Office of Property Assessments only receives permits for assessment and directs applicants to file in the municipality where the work happens, so it is the wrong counter for a Scott Township permit⁷. Call the township office at 412-276-5300⁷.

Does Scott Township have zoning?

Yes. Scott Township's code enforcement page links a township zoning ordinance, a subdivision and land development ordinance and a township zoning map²¹³. Zoning decides what you can build on a parcel and how it can be used, so check the map for the parcel's district before you buy.

We could not confirm the district-by-district rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, setbacks or minimum lot size; the ordinance text was not available to us. Ask the township's planning, zoning and code enforcement office which district a parcel sits in and what it allows.

Subdividing a lot is regulated by the township's subdivision and land development ordinance⁴. Allegheny County's own county-wide zoning does not exist; zoning requirements are set by each municipality¹⁴.

How do septic permits work in Scott Township?

Septic permits are not issued by the township. In Allegheny County, the Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers carry out permitting for on-lot systems under Pennsylvania's Act 537³. A permit from the Department is necessary before any construction of an on-lot disposal system¹⁵.

Pennsylvania law exempts an individual onlot system serving an owner or immediate-family residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, but only under specific owner-of-record, notification and siting conditions¹⁶. Whether a given Scott Township parcel qualifies is a question for the Health Department¹⁷.

If a public sewer is available, the county's rules can require connection when a building is within 150 feet of it¹⁸. Whether sewer reaches a specific Scott Township lot we could not confirm; ask the township office.

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

We could not confirm. RV, tiny-home and manufactured-home occupancy in Scott Township turns on the township zoning ordinance, which we could not read. Pennsylvania's building code still applies to a manufactured home that is resold, relocated or added to after delivery¹⁹. The state's published RV rules cover state park campgrounds only and do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land²⁰. Ask the township's zoning officer before parking or placing anything on a lot.

Building a home in Scott Township: the steps, in order

Confirm the parcel's zoning district and what it allows with Scott Township's planning, zoning and code enforcement office²⁷.
If the lot is not on public sewer, contact the Allegheny County Health Department about an on-lot sewage permit¹⁵¹⁷.
If the driveway meets a state road, obtain a PennDOT highway occupancy permit⁵; a driveway extension or parking pad also needs a township permit²¹.
Apply for the township building permit and submit forms within 24 hours of paying fees¹².
Schedule the required inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before use⁹.

What to check before you buy land in Scott Township

Check floodplain status: construction in a flood plain needs documentation sealed by a registered design professional²², and a floodplain development permit comes from the municipality²³. Check soils: in Allegheny County only about 12% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional septic field, so expect a site evaluation²⁴. Allegheny County's effective property tax rate is about 1.6%²⁵. For land outside Scott Township, see the Allegheny County page.

Watch-outs

Allegheny County does not issue building permits for Scott Township; the township's own office does¹.
We could not confirm Scott Township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum lot size; the zoning ordinance governs them¹³, so ask the township zoning officer before you buy.
A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit in addition to any township permit⁵.
A farm building qualifies for the state's agricultural-building exclusion only if it has no habitable space, and township zoning can still apply⁶.

Sources

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.

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

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Scott Township, Pennsylvania