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

Borough of Swissvale’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building construction inside Swissvale borough

  • Permits are issued by the fire chief, who is the borough's building code official.
  • Penalty for failing to obtain a required permit: fines up to $1,000 per day and 30 days in jail.

  “failure to obtain a required building permit may result in fines of up to $1,000 per day and 30 days in jail.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Commercial and electrical work inside Swissvale borough, by the borough's contracted agency

  • Residential inspections are scheduled through the fire department; plumbing inspections go to the Allegheny County Health Department.

  “once a building permit has been issued, this agency performs all the required inspections related to the project.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Swissvale borough

  • Source is the February 2017 ordinance PDF on the borough site; the borough also posts a Chapter 27 Zoning version in its code, not compared here.

  “swissvale borough zoning ordinance table of contents article i: general provisions”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Swissvale borough

  • Districts include SFR, MFR, NMU, PU, CBD, RD, CFDD and a TOD overlay per the table of contents.
  • Borough also posts a zoning map PDF.

  “section 308: sfr - single family residential district iii-4 section 309: mfr - multifamily residential district iii-5”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  SFR single family residential district inside Swissvale borough

  • Subject to express standards for specific uses, conditional uses or special exceptions.
  • Other districts (MFR etc.) have separate tables.

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit: 2500 sq ft · minimum lot width: 25 ft

  “t able 1 - sfr - single family residential district bulk and areas regulations zoning district lot area per dwelling unit (minimum) 2,500 s.f. lot width (minimum) 25 ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  SFR single family residential district inside Swissvale borough

  • Front building line carries an asterisk referring to section 307.a.

  front building line minimum: >= 10 ft (see section 307.a) · side building line minimum: >= 3 ft · rear building line minimum: >= 30 ft

  “front building line (minimum) 10 ft.* side building line (minimum/total) 3 ft. rear building line (minimum) 30 ft. lot coverage (maximum) 70 %. *see section 307.a”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  SFR single family residential district inside Swissvale borough

  maximum lot coverage: <= 70 percent

  “front building line (minimum) 10 ft.* side building line (minimum/total) 3 ft. rear building line (minimum) 30 ft. lot coverage (maximum) 70 %.”

• Building heightSpecified

  SFR single family residential district inside Swissvale borough

  • Section 307 lists height exceptions (spires, chimneys, etc.) with side yards increased 1 foot per 5 feet over 45 feet.

  maximum height: <= 35 ft (height exceptions in section 307)

  “however, the required side yards shall be increased 1 foot for each 5 feet over 45 feet in height.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Permits in Swissvale borough

  • Page lists a 2025 updated fee schedule; amounts not read.

  “permit applications 2022 tree request form (pdf) 2025 updated fee schedule affidavit- temp - no inspection”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Swissvale borough
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Swissvale borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy inside Swissvale borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Inside Swissvale borough
• Living in an RV — Inside Swissvale 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.