Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Haycock Township, Pennsylvania

Haycock Township’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and structures built under a Haycock township building permit

  • Occupancy is barred until all known code violations are corrected and a certificate of occupancy is received from the building code official.

  “the building or structure described in this application will not be occupied until all known code violations are corrected and a certificate of occupancy has been received from building code official.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Haycock township limits: the township administers its own zoning ordinance (Ordinance 124, repealing and replacing the prior zoning ordinance and map).

  • Adoption is documented in board minutes of March 3, 2025; the ordinance title on the township site reads 'Haycock Township Zoning Ordinance 2025'.
  • District dimensional values were not extracted; see the dimensional claims.

  “zoning ordinances (adopted march 3, 2025)”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Haycock township (RP, RA, VC, SRH, PC, SC, PI and others in Article IV)

  • District charts are in Article IV (sections 406 onward) of the Zoning Ordinance 2025 PDF; a zoning map is listed in Appendix B.

  “haycock township rural agricultural (ra) district chart”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family detached dwelling (use b1) on lots in the Rural Agricultural (RA) district, Haycock township

  • This is a maximum building coverage limit, separate from the impervious surface ratio.
  • Stated in the RA district chart notes (section 407).

  maximum building coverage for use b1 single-family detached: <= 10 percent

  “for use b1 single-family detached, the maximum building coverage shall be 10 percent.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family detached dwelling (use b1) on lots in the Resource Protection (RP) district, Haycock township

    “for use b1 single-family detached, the maximum building coverage shall be 10 percent.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a single-family detached dwelling in Haycock township (applicable districts were not verified)

  • Not more than 30 percent of the principal residence floor area may be the accessory dwelling unit.
  • If in an accessory building, the unit is capped at 800 square feet.
  • Only one accessory dwelling unit per lot.
  • The lot must meet the minimum lot area for use b1 single-family detached dwelling in the district.
  • The accessory structure must be within the principal building envelope.
  • The principal residence must keep the appearance of a detached dwelling with a single front entrance.
  • Which districts allow the accessory use was not confirmed from Appendix A.

  accessory dwelling share of principal residence floor area: <= 30 percent · accessory dwelling floor area in an accessory building: <= 800 square feet

  “not more than one accessory dwelling unit shall be permitted per lot.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage disposal for a premises in Haycock township not served by public sewage facilities

  • The township must approve wastewater disposal, and the Bucks County Department of Health must also approve it, before a zoning permit issues.
  • Where the premises are served by public sewage facilities, the sewage provider's evidence of service governs instead.

  “no zoning permit shall be issued until approval is obtained for wastewater disposal from the township and from the bucks county department of health, unless the premises are served by public sewage facilities”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development of land inside Haycock township

  • Plans require township approval, and wastewater approval, before a zoning permit issues.
  • The separate Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance was not opened.

  “no final or preliminary plan of subdivision or land development shall be approved”

• Permit processPartial

  Township zoning and building permit process in Haycock township

  • Forms are posted as packets on the township Zoning & Building page, but the page says updated forms are pending.
  • Step-by-step review timing was not located.

  “haycock township’s zoning officer and building inspector is barry isett & associates. updated forms will be coming soon.”

Rules another office applies inside Haycock Township

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction permitted through Haycock township's building code official inside Haycock township

  • The state Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code chapters 401-405) is the code cited in the township's building permit application; the township's own adoption ordinance was not located.
  • Enforcement is by the township's contracted building code official (Barry Isett & Associates).

  “this project will be constructed in accordance with the approved drawings and specifications (including any required non-design changes) and the uniform construction code standards as specified in 34 pa code chapters 401-405.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules for Haycock township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for a single-family home in Haycock township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for a single-family detached dwelling (use b1) in the RA and RP districts of Haycock township
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yard setbacks for single-family detached dwellings in the RA and RP districts of Haycock township
• Building height — Maximum building height for a single-family detached dwelling in Haycock township

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.