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

Borough of Ivyland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Repairs and alterations to residential buildings and utility/miscellaneous structures inside Ivyland borough; new construction falls under the adopted UCC

  • Section 5-111 applies the code to utility and miscellaneous use structures greater than 144 square feet.
  • A separate zoning permit is also required (§27-1102).

  utility structure threshold: > 144 square feet (code compliance applies to structures larger than this)

  “construction, alteration, enlargement, replacement, repair, removal and demolition of utility and miscellaneous use structures which are greater than 144 square feet in area shall comply with the ivyland borough building code adopted on june 9, 2004”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Ivyland borough

  • Borough amended some inspection stages (see building_inspection).
  • Borough elected to enforce the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (§5-101).

  “the uniform construction code, contained within 34 pa.code, chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the ivyland borough building code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction inside Ivyland borough under the borough building code

  • Inspection stages listed in the borough's amendment of 34 Pa. Code §403.64(d): foundation, wall form, backfill, slab, plumbing/mechanical/electrical, frame and masonry, wallboard, insulation.

  “(5) plumbing, mechanical and electrical system inspection. (6) frame and masonry inspection. (7) wallboard inspection. (8) insulation inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Each business or dwelling unit in Ivyland borough when rented, leased or sold

  • Application due no later than 72 hours before occupancy or sale.
  • Issued by the borough building inspector; inspections and fees under §11-205.

  application lead time: >= 72 hours

  “apply for and obtain by no later than 72 hours prior to occupancy or sale, an occupancy certificate from the building inspector of the borough of ivyland.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Ivyland borough

  • Website copy is not the document of issue; the printed code governs.
  • Code posted is the 2011 codification; later amendments listed separately.

  “this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "ivyland borough zoning ordinance of september 18, 1996."”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Ivyland borough zoning districts (R-1 to R-4, B-C, I-C, I-C-2, L-I, Gov, historic overlay)

  • Zoning map is in §27-403 and Part 13.

  “for the purpose of this chapter, ivyland borough is hereby divided into districts.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Residence district, single-family dwelling (first row of the area and dimensional table); other districts differ

  • Table text is garbled; the 25,000 sq ft and 100 ft row appears to be R-2 but was not confirmed.
  • No agricultural district was identified.

  R-1 min lot area: >= 10000 square feet · R-1 min lot width: >= 80 feet

  “residence 1 single-family dwelling 10,000 80 - 21 agg. 16' min. 7' 25 35%”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Residence district, single-family dwelling; other districts differ

  • Column reading: front 21 ft, side 16 ft aggregate with 7 ft minimum, rear 25 ft.
  • Accessory-structure and yard exceptions in §§27-615 to 27-622 not detailed.

  front yard: >= 21 feet · side yard aggregate: >= 16 feet (7 ft minimum on one side) · rear yard: >= 25 feet

  “residence 1 single-family dwelling 10,000 80 - 21 agg. 16' min. 7' 25 35%”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Residence district, single-family dwelling; other districts differ

  • Building coverage column shows a dash for R-1; maximum impervious surface ratio is 35 percent.

  R-1 max impervious surface ratio: <= 35 percent

  “max. building coverage (percent) min. front yard (feet) min. side yard (feet) min. rear yard (feet) max. impervious surface ratio residence 1 single-family dwelling 10,000 80 - 21 agg. 16' min. 7' 25 35%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and structures in all Ivyland borough zoning districts

  • May be exceeded 1 foot per foot of yard added beyond the minimum, up to 40 feet (§27-620).
  • Farm buildings, church spires, belfries and chimneys are exempt.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (up to 40 feet with increased yards)

  “height limits specified in §27-619 may be exceeded by 1 foot for each foot by which the width of the front, rear and side yards is increased beyond the minimum yard requirements, up to a maximum height limit of 40 feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes inside Ivyland borough; addressed as mobile home parks in the use table

  • Use table in §27-506 is garbled in the extracted text; which districts allow mobile home parks was not confirmed (appears to be permitted in only one residence district and IC-2).
  • Mobile home park maximum impervious surface ratio 30 percent.

  minimum lot area for mobile home park: >= 5 acres

  “minimum lot area for mobile home park: 5 acres maximum density maximum impervious surface ratio: 30 percent”

• Septic permitLimited

  Holding tanks serving commercial, residential or industrial use inside Ivyland borough

  • Also file a copy of the county permit and sketch with the borough secretary, a cleaning contract, a security deposit and a hold-harmless agreement.

  “before a holding tank may be installed to service a commercial, residential or industrial use, the property owner shall; a. obtain a permit for the holding tank from the bucks county department of health. b. file a copy of the bucks county department of health permit, application and sketch with the borough secretary.”

• Well permitLimited

  New, re-drilled or deepened groundwater wells in the 'affected area' (Navy-study Area A groundwater, OU-1A) inside Ivyland borough

  • Permit is not required borough-wide by this section, only in the affected area.
  • Permit issued only if the well will not yield groundwater with contaminants above MCLs and will not harm the Navy remedy.
  • No borough fee unless set by resolution.

  “no person shall construct or cause the construction of a new groundwater well, or the re-drilling, or deepening of an existing groundwater well in the affected area without first obtaining from the borough's designated official, a groundwater pumping permit.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Subdivisions and land developments inside Ivyland borough; no general rule for a single new home found

  • Applicant must show public water and public sanitary sewer service for the proposed subdivision.
  • Sewer is through the Warminster Municipal Authority or other evidence that wastewater disposal will be provided.

  “the applicant shall enter into an agreement with the warminster municipal authority for the installation of the sanitary sewer facilities within the subdivision or land development, or shall otherwise provided evidence that sanitary wastewater disposal will be provided.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building code administration and enforcement fees in Ivyland borough

  • Amounts are set by council resolution, not in the code; the resolution was not opened.

  “a fee schedule for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this part and the code shall be established by the borough council by resolution from time to time.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits inside Ivyland borough

  • Applicant must notify the zoning officer on completion; the permit is not final until the officer notes inspection and approval.
  • Application requirements in §27-1103; building permit process not located.

  “no structure, except on-premises signs under 2 square feet in area, shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, moved and no building used or occupied, or changed in use, until a zoning permit has been secured from the zoning officer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Ivyland borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Inside Ivyland borough
• Living in an RV — Inside Ivyland borough
• Camping on your land — Inside Ivyland borough
• Tiny homes — Inside Ivyland 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.