Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Borough of Perkasie, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permits

Required for most construction; borough Building & Zoning Department¹

Zoning

Borough zoning applies inside Perkasie²

Septic permits

Bucks County Department of Health for on-site sewage systems³

Occupancy

UCC residential buildings require a certificate of occupancy⁴

Wells

County permitting covers wells not regulated by Pennsylvania DEP⁵

Owner construction

Most construction has no statewide contractor licensing requirement; local requirements may apply⁶

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in Borough of Perkasie, PA?

Perkasie requires a building permit for nearly every form of construction, and the borough has adopted a Uniform Construction Code chapter.¹⁷ The borough lists exceptions for nonstructural repairs and remodeling, certain replacements, painting and accessory structures under 120 square feet.¹ Ask the Building & Zoning Department to classify the proposed work before relying on an exception.¹

Pennsylvania requires inspections for residential construction for which a UCC permit was issued, including a final inspection.⁸ A UCC residential building cannot be used or occupied until the building code official issues a certificate of occupancy.⁴

Who issues building permits in Borough of Perkasie?

Perkasie Borough’s Building & Zoning Department manages plan submissions, inspection scheduling and building-permit issuance for new construction and renovations.¹ Contact the department at 215-257-5065 or [email protected]; Borough Hall is at 620 West Chestnut Street.¹ The department also issues use-and-occupancy permits.¹

Ask the borough which applications and drawings the project needs, and request the applicable building and zoning fee schedule.¹ Perkasie’s Planning Commission reviews subdivision and land-development plans and makes recommendations to Borough Council, while the Zoning Hearing Board reviews variance and special-exception requests.¹ Building applications and requests for zoning relief therefore belong with the borough rather than a county building counter.¹

Does Borough of Perkasie have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Perkasie has its own zoning ordinance for land inside the borough.² The borough requires zoning approval for covered structures and for use, occupancy or changes in building use, with listed exceptions.¹ A building-permit exception should not be treated as approval for a residential use.¹

We could not confirm Perkasie’s rules for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, district lot sizes or setbacks. Ask the Perkasie Zoning Officer to confirm the parcel’s district and whether the intended dwelling or temporary living arrangement is permitted before buying.¹ Perkasie’s Zoning Hearing Board handles requests for variances, special exceptions and interpretations of zoning law.¹

How do septic permits work inside Borough of Perkasie?

Bucks County Department of Health permits on-site sewage facilities, including systems serving land inside Perkasie.³ The county requires an on-lot sewage permit before covered system installation, alteration, repair or connection and before covered construction or occupancy; lot size does not determine the permitting requirement.⁹

County rules prohibit on-lot sewage systems where an approved public sewer is accessible, so establish sewer availability before planning an independent sanitation system.¹⁰ For a permitted septic system, occupancy must wait for written Approval to Cover and a final inspection by the county Sewage Enforcement Officer.¹¹ We could not confirm Perkasie’s specific public-water and sewer connection requirements; ask the borough about the address before commissioning an off-grid design.¹

Building a home in Borough of Perkasie: what steps come first?

Start with the borough’s zoning and building review, then resolve sewage service before construction.¹⁹

1. Ask Perkasie’s Building & Zoning Department about the proposed residential use, zoning approval, building application and applicable fees.¹
2. Establish public-sewer accessibility; where an on-lot system is appropriate, obtain the required Bucks County Health sewage permit.¹⁰⁹
3. Confirm grading and drainage applications: Perkasie requires a grading/drainage application for projects of 400 square feet and over, and a stormwater application upon reaching 1,000 square feet cumulative.¹
4. Arrange required residential construction inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in.⁸⁴

What stays with Bucks County, and what should Perkasie buyers check?

Bucks County Health handles on-site sewage permits and permits wells not regulated by Pennsylvania DEP, including covered agricultural, monitoring and drinking-water wells.³⁵ Perkasie regulates subdivision and land development and has a floodplain-management chapter; ask the borough how those provisions affect the proposed parcel and site plan.¹²¹³

Bucks County Planning Commission also reviews subdivision and land-development proposals, with plans submitted to the borough for municipal review.¹⁴ Pennsylvania requires a highway occupancy permit for a driveway connecting to a state highway.¹⁵ For land outside the borough, use the Bucks County guide for the county-level septic and well rules.³⁵

Watch-outs

• Perkasie’s building-permit exceptions do not establish that a proposed use has zoning approval; ask the borough about both reviews.¹
• Bucks County prohibits on-lot sewage systems where an approved public sewer is accessible.¹⁰
• We could not confirm permission to live in an RV or tiny home on a Perkasie parcel; ask the borough Zoning Officer before committing to that plan.¹

Sources

1. Perkasie Borough Building & Zoning Department (perkasieborough.org)
2. Borough of Perkasie, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of Perkasie), quoted and re-checked
3. Sewage Program, quoted and re-checked
4. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Residential Well Inspection Program, quoted and re-checked
6. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Borough of Perkasie, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of Perkasie), quoted and re-checked
8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Bucks County Department of Health On-Lot Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
10. Bucks County Department of Health Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
11. Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
12. Borough of Perkasie, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of Perkasie), quoted and re-checked
13. Borough of Perkasie, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of Perkasie), quoted and re-checked
14. Bucks County Planning Commission Overview, quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.