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

At a glance

Building permit

Required under the state Uniform Construction Code; applied for through the township's Planning & Zoning department³²

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance with published districts (RA, RB, VR, RD, VC and others)¹⁵

Septic

Permits from the Bucks County Department of Health; township requires pumping and inspection every three years⁴⁶

RA minimum lot

1.5 acres for a single-family dwelling, more if horses or ponies are kept⁷

RA building height

35 feet for dwellings and other structures, with exceptions⁸

RV or tiny home living

Not confirmed; ask the township zoning officer²

Grading permit

Needed when earth disturbance exceeds 2,000 square feet, before the building permit⁹

Who to call

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

Does Solebury Township, PA have zoning, and what does it cover?

Solebury Township, Bucks County, has its own zoning ordinance, cited as the Solebury Township Zoning Ordinance of 1988, as amended¹. Bucks County does not run zoning for the township; county zoning power in Pennsylvania is limited to land in municipalities with no zoning ordinance of their own¹⁰. The township publishes its districts, including RA, RB, VR, RD, VC and an MHPO mobile home park overlay⁵. Look up a parcel's district on the township's online zoning map, which the Planning & Zoning department points residents to².

In the RA Residential/Agricultural district, a single-family dwelling lot needs at least 1.5 acres, a larger lot if horses or ponies are kept, and 10 acres for livestock uses⁷. Dwellings and other structures in RA are capped at 35 feet, with exceptions⁸. Maximum impervious coverage is 25% and maximum building coverage is 15%¹¹. Other districts have different numbers, so check the district first.

Do you need a building permit in Solebury Township, and who issues it?

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before construction or building work starts³. In Bucks County the permit comes from the township or borough, not from the county¹². In Solebury, the Planning & Zoning department manages permit and zoning applications, and applications go through the township's online permit portal².

The township says small cosmetic changes may not need permits, while larger projects such as finishing a basement need one; call the township's code enforcement office at 215-297-5656 about a specific project⁹. A UCC certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used¹³. Whether the township uses its own inspector or a third-party agency for residential inspections is something we could not confirm; ask the Planning & Zoning department.

What does the Solebury Township permit process look like?

The township's Planning & Zoning department lists items the permit portal cannot take, including conditional use, floodplain, road occupancy, signs, wells and subdivision or land development applications; those go through paper forms². Grading permits are required when earth disturbance exceeds 2,000 square feet, and a grading permit must be finished before a building permit application can be submitted⁹.

Permits can take up to 45 days to process⁹. A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit; a township road is a separate question for the township¹⁴. Subdivisions and land developments are regulated through the municipality, with county planning commission review¹⁵.

How do septic permits work in Solebury Township?

The Bucks County Department of Health permits on-site sewage facilities, including for Solebury addresses⁴. A permit is required before installing, altering or occupying a structure that needs an individual or community sewage system¹⁶. Before occupancy, the system needs written Approval to Cover and a final inspection by the Department's Sewage Enforcement Officer¹⁷.

Solebury adds its own layer: the township's sewage management program requires every owner with a septic system to have it pumped and visually inspected every three years⁶. Only a small portion of the township is on public sewer, and most homes use septic tanks and private wells⁶. Statewide soil ratings are a county-level guide: 22% of Bucks County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system¹⁸. Statewide rules allow a permit exemption on a tract of at least 10 acres under narrow owner and local-ordinance conditions, so ask the Health Department before assuming one applies¹⁹.

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

We could not confirm Solebury Township's rules on living in an RV, camping on private land or tiny homes; the zoning ordinance does not appear to address them in the sections we reviewed. Pennsylvania's campground stay limits apply only to state park campgrounds and do not answer the question for a private lot²⁰. A manufactured home placed on a lot is subject to the UCC for additions, relocation and change of occupancy, and the state rule leaves local zoning and siting to the township²¹. The township ordinance also has an MHPO mobile home park overlay district⁵. Ask the township zoning officer at 215-297-5656 before buying a lot for a trailer, RV or tiny home².

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

1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the township's online zoning map and read the district's lot size, height and coverage rules².
2. Contact the Bucks County Department of Health for a site evaluation and septic permit²².
3. If earth disturbance will exceed 2,000 square feet, get the grading permit first⁹.
4. Apply for the building permit through the township's online portal².
5. Get a state highway occupancy permit if the driveway meets a state road¹⁴.
6. Pass inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in¹³.
7. Once on septic, have the system pumped and inspected every three years⁶.

What stays with Bucks County, and what to check before you buy in Solebury Township

Septic permits, on-lot sewage rules and non-DEP well permitting stay with Bucks County⁴²³. The county's own answers for land outside Solebury are on the Bucks County page.

Before buying, confirm the zoning district, whether a flood plain affects the lot (floodplain applications go through the township, and construction in a flood plain needs sealed documentation from a design professional)²²⁴, and the septic or sewer situation. Bucks County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%²⁵, and its median property tax bill is $5,833 a year²⁶.

Watch-outs

• The township's code enforcement office is the place to ask whether a specific project needs a permit, because small cosmetic work may not⁹.
• Permits can take up to 45 days to process, so plan the schedule around that⁹.
• Solebury's septic pumping and inspection program is separate from, and in addition to, county septic permits⁶.
• RV, tiny-home and short-term rental rules in the township were not confirmed; ask the township zoning officer before relying on them².

Sources

1. Solebury Township Ch. 27 Zoning, Part 1 Preamble (Solebury Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Solebury Township Planning & Zoning Department (soleburytwp.org)
3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
4. Sewage Program, quoted and re-checked
5. Solebury Township Ch. 27 Zoning table of contents (Solebury Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Solebury Township Sewage Management Program (soleburytwp.org)
7. Solebury Township Ch. 27 Zoning, Part 4 RA Residential/Agricultural District (Solebury Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Solebury Township Ch. 27 Zoning, Part 4 RA Residential/Agricultural District (Solebury Township), quoted and re-checked
9. Solebury Township Code Enforcement Office (soleburytwp.org)
10. Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Section 602 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Solebury Township Ch. 27 Zoning, Part 4 RA Residential/Agricultural District (Solebury Township), quoted and re-checked
12. PA Department of Labor & Industry - Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
14. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, quoted and re-checked
15. Bucks County Planning Commission Overview, quoted and re-checked
16. Bucks County Department of Health On-Lot Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
17. Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
19. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Bucks County Department of Health On-Lot Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
23. Residential Well Inspection Program, quoted and re-checked
24. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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.