Upper Makefield Township, PA Building Permits, Zoning & Septic

Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania requires a township building permit and a zoning use and occupancy permit for construction¹. Zoning comes from the regional Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO)². Septic permits and well approvals involve the Bucks County Department of Health, not the township alone³⁴.

At a glance

Building permit: Required; applied for through the township, with a zoning use and occupancy permit¹
Zoning: Regional Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO)²
Building code: 2018 International Building Code and 2018 International Plumbing Code; 2017 NEC⁵
Septic: Bucks County Department of Health³⁶
Wells: Permits from both the township and the Bucks County health department⁴
Owner-builder: Notarized homeowner exemption on the zoning application⁷

Who to call

Building permits

Upper Makefield Township offices (building, planning and zoning)

Building permit and zoning applications for land inside Upper Makefield Township

215-968-3340

[email protected]

1076 Eagle Road, Newtown, PA 18940

Septic permits

Bucks County Department of Health

On-lot sewage (septic) permits and well permits for Bucks County

215-345-3318

1282 Almshouse Road, Doylestown, PA 18901

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Upper Makefield Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Upper Makefield Township, PA?

Yes. Upper Makefield Township requires a building permit application together with a zoning use and occupancy permit application (with impervious calculations) for accessory buildings and similar construction¹. The township's instructions say their permit list is not inclusive, so ask before assuming a small project is exempt¹.

Permit applications are reviewed against the 2018 International Building Code, the 2018 International Plumbing Code and the 2017 National Electrical Code⁵⁸. Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code is the backbone of these rules⁹. Disturbing more than 1,000 sq ft of ground also brings a grading permit¹.

Who issues building permits in Upper Makefield Township, and how do you reach them?

The township itself handles building permit and zoning applications; Bucks County does not run a building department for township land¹⁰. Contact the Upper Makefield Township offices at 1076 Eagle Road, Newtown, PA 18940, phone 215-968-3340, email [email protected]⁸.

The township's own instructions put about 3 weeks of processing time on a complete application¹¹. Electrical work needs plan review and inspections by a third-party electrical agency¹². A building-code certificate of occupancy was not separately confirmed; the township's application is a zoning use and occupancy permit¹³.

Does Upper Makefield Township have zoning?

Yes. Upper Makefield Township applies zoning through the Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance (JMZO), a regional ordinance shared with other townships rather than a township-only document²⁸. Bucks County itself does not run zoning for the township; each municipality sets its own¹⁴.

We could not confirm the JMZO's district rules for minimum lot size, setbacks, RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or manufactured homes. Pennsylvania's rules about state park campgrounds do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot. Ask Upper Makefield Township planning and zoning, and read the JMZO district for your parcel before you buy⁸.

How do septic permits work in Upper Makefield Township?

Septic systems inside Upper Makefield Township go through the Bucks County Department of Health; the township sends applicants to the county's requirements³. The county requires a permit before installing, altering, repairing or occupying a structure that needs an on-lot sewage system¹⁵. A site evaluation is requested in writing, and additional soil testing may be required¹⁶.

Before anyone occupies the structure, the system must receive written Approval to Cover and a final inspection by the Department's Sewage Enforcement Officer¹⁷. Adding a bedroom requires approval of the existing septic system from the health department¹⁸. On-lot systems are not allowed where an approved public sewer is accessible¹⁹. Contact:²⁰.

What other approvals does Upper Makefield Township require?

Water well permits are required from both the township and the Bucks County health department⁴. Wells must sit at least 100 feet from any septic system, and township ordinance 216 governs well construction, depth and water testing⁴. Additions must be at least 10 feet from the well and septic system¹⁸.

Grading disturbance over 1,000 sq ft needs approval from the Bucks County Conservation District¹¹. Subdivision and land development are regulated by the township's code, and plans also go to the Bucks County Planning Commission²¹²². A driveway onto a PennDOT-jurisdiction road needs a highway occupancy permit²³.

Can you build your own home in Upper Makefield Township?

Homeowners doing their own work sign page three of the zoning application as a notarized homeowner exemption and supply a copy of homeowner liability insurance in place of contractor registration⁷. That exemption covers contractor registration; it does not skip the building permit or inspections¹.

Steps, in order:

Ask Upper Makefield Township planning and zoning which JMZO district your parcel is in⁸.
Start septic and well approvals with the Bucks County Department of Health³.
File the building permit and zoning use and occupancy applications with a plot plan¹.
Complete required inspections, including electrical¹².

What stays with Bucks County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic and well permits sit with the Bucks County Department of Health, and subdivision plans get county planning review³²². For land outside the township, see the Bucks County page.

Before you buy, confirm the JMZO district and any floodplain limits with the township, and have the health department evaluate the site. Bucks County's typical home value is $533,660 and the median property tax bill is $5,833 a year²⁴²⁵.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm Upper Makefield Township's rules for RVs, tiny homes, minimum lot size or setbacks; ask the township planning and zoning office, which administers the JMZO².
The township's published permit instructions are dated May 2019 and list older code editions than its code page, so confirm current code editions and fees with the township before budgeting⁵.
Septic and well approvals come from the Bucks County Department of Health, not the township, so start there early³.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Upper Makefield Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bucks County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania