Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Evans City, Pennsylvania

Borough of Evans City’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Projects listed by Evans City Borough, including all new residential construction inside the borough.

  • The published list includes all new residential construction, specified additions, new industrialized modular homes, attached garages, and stated accessory-structure thresholds.

  detached accessory structure threshold for single-family dwelling: >= 1000 square feet (Detached garage, carport, shed, or greenhouse accessory to a single-family dwelling.) · detached accessory structure threshold for two-family dwelling or townhouse: >= 120 square feet (Detached garage, carport, shed, or greenhouse accessory to a two-family dwelling or townhouse.)

  “To maintain safety and adherence to the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) adopted by Pennsylvania, the following construction projects in Evans City Borough require a building permit:”

• InspectionsLimited

  New uses for which an Evans City zoning occupancy permit is sought.

  • Inspection is after completion of the whole building or structure and follows the sworn application by the owner or authorized agent.

  “After completion of the whole building or structure and upon the sworn application by the owner or his duly authorized agent setting forth such facts as the Zoning and Codes Officer may require and after actual inspection of the premises by the Zoning and Codes Officer, he shall, upon finding the facts to be as represented, issue in duplicate an occupancy permit,”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New uses inside Evans City borough.

  • Completion, sworn application, and actual inspection by the Zoning and Codes Officer are required before issuance.

  “No owner, tenant or other person shall use or occupy any building or structure thereafter erected or altered, the use of which shall be changed after the passage of this Chapter (originally June 1, 1970) without first procuring an occupancy permit, provided that an occupancy permit once granted shall continue in effect so long as there is no change of use, regardless of change in the personnel or tenants or occupants.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Evans City borough.

  • The Borough's Zoning and Codes Officer administers and enforces the zoning chapter.

  “The Borough is hereby divided into zones or districts as shown on the Official Zoning Map which, together with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this Chapter.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All land inside Evans City borough.

  • The Official Zoning Map and explanatory matter are adopted by reference as part of Chapter 195.

  “The Borough is hereby divided into zones or districts as shown on the Official Zoning Map which, together with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this Chapter.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Mobile-home-park development and related subdivision/land-development matters inside Evans City borough.

  • The zoning ordinance incorporates the Butler County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance as the Borough's subdivision and land-development ordinance for mobile-home-park standards.

  “Standards for the development of a mobile home park are included in the Butler County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance which is by reference the Borough’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits inside Evans City borough.

  • The Borough publishes a project list requiring permits but the opened page did not provide a complete application workflow, fees, or review timeline.

  “Completed permits with drawings can be emailed to the Borough Secretary ([email protected]) or dropped off at the borough office during open hours. After the permit is approved, the Building Enforcement Officer will contact you with more information.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Evans City

Borough of Evans City 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 (with conditions)

  Uniform Construction Code compliance for construction projects inside Evans City borough.

  • The Borough page describes the UCC as adopted by Pennsylvania.

  “To maintain safety and adherence to the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) adopted by Pennsylvania, the following construction projects in Evans City Borough require a building permit:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Evans City borough.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Evans City borough.
• Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside Evans City borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Evans City borough.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Evans City 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Evans City means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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