Bolthole Index

Butler County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic in Jefferson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania

Jefferson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania requires a township-issued permit before anyone erects, alters or enlarges a building, mobile home or other permanent structure1. Septic permits come from the Township's Sewage Enforcement Officer, not from Butler County2. We could not confirm whether the Township has a zoning ordinance, so ask the Township before you buy.

At a glance

Building permit
Required: township permit before any building, accessory building, mobile home or pool1
Building code
Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code applies; how it is enforced in the Township is unconfirmed3
Zoning
Not confirmed; Butler County does not zone, and zoning is a municipal matter4
Septic
Permit required from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer2
Holding tanks
Allowed only to abate a nuisance or public-health hazard5
Second dwelling
One temporary mobile home or dwelling by special exception, with conditions6
Floodplain
Floodplain permit from the Floodplain Administrator7
Owner-builder
An owner may be the permit applicant; the Township's own rule is unconfirmed8

Who to call

Building permits

Jefferson Township building permits (designated Township official / Site Inspector)

Building permits for structures in Jefferson Township, Butler County

Septic permits

Jefferson Township Sewage Enforcement Officer

Individual and community sewage-system permits inside Jefferson Township

Planning & zoning

Butler County Economic Development & Planning (Planning Commission)

Countywide subdivision and land development (SALDO) review; not building permits, zoning or septic

724-285-4731

124 West Diamond Street, PO Box 1208, Butler, PA 16003-1208

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Jefferson 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 Jefferson Township, PA?

Yes. Jefferson Township makes it unlawful to erect, alter or enlarge any structure or building without a permit from the Township's designated official, and the rule names accessory buildings, mobile homes and swimming pools19. Applications go to the Township's Site Inspector, with plans and a plot plan when required10. The fee is set by Township resolution and is paid to the Township Treasurer when you apply; we could not confirm the amount, so ask the Township office11.

Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code also governs building construction here3. A UCC building permit is required before construction starts, and a certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building is used1213. Which agency enforces the UCC inside Jefferson Township is something we could not confirm, so ask the Township which one issues your UCC permit.

Does Jefferson Township, PA have zoning?

We could not confirm it. Butler County does not adopt zoning itself; zoning decisions are left to individual townships and boroughs14. The Township's published code reserves its zoning chapter, but the page does not say whether Jefferson Township has adopted a zoning ordinance, so that question is open.

Because of that gap, do not assume that RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or particular lot sizes are free of rules in the Township. We did not find a Township rule on RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size or minimum house size, and that is not the same as there being none. Ask the Township office, before you buy, whether any zoning or land-use ordinance applies to the parcel.

How do septic permits work in Jefferson Township, PA?

Jefferson Township's own Sewage Enforcement Officer issues the permit for installing, repairing, replacing or enlarging an individual or community sewage system, and the permit comes before the work or before a building that will use the system is built215. The Officer is appointed by resolution of the Township Supervisors and follows the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act and state regulations16.

The application is a written one on Township forms, signed by the owner, with a plot plan, a soil-profile and percolation-test report, and a fee set by Township resolution. The Officer decides a completed application within seven days2.

Holding tanks are not a workaround: the Township permits one only when it is needed to abate a nuisance or public-health hazard5. Soils matter too: in Butler County only about 1% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a thorough site evaluation and possibly an engineered system17.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Jefferson Township, PA?

We could not confirm a Township rule on long-term RV living, temporary camping or tiny homes, so ask the Township before you plan on it. Pennsylvania's statewide camping rules we found cover state park campgrounds, not your own land18.

The Township does regulate a second dwelling. A permit may not cover more than one residence, dwelling or mobile home per lot, except that the Planning Commission, with Supervisor approval, may allow one additional nonpermanent dwelling or mobile home by special exception6. For a temporary mobile home, occupancy is limited to listed family members, it must connect to the existing dwelling's sewage system, and the special permit lasts no more than one year, renewable at the Township's option6.

How do you build a home in Jefferson Township, PA, step by step?

  1. Ask the Township office whether any zoning or land-use ordinance applies to your parcel, and whether your lot needs subdivision approval.
  2. Get a septic permit from the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer, with soil-profile and percolation-test results, before building2.
  3. If the driveway meets a state road, get a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit19.
  4. Apply for the Township building permit through the Site Inspector, with plans and a plot plan when required10.
  5. Keep the marked plans displayed on site during construction10.
  6. Schedule inspections, then get a certificate of occupancy before moving in2021.

What stays with Butler County, and what should you check before buying in Jefferson Township?

Butler County's Planning Commission reviews subdivisions and land development, but only in municipalities that have not adopted their own ordinance, so confirm which applies to Jefferson Township; the county's own page for Butler County covers land outside the Township22. The county does not issue building permits or septic permits for municipalities23.

Before you buy, check floodplain status: construction in an identified floodplain needs a permit from the Township's Floodplain Administrator7. Driveways onto state highways need a PennDOT permit, usually decided within 30 days of a complete application19. Butler County's effective property tax rate is about 1.1%24.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether Jefferson Township has a zoning ordinance, which agency enforces the Uniform Construction Code there, or any rule on well permits; Butler County leaves zoning to each township14, so ask the Township office before you buy.
  • Multifamily buildings in the Township must be set back at least 50 feet from the road right-of-way and use public water and public sewer2526.
  • Agricultural buildings are excluded from Pennsylvania's Construction Code Act, but other local land-use and health rules may still apply27.

Sources

  1. Chapter 4: Buildings - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Part 2: Individual Sewage Systems - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Butler County Planning Commission (2026 county census)
  5. Part 2: Individual Sewage Systems - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 4: Buildings - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Part 1: General Provisions - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, quoted and re-checked
  9. Jefferson Township building permits (designated Township official / Site Inspector) (ecode360.com)
  10. Chapter 4: Buildings - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 4: Buildings - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. 2017 Awarded Comprehensive Plan, quoted and re-checked
  15. Jefferson Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (ecode360.com)
  16. Part 2: Individual Sewage Systems - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. 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
  18. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
  20. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  21. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  22. Subdivision & Land Development, quoted and re-checked
  23. Butler County Economic Development & Planning (Planning Commission) (butlercountypa.gov)
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Chapter 4: Buildings - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  26. Chapter 4: Buildings - Township of Jefferson, PA (Jefferson Township), quoted and re-checked
  27. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Jefferson Township

Jefferson Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, alteration, or enlargement of structures, buildings, accessory buildings, mobile homes, other permanent structures, and swimming pools inside Jefferson Township.

    • A designated Township official must issue the permit after an application is submitted.
    • The provision defines a building as a structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any occupancy and a structure as a combination of materials built or constructed with a permanent location or attached to something with a permanent location.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person to proceed with the erection, alteration or enlargement of any structure or building, or any part thereof, including accessory buildings, a mobile home or any other permanent structure, such as a swimming pool, in Jefferson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, unless a permit has been issued by the designated Township official of said Township, after application for permit has been submitted.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Multifamily dwellings inside Jefferson Township.

    • Where more than one multifamily unit is constructed on a tract, there must also be at least 50 feet between units.

    public-road-right-of-way setback: >= 50 feet (Applies from the edge of a public-road right-of-way, whether state or Township.) · distance between multifamily units: >= 50 feet (Applies where more than one multifamily unit is constructed on a tract.)

    “All buildings constructed to be used for multifamily dwellings shall be set back at least 50 feet from the edge of the right-of-way of the public road, whether state or Township, and in the event that more than one multifamily unit is to be constructed on a tract of land there shall be a minimum of 50 feet between said units.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Multifamily-dwelling structures inside Jefferson Township.

    • A basement and attic are allowed, but maximum height above grade remains 50 feet.

    stories: <= 4 stories (May have a basement and attic.) · height above grade: <= 50 feet

    “Each structure used as a multifamily dwelling unit shall be no more than four stories high but may have a basement and attic, but in any event the total height of the structure above grade shall not be more than a maximum of 50 feet.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile-home placement and temporary mobile-home occupancy on lots inside Jefferson Township.

    • A permit may not cover more than one residence, dwelling, or mobile home per lot or parcel, except one additional nonpermanent dwelling or mobile home may be authorized by special exception as a temporary dwelling.
    • For a temporary mobile home, the approved lot may have no more than one single-family dwelling; it must connect to that dwelling's sewage disposal system; occupancy is limited to listed family members; the special temporary permit is for no more than one year and may be renewed at the Township's option; a medical-doctor statement is required before a land-use and/or building permit; and sewage flow may not exceed 400 gallons per day.

    temporary mobile-home permit period: <= 1 year (Renewable at the Township's option; permits expire July 1 regardless of issuance date.) · temporary dwelling sewage flow: <= 400 gallons per day

    “No building permit shall be issued for more than one residence, dwelling or mobile home per lot or parcel of land except that the Planning Commission, with the approval of the Supervisors, may permit one additional nonpermanent dwelling or mobile home ("temporary dwelling") on each lot or parcel by special exception under the following standards for such a temporary dwelling permit:”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Individual and community sewage systems inside Jefferson Township.

    • The Township Sewage Enforcement Officer is appointed by resolution of the Township Supervisors.
    • Permit determinations must conform to the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, Commonwealth regulations, and regulations issued under the Township ordinance.
    “The enforcement of this Part shall be the responsibility of the Sewage Enforcement Officer”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation, repair, replacement, or enlargement of individual or community sewage systems inside Jefferson Township, and construction of a building that will use one.

    • The valid permit must be issued by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer before the activity.
    • A written application must be on Township forms, signed by the property owner, and include the specified state application information, legal description, plot plan, system plan, soil-profile and percolation-test report, water-supply location, and Township-resolution fee.
    • The Sewage Enforcement Officer issues or denies a completed application within seven days and applies state laws and regulations plus Township rules.

    decision period after completed application: <= 7 days

    “It shall be unlawful for any property owner or any other person to install or repair, replace, or enlarge individual sewage systems of community sewage systems within the Township without first obtaining a valid permit issued by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer.”
  • Septic inspectionLimited

    Individual and community sewage-system permit applications inside Jefferson Township.

    • The code states that investigations and inspections are conducted as necessary; it does not state that every system receives a particular inspection sequence.
    “The duly appointed official of Jefferson Township who reviews permit application conducts such investigations and inspections as are necessary and issues permits.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Holding tanks for sewage collection pending conveyance to another disposal site inside Jefferson Township.

    • A holding tank is allowed only when its construction is necessary to abate a nuisance or public-health hazard.
    • This restriction is separate from the permit requirements for individual and community sewage systems.
    “No holding tanks for the collection of sewage until it can be conveyed to another site for final disposal shall be permitted within Jefferson Township unless the construction of said holding tank is necessary to abate a nuisance or public health hazard.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    All multifamily dwellings constructed in Jefferson Township.

    • The public water and public sanitary sewage systems must be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection or another Commonwealth agency with authority and operated by a municipality, municipal authority, or public utility company.
    “public water system and a public sanitary sewage system”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Any construction or development in an identified floodplain area inside Jefferson Township.

    • A floodplain permit must be obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.
    • Other ordinance provisions remain effective if more restrictive; where provisions conflict, the more restrictive applies.
    “unless a floodplain permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Township permits for new buildings and additions inside Jefferson Township.

    • The applicant pays at application time to the Township Treasurer.
    • The fee is set by resolution; the amount was not stated in the opened ordinance.
    “The applicant for a permit for any new building or any addition to an existing building, shall, at the time of making application pay to the Township Treasurer, for the use of the Township for each and every building, a fee to be established by resolution.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Township building-permit applications inside Jefferson Township.

    • Applications go to the Site Inspector and, when required, include two sets of plans and specifications plus a plot plan.
    • After approval, one marked set must be kept properly and publicly displayed on the building site during construction and for 60 days after completion.
    • No change to approved plans, specifications, or building may be made without the Site Inspector's consent.

    post-completion plan-display period: per 60 days (After completion of the structure.)

    “All applications for permits shall be submitted to the Site Inspector and when required shall be accompanied by two sets of plans and specifications setting forth the size and type of material to be used in the construction of said building and the plot plan showing the location of said building on said lot. Upon approval of the plans and specifications, one set so marked shall be returned to the applicant which must be kept properly and publicly displayed on the building site during the period of construction and for 60 days after the completion of said structure.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Jefferson Township or Butler County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Jefferson Township.
  • Building code adopted — Building work inside Jefferson Township.
  • Inspections — General building construction inside Jefferson Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Jefferson Township.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Jefferson Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.
12 more unanswered
  • Zoning districts
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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.

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

← All of Butler County: county rules, score and offices