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

Winfield Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, movement, enlargement, or structural alteration of a building or structure, including a manufactured home, inside Winfield Township.

  • Permits are not required, except in the floodplain, for signs, fences, paved walks, patios, driveways, or other accessory structures as specified by the Uniform Construction Code.
  • Minor repairs listed in §10.01 do not require a permit, including within the floodplain.

  “No building or structure, including a manufactured home, shall be erected, moved, enlarged, or structurally altered unless a permit for such action has been issued by the Building Official.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Approved construction in progress inside Winfield Township.

  • Applies to approved construction in progress.

  “The Zoning Officer shall visit the property where the approved construction is taking place in order to assure that the work is proceeding in compliance with the approved application documents.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New uses or expansions of existing uses inside Winfield Township.

  • The owner or authorized agent applies upon completion of the building or structure.
  • The Building Official issues the permit only if satisfied that building-permit conditions have been met.

  “For new uses or expansions of existing uses: a. Upon completion of the building or structure, the owner or duly authorized agent shall apply to the Zoning Officer for a Winfield Township occupancy permit.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.

  • The ordinance was adopted under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

  “Winfield Township is hereby divided into three classes of zoning districts as shown on the Official Zoning Map”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Winfield Township.

  • Districts are shown on the Official Zoning Map.
  • Permitted uses are subject to the requirements of §5.03.

  districts: Residential/Agricultural (RA); Commercial (C); Manufacturing (M)

  “Winfield Township is hereby divided into three classes of zoning districts as shown on the Official Zoning Map, with the designations and general purposes listed herein and the specifically permitted uses tabulated in Section 5.02.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Self-propelled vehicles used as living accommodations or travel trailers designed for temporary occupancy inside Winfield Township.

  • Residential use may not exceed fourteen days.

  maximum residential occupancy: <= 14 days (Applies to self-propelled vehicles used as living accommodations or travel trailers designed for temporary occupancy.)

  “nor shall any self-propelled vehicles used as living accommodations or travel trailers designed for temporary occupancy be permitted for residential purposes for a period exceeding fourteen (14) days.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Individual manufactured homes on their own lots inside Winfield Township.

  • Must meet all ordinance requirements for single-family homes.
  • A manufactured home may not be occupied until the Zoning Officer verifies connection to sewage disposal and water supply.
  • Temporary placement while constructing a conventional dwelling must be removed upon occupancy of the conventional dwelling or two years after first placement, whichever occurs first.

  “No manufactured home shall be occupied until the Zoning Officer has verified that it has been connected to a sewage disposal and water supply system.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual on-lot sewage disposal systems serving building-permit applications inside Winfield Township.

  • The sewage permit is required before the associated building-permit application.

  “If the building is to be served by an individual on-lot sewage disposal system, a sewage permit issued by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer shall be obtained prior to application for a building permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A building to be served by an individual on-lot sewage disposal system inside Winfield Township.

  • The Township Sewage Enforcement Officer's permit must be obtained before applying for the building permit.

  “If the building is to be served by an individual on-lot sewage disposal system, a sewage permit issued by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer shall be obtained prior to application for a building permit.”

• Shed and accessory-building permit exemptionConditional

  Accessory structures inside Winfield Township.

  • Exemption is limited to accessory structures specified by the Uniform Construction Code.
  • The exemption does not apply in the floodplain.

  “Permits shall not be required, except in the floodplain, for the erection of signs, fences, paved walks, patios, driveways, or other accessory structures as specified by the Uniform Construction Code.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions and land developments within Winfield Township.

  • A major subdivision includes six or more lots, tracts, or parcels, and/or specified new streets or utility extensions.
  • A minor subdivision has fewer than six lots, each abutting an existing public street, and no sewer or water-line extension requirement.

  “On and after the effective date of this Ordinance, no lot in a subdivision may be sold or leased, no permit to erect, alter, repair or remove any building upon land in a subdivision or a manufactured home park may be issued, and no building may be erected in a subdivision or manufactured home placed in a manufactured home park unless and until a subdivision plan or manufactured home park plan has been approved by the Board of Supervisors”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits, appeals, and other zoning-ordinance matters inside Winfield Township.

  • The Board sets the fee schedule and collection procedure by resolution.
  • The schedule is posted in the Township Building and may be changed by Board resolution.
  • No permit, certificate, conditional use, or variance is issued until stated costs, charges, and fees are paid.

  “The schedule of fees shall be posted in the Township Building and may be altered or changed by resolution of the Township Board of Supervisors.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Winfield Township.

  • Application materials are submitted in duplicate.
  • The Building Official may waive inapplicable portions for interior work or construction not affecting exterior dimensions.
  • An on-lot sewage permit is a prerequisite where applicable.

  “An application for a building permit shall include the following in duplicate:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Winfield Township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Winfield Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Winfield Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Winfield Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Winfield Township.

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.