Building permits, zoning and septic in East Vincent Township, PA

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction, additions, accessory structures, decks and more; issued by the township¹⁴

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance (Chapter 27) with districts; confirm your parcel's district with the township²⁵

Septic permits

Chester County Health Department³

Wells

County permit required for new wells⁶

Lot size (MR district)

25,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 1 acre with on-lot sewer or water⁷

Owner-builder

No state contractor license needed for your own home, but permits still apply⁸⁴

RV and tiny homes

Not confirmed for the township; the statewide RV rule covers only state park campgrounds⁹

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in East Vincent Township, PA?

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires the owner or an authorized representative to obtain a building permit before starting construction or building work.⁴ East Vincent Township's own Building Code Official oversees zoning and building permit applications and enforces the Uniform Construction Code.¹

The township states that permits are required for new construction of buildings and additions.¹ A certificate of occupancy is also required before a residential building can be used.¹⁰

The township's permit page lists separate applications for a new single-family dwelling, decks, driveways, fences, pools, solar and manufactured housing, so ask the office which ones your project needs. We could not confirm the township's current fee schedule or inspection steps from its adopted code; ask the township office.

Who issues building permits in East Vincent Township, and how do you reach them?

East Vincent Township issues its own zoning and building permits through its Building Code Official.¹ Call the township code enforcement office at 610-933-4424 before beginning any new construction project.¹ The office is at 262 Ridge Road, Spring City, PA 19475.¹

The township's other topics sit elsewhere. Septic and well permits are not township permits; those come from the Chester County Health Department.³ The Chester County Planning Commission supports planning countywide but does not administer municipal zoning or building permits.¹¹

Does East Vincent Township have zoning, and what are the lot-size and setback rules?

East Vincent Township has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 27 of the township code.² Zoning in Pennsylvania is adopted by each municipality, not by Chester County.¹¹

Rules differ by district, and we verified only the MR Moderate-Density Residential District. In MR, a single-family lot needs at least 25,000 square feet with public sewer and water, or one acre with on-lot sewer or water.⁷ With public sewer and water, the building setback is 40 feet, side yards are 20 feet each and the rear yard is 35 feet.¹² Maximum impervious cover is 25%, building coverage 15% and building height 35 feet.¹³

Other districts (LR, RC, AP, CMU) have their own standards that we could not confirm.⁵ Ask the township which district a parcel is in before you buy.

How do septic permits work in East Vincent Township?

The Chester County Health Department issues permits for individual and small community on-lot sewage disposal systems and for well construction.³ A permit is required for new systems, repairs or modifications to existing systems.¹⁴

The application requires at least one acceptable percolation test and at least two acceptable test pits for soil profile examination.¹⁴ Septic permits are the one process a township building permit does not replace. In the county, no system or portion may be covered before final inspection and written approval by the Sewage Enforcement Officer.¹⁵

We could not confirm whether East Vincent Township adds its own on-lot sewage rules; its permit list includes an on-lot septic system inspection form, so ask the township office.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in East Vincent Township?

We could not confirm East Vincent Township's rules for living in an RV, camping on a lot, or tiny homes. Statewide, the only RV rule we reviewed covers state park campgrounds and does not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land.⁹

New manufactured housing is covered by a separate state rule, and the township's own list of permit types includes manufactured housing.¹⁶¹ Call the township code enforcement office at 610-933-4424 and ask for the zoning provisions before you place any dwelling.¹

Building a home in East Vincent Township: the steps, in order

1. Ask the township which zoning district the parcel is in and what the lot-size and setback rules are.²
2. If the parcel is not on public sewer, start the Chester County Health Department's soil testing and sewage permit process.¹⁴
3. Obtain the well permit from the county if you will drill a well.⁶
4. Apply to the township for zoning and building permits before beginning any work.¹
5. If a driveway will connect to a state highway, a PennDOT permit is required.¹⁷
6. Subdivision or land development goes through the township's Chapter 22 and county health review.¹⁸¹⁹
7. Get the certificate of occupancy before moving in.¹⁰

What stays with Chester County, and what to check before you buy?

Chester County, not the township, handles septic and well permits.³ Wells for new construction require public sewerage or a valid sewage permit.⁶

Floodplain: development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs a municipal permit review.²⁰ The township's code has a Flood Hazard District chapter that we have not been able to read in full, so ask the township about it for any parcel near a creek.

Costs: Chester County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%, and the median property tax bill is $6,191 a year.²¹²² The typical home value is $587,747.²³ These figures are county-level.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm East Vincent Township's rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum home size; ask the township code enforcement office at 610-933-4424.¹
• Only the MR Moderate-Density Residential District's dimensional standards were verified; other districts have different lot sizes and setbacks.⁵
• Work started before a permit can cost more to correct, and the township warns that improvements made without approval can be costly to dismantle or relocate.¹
• Septic and well permits come from the Chester County Health Department, not the township.³

Sources

1. East Vincent Township Building & Zoning (Code Enforcement) (eastvincent.org)
2. Township of East Vincent, PA - eCode360 table of contents (East Vincent Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Sewage & Water, quoted and re-checked
4. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Part 7 MR - Moderate-Density Residential District, East Vincent Township Code Ch. 27 (East Vincent Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Chester County Health Department Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
7. Part 7 MR - Moderate-Density Residential District, East Vincent Township Code Ch. 27 (East Vincent Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Planning in Pennsylvania, quoted and re-checked
12. Part 7 MR - Moderate-Density Residential District, East Vincent Township Code Ch. 27 (East Vincent Township), quoted and re-checked
13. Part 7 MR - Moderate-Density Residential District, East Vincent Township Code Ch. 27 (East Vincent Township), quoted and re-checked
14. Permits for On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
15. Application & Permit Procedure for On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
16. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Township of East Vincent, PA - eCode360 table of contents (East Vincent Township), quoted and re-checked
19. Subdivision Planning, quoted and re-checked
20. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
23. Typical home value (Zillow): 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.