Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Malvern Borough, Chester County, PA

At a glance

Zoning

Borough zoning ordinance (Chapter 220); the county does not zone inside Malvern¹

Building permit

Required under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code; the borough takes applications⁴²

R1 minimum lot

1 acre, 150 feet wide at the building line⁵

R1 setbacks

75 ft front, 30 ft each side, 40 ft rear⁶

R1 coverage and height

7.5% building coverage, 20% lot coverage, 35 ft or three stories⁷⁸

Septic and wells

Chester County Health Department permits³⁹

Second dwelling in R1

Special exception from the zoning hearing board¹⁰

Who to call

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

Does Malvern, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Malvern Borough adopted its own zoning ordinance under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code¹, and Chester County does not zone inside the borough¹¹.

Rules differ by district. In the R1 Residential District, the minimum lot is one acre and 150 feet wide at the building line⁵. Required yards in R1 are 75 feet in front, 30 feet on each side and 40 feet in the rear⁶. Buildings may cover 7.5% of an R1 lot and all paving and buildings together 20%⁷. Height is capped at three stories or 35 feet, whichever is less⁸. Other districts were not reviewed, so check your parcel's district with the borough before relying on these figures.

Do you need a building permit in Malvern, and who issues it?

Yes. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires property owners to obtain a building permit before starting any work⁴, and the code applies statewide¹². Inside Malvern Borough, applications go to the borough, whose permits page says you need a permit before you break ground².

The borough's own code officer handles residential and commercial building permits, plus zoning permits². We could not confirm the current fee schedule or which small projects are exempt; ask the borough office.

How do septic permits and wells work inside Malvern?

The Chester County Health Department, not the borough, issues permits for on-lot sewage systems and well construction in the county³. A septic permit is required for new systems, repairs or modifications¹³, and a well permit is required before installing, repairing or altering a well⁹.

Whether a given lot inside the borough connects to public sewer was not confirmed. Ask the borough office before assuming you need an on-lot system.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Malvern?

We could not confirm a rule for living in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Malvern Borough. The borough's residential use list does not mention RVs, but that is not the same as permission. A second dwelling unit in R1 is allowed only by special exception from the zoning hearing board¹⁰. Ask the borough's Building, Zoning & Code Enforcement office before buying for this purpose².

Building a home in Malvern: the steps, in order

1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and its lot, setback and coverage rules with the borough².
2. Ask the borough whether the lot has public sewer; if not, get septic and well permits from the Chester County Health Department³.
3. Submit the zoning permit and residential building permit applications to the borough, and pay the fee at submission².
4. Schedule inspections through the borough as work proceeds¹⁴.
5. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before using the building¹⁵.

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

Septic and well permits stay with the Chester County Health Department³. For land outside the borough, see the Chester County page; a Malvern mailing address does not mean a parcel is inside the borough, and its township sets different rules.

Countywide, typical home value is about $587,747¹⁶ and the effective property tax rate is 1.3%¹⁷. Those figures are for Chester County as a whole, not the borough.

Watch-outs

• Rules in this guide for lots, setbacks and coverage are for the R1 district only⁵.
• We could not confirm Malvern's permit fees, whether sewer connection is required, or any RV or tiny-home rule; call the borough office on 610.644.2602².

Sources

1. Borough of Malvern Code, Chapter 220 Zoning, Article I (Borough of Malvern), quoted and re-checked
2. Borough of Malvern, Building, Zoning & Code Enforcement (malvern.org)
3. Sewage & Water, quoted and re-checked
4. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
5. Borough of Malvern Code, Chapter 220 Zoning, Article IV R1 Residential District (Borough of Malvern), quoted and re-checked
6. Borough of Malvern Code, Chapter 220 Zoning, Article IV R1 Residential District (Borough of Malvern), quoted and re-checked
7. Borough of Malvern Code, Chapter 220 Zoning, Article IV R1 Residential District (Borough of Malvern), quoted and re-checked
8. Borough of Malvern Code, Chapter 220 Zoning, Article IV R1 Residential District (Borough of Malvern), quoted and re-checked
9. Chester County Health Department Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
10. Borough of Malvern Code, Chapter 220 Zoning, Article IV R1 Residential District (Borough of Malvern), quoted and re-checked
11. Planning in Pennsylvania, quoted and re-checked
12. Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Permits for On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
16. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
17. Effective property tax rate: 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.