Zoning, building permits and septic rules in West Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania

West Nottingham Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residential building construction and additions inside West Nottingham township, handled by the township codes/zoning office

  • The township's permits page says a zoning permit application is required for all residential projects, and a residential building permit application is used for single family dwellings, additions, accessory use buildings and decks.
  • Applications require four paper copies with all required documentation and the application fee; a copy fee of 25 cents per black-and-white page or 35 cents per color page is added if copies are short.
  • Work may proceed only after the permit issues, so the status is conditional.

  “zoning permit application: required for all residential projects. residential building permit application: use for single family dwellings, additions, accessory use buildings, decks and some detached buildings.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Use and occupancy in West Nottingham township, where the township permit page applies

  • The township says a use and occupancy permit may be needed and to check with the codes/zoning officer first.
  • No general certificate-of-occupancy requirement for new homes was found on the pages opened.

  “note: please contact the codes/zoning officer to see if a use & occupancy permit is required.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside West Nottingham township's limits. The township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 27 zoning ordinance, adopted August 1, 2012, amended March 26, 2013).

  • Zoning governs use, lot, and bulk standards; see the district claims for numeric limits.
  • The Zoning page says questions go to the codes/zoning officer at 610-932-4072 ext. 302.

  “the zoning ordinances contained on this page were adopted august 1, 2012. an ordinance amendment was adopted on march 26, 2013.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of West Nottingham township

  • Four base districts (R-1, R-2, V village, I industrial) and two overlays (mobile home park; natural resource protection), with a zoning map on the township Zoning page.

  “for the purpose of this chapter, the township of west nottingham is hereby divided into four (4) base zoning districts which shall be designated as follows:”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single family detached dwelling in the R-1 rural protection district of West Nottingham township

  • Area and bulk regulations, section 403; the R-1 agricultural-use lot size is 4 acres and other uses are 2 acres.

  minimum lot size, single family detached dwelling, R-1: >= 2 acres

  “single family detached dwelling. 1. minimum lot size 2 acres 2. minimum lot width at building line 100 feet 3. minimum lot width at street line 50 feet 4. maximum lot coverage 25 percent”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Agricultural uses in the R-1 rural protection district of West Nottingham township

    “agricultural uses. 1. minimum lot size 4 acres 2. minimum building setback line 50 feet 3. minimum lot width at street line 50 feet”

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single family detached dwelling in the R-2 rural residential district of West Nottingham township

    “single family detached dwelling. 1. minimum lot size 1 acre 2. minimum lot width at building line 100 feet 3. minimum lot width at street line 50 feet 4. maximum lot coverage 25 percent”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single family detached dwelling in the R-1 rural protection district of West Nottingham township

  • Accessory use setback is governed by section 1102.a.7 of the zoning ordinance, not opened.

  minimum front yard: >= 50 feet · minimum side yard: >= 25 feet · minimum rear yard: >= 50 feet

  “5. minimum front yard 50 feet 6. minimum side yard 25 feet 7. minimum rear yard 50 feet 8. maximum height 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single family detached dwelling in the R-2 rural residential district of West Nottingham township

    “5. minimum front yard 50 feet 6. minimum side yard 25 feet 7. minimum rear yard 25 feet 8. maximum height 35 feet”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single family detached dwelling in the R-1 rural protection district of West Nottingham township

  maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent

  “single family detached dwelling. 1. minimum lot size 2 acres 2. minimum lot width at building line 100 feet 3. minimum lot width at street line 50 feet 4. maximum lot coverage 25 percent”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single family detached dwelling in the R-2 rural residential district of West Nottingham township

    “single family detached dwelling. 1. minimum lot size 1 acre 2. minimum lot width at building line 100 feet 3. minimum lot width at street line 50 feet 4. maximum lot coverage 25 percent”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single family detached dwelling in the R-1 rural protection district of West Nottingham township

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “7. minimum rear yard 50 feet 8. maximum height 35 feet 9. accessory use setback see section 1102.a.7.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single family detached dwelling in the R-2 rural residential district of West Nottingham township

    “7. minimum rear yard 25 feet 8. maximum height 35 feet 9. accessory use setback see section 1102.a.7.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Permanent residency in travel trailers, tents, or recreational vehicles stored on a lot inside West Nottingham township (accessory use list of the zoning ordinance)

  • Only permanent residency is prohibited; the zoning text here does not address short visits.
  • Accessory uses section number was not confirmed in the captured text.

  “i. permanent residency in travel trailers, tents, or recreational vehicles stored on a lot shall be prohibited.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Elder cottage housing opportunity (ECHO) units as an accessory use to a single family detached dwelling in the R-1 rural protection district of West Nottingham township

  • Allowed only in accordance with section 1108 of the zoning ordinance, which was not opened.
  • Listed as an accessory use in the R-1 district; the R-2 listing was not confirmed.

  “c. elder cottage housing opportunity (echo) in accordance with section 1108 as an accessory use to a single family detached dwelling.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage disposal systems (septic) inside West Nottingham township: the township's sewage management ordinance sets a three-year inspection program, and Chester County Health Department enforces sewage rules

  • The township ordinance is Ordinance 2018-1 (on-lot sewage disposal facilities), linked from the township sewage page; its text was not opened.
  • Section 13 of the program provides fines and legal sanctions for non-compliance, per the township page.

  “west nottingham township’s sewage management ordinance established a sewage management program (smp) which requires that each on-lot sewage disposal system (olds) be inspected, with excess waste removed, every three years”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Existing and new on-lot sewage disposal systems inside West Nottingham township, on the township's three-year cycle by sewage service zone

  • Zone 1 began in 2019, zone 2 in 2020 and zone 3 in 2021, per the township page.
  • Owners may apply for a one-year waiver based on professional certification if the tank capacity exceeds the home's needs or the tank was pumped the previous year.
  • Section 13 of the program provides fines and legal sanctions for non-compliance.

  inspection interval: 3 years (one-year waiver by professional certification)

  “starting with sewage service zone 1 in 2019, zone 2 in 2020 and zone 3 in 2021.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside West Nottingham township

  • Subdivision and land development applications and agreements are handled by the township; the subdivision ordinance (Chapter 22) was not opened.

  “subdivision & land development applications and agreements preliminary application final application professional services escrow agreement”

• Driveway accessRequired

  A new driveway onto a township road, or relocating a driveway's access onto a township road, inside West Nottingham township

  • Road occupancy permit required; a separate street opening permit applies to work in the township right-of-way.

  “road occupancy permit application: required for a new driveway onto a township road or relocating a driveway's access onto a township road”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit submission inside West Nottingham township

  • The township publishes forms, a 'read first' information sheet and a submission rule, but the information sheet itself was not opened, so the full review steps are unverified.
  • Use and occupancy and zoning permits run alongside building permits, per the permits page.

  “four (4) paper copies of the building permit application along with all required documentation should be submitted to the township along with the appropriate application fee.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit rules inside West Nottingham township
• Building code adopted — Construction inside West Nottingham township
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside West Nottingham township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling inside West Nottingham township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside West Nottingham 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.