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

Aston Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, alteration, repair, moving, shoring, raising, or removal of a building or structure; curbing or sidewalks; and listed driveway and retaining-wall work inside Aston Township.

  • Minor interior and exterior repairs costing no more than $100 are exempt only if they do not affect listed structural, access, light, ventilation, or occupancy features.
  • Application, plans, specifications, plot plan, and Building Inspector approval apply as specified in § 1420.06.
  • A permit is cancelled if work does not begin within 60 days or ceases for 60 continuous days, subject to the stated beyond-builder-control exception.

  “No person shall proceed with the erection, alteration, repair, moving, shoring, raising or removal of any building or structure or any part thereof, and no person shall proceed with the construction of any curbing or sidewalks, the resurfacing of driveways and parking lots, the widening of driveways and the construction or erection of retaining walls, unless application for a permit has been made by the owner to the Building Inspector and a permit has been obtained from the Building Inspector pursuant to the regulations set forth in this section.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building-code administration and enforcement inside Aston Township.

  • The UCC is adopted as amended from time to time.
  • Administration and enforcement may be performed by a Township Code Official, construction-code official or third-party agency, intermunicipal agreement, municipal contract, or—in the stated limited circumstance—by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
  • Township fees are set by Board of Commissioners resolution.

  “The township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions Pennsylvania Construction Code Act”

• InspectionsRequired

  Commercial and residential units requiring a certificate of occupancy inside Aston Township.

  • Inspection is prior to certificate-of-occupancy issuance.
  • The Building Inspector inspects for reasonable compliance with Township health-and-safety ordinances and specified requirements; pertinent fees must be paid.

  “Prior to issuance of any certificate of occupancy, it shall be the responsibility of the Building Inspector to inspect the building for reasonable compliance with all township ordinances related to health and safety and to inspect such building for compliance with the specific requirements set forth below. This shall include the payment of all pertinent fees.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Commercial and residential units inside Aston Township.

  • Final Building Inspector inspection and certificate issuance must occur before use or occupancy.
  • For new construction, placement plan, boundary markers, and listed site improvements are required before issuance; a temporary certificate may be issued at the Building Inspector's discretion if premises are habitable.
  • A non-public-water unit must provide a certified-laboratory potable-water certificate before certificate issuance.

  “No commercial or residential unit shall be used or occupied for any purpose until after final inspection by the Building Inspector and issuance by him or her of a certificate of occupancy, which certificate shall designate the use to which the unit may be put in accordance with the permit as issued or any amendment to such permit. No person shall make any use or occupancy of the unit before the certificate is issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Aston Township, Pennsylvania.

  • Land use remains subject to the applicable zoning district and zoning-map designation.

  “TITLE SIX - Zoning [...] Chap. 1256. Districts Generally and Zoning Map.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Aston Township.

  • The controlling district for a parcel depends on the Township zoning map and applicable overlay districts.

  “the township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions and land developments inside Aston Township.

  • Applicable rules include general provisions, plan review and report, and design standards identified in the Township subdivision regulations.

  “TITLE FOUR - Subdivision Regulations [...] Chap. 1232. Plan Review and Report. [...] Chap. 1234. Design Standards for All Subdivisions and Land Developments.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Resurfacing or widening driveways inside Aston Township.

  • The cited rule addresses resurfacing and widening, not a new curb-cut/access permit.
  • A building-permit application and Building Inspector permit are required unless a stated exemption applies.

  “No person shall proceed with the erection, alteration, repair, moving, shoring, raising or removal of any building or structure or any part thereof, and no person shall proceed with the construction of any curbing or sidewalks, the resurfacing of driveways and parking lots, the widening of driveways and the construction or erection of retaining walls, unless application for a permit has been made by the owner to the Building Inspector and a permit has been obtained from the Building Inspector pursuant to the regulations set forth in this section.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Aston Township.

  • Application must be on the Building Inspector's form and accompanied by two sets of plans and specifications and a plot plan as applicable.
  • The Building Inspector may approve, reject, or require modifications.
  • Approved permit and plan set must remain accessible at the building site.

  Building Inspector application action: <= 15 days after receipt (Inspector may approve, reject, or require modifications.)

  “The Building Inspector shall act upon the application for a permit within 15 days after its receipt by either approving or rejecting it or by requiring modifications of the plans and specifications. When the application has been approved, the Building Inspector shall issue the permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Aston Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Aston Township.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Aston Township.
• Setbacks — Structures inside Aston Township.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Aston 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Aston Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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