Bolthole Index

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Colwyn Borough, Pennsylvania

Colwyn Borough, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, runs its own building-code and zoning rules: the borough has adopted the Uniform Construction Code as its building code1 and keeps a zoning ordinance on file at the borough offices2. Where a sanitary sewer runs in the street, owners must connect to it3. On-lot septic permits and private wells go through the Delaware County Health Department4.

At a glance

Building permit
Borough code enforcement office; the Uniform Construction Code is the borough's building code15
Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance, kept on file at the borough offices2
Sewer
Connection required for improved property on a street or alley with a sanitary sewer3
Septic permits
Delaware County Health Department (on-lot systems)4
Certificate of occupancy
Required for rentals, vacant dwellings before occupancy, and owner-occupied homes when ownership changes6
Subdivision
Regulated by the borough; the borough follows the Delaware County subdivision ordinance75
RV, tiny home, setbacks, lot size
Set by the borough zoning ordinance; we could not confirm the details online2

Who to call

Building permits

Colwyn Borough Code Enforcement

Building permits, zoning and subdivision questions, and use and occupancy certificates inside Colwyn Borough

610-461-2000

221 Spruce Street Colwyn, PA 19023

Septic permits

Delaware County Health Department, Environmental Health

Permits, inspections and enforcement for on-lot sewage systems, and permits for private wells, in Delaware County

(484) 276-2100

[email protected]

1400 N Providence Road Suite 212, Media, PA 19063

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Colwyn Borough, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Colwyn Borough has its own zoning ordinance, and the borough keeps it on file for inspection at the borough offices2. Delaware County does not zone for its municipalities; zoning questions go to the borough8.

The district map and use tables were not published in the online code we could read, so we could not confirm what the ordinance says about RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size or setbacks. Ask the Colwyn Borough code enforcement office for the ordinance and your parcel's district before you buy5.

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

Colwyn Borough has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code1. The borough's building code official receives applications, issues permits and makes inspections5. Delaware County itself does not issue building permits9.

The borough charges a fee for each plan examination, building permit and inspection, under a schedule adopted by Borough Council and kept in the Borough Office10. We could not confirm the exact scope of work that needs a building permit, so ask the borough office before starting. We found no Colwyn owner-builder rule; statewide, Pennsylvania excludes uncompensated work by an owner on their own residence from contractor licensing11.

Who is the Colwyn Borough building department, and how do you reach it?

Colwyn Borough Code Enforcement handles permits at the borough office, 221 Spruce Street, Colwyn, PA 19023, phone 610-461-20005. Applications are available at the borough office5.

For subdivision, the borough states that it follows the Delaware County Subdivision & Land Development Ordinance5, and subdividing land into two or more lots is regulated in the borough7.

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Colwyn Borough?

Inside Colwyn Borough, the owner of improved property abutting a street or alley with a sanitary sewer must connect to it3. After notice, the owner has 45 days to connect before the borough may connect the property and assess the cost3. Septic permits are a separate matter and are not decided by the borough's sewer chapter12.

For any on-lot sewage system or private well in Delaware County, the Delaware County Health Department is responsible for inspections, permit issuance and enforcement under Pennsylvania Act 53713. A new on-lot system, repair or modification requires a septic permit4. We could not confirm whether any Colwyn property is off sewer; call the health department to ask.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Colwyn Borough?

We could not confirm. The borough's zoning ordinance governs RV, camping and tiny-home use, and the version we could read online does not publish those provisions2. Ask Colwyn Borough Code Enforcement before you buy or move anything onto a lot5.

Building a home in Colwyn Borough: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Colwyn Borough Code Enforcement for the zoning district and use rules for your parcel5.
  2. Check whether a sanitary sewer runs in your street or alley, since connection is required where one does3.
  3. If you are subdividing, follow the borough's subdivision rules and the Delaware County ordinance it follows7.
  4. Apply for the building permit at the borough office, which applies the Uniform Construction Code1.
  5. Have inspections done as required14.
  6. Get a certificate of occupancy before moving in; a residential building may not be used or occupied without one15.

What stays with Delaware County, and what to check before you buy in Colwyn

Septic and private wells stay with the Delaware County Health Department13. For land outside the borough, see the Delaware County page.

Before buying, know that a residential owner-occupied structure needs a certificate of occupancy when ownership changes, and a vacant dwelling needs one before occupancy6. Delaware County's effective property tax rate is 2%16, and its median property tax bill is $6,001 a year17.

Watch-outs

  • Colwyn's zoning ordinance is kept at the borough offices and its use and dimension rules were not available online, so confirm RV, tiny-home, lot-size and setback rules in person2.
  • The borough has posted a request for proposals for municipal code enforcement and UCC services, so the office that handles building permits may change; confirm with the borough before applying5.
  • Sewer connection is mandatory where a sanitary sewer runs in the street, and the borough may connect the property and bill the owner if the deadline passes3.

Sources

  1. Chapter 44: Construction Codes, Uniform — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 145: Zoning — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 122: Sewers — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  4. Permits for On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Colwyn Borough Code Enforcement (colwynborough.com)
  6. Article XIII: Certificate of Occupancy for Rental Dwelling Units — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 133: Subdivision of Land — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  8. Delaware County Planning Department - Development Review (2026 county census)
  9. Delaware County Planning Department - Development Review (2026 county census)
  10. Chapter 42: Building Construction — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  11. Contractor Licensing (2026 county census)
  12. Chapter 122: Sewers — Borough of Colwyn, PA (Borough of Colwyn), quoted and re-checked
  13. Delaware County Health Department, Environmental Health (delcopa.gov)
  14. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  15. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Colwyn

Borough of Colwyn’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction within Colwyn borough.

    • The UCC is incorporated as amended from time to time.
    “The Uniform Construction Code [...] is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of the Borough of Colwyn.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Rental dwelling units and other structures located in Colwyn borough.

    • The inspection authority is stated in the rental-dwelling certificate-of-occupancy article.
    “authorized and directed to make inspections”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Rental dwelling units, vacant dwelling units before occupancy, and residential owner-occupied structures upon change in ownership inside Colwyn borough.

    • A certificate is annual for occupied rental units; a vacant dwelling unit requires a certificate before occupancy; a residential owner-occupied structure requires one upon ownership change.
    “a certificate of occupancy for every vacant dwelling unit [...] prior to its occupancy.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Colwyn borough.

    • The published code states that the ordinance is on file at Borough offices; its district and use text was not published in the accessible chapter page.
    “The Zoning Ordinance of the Borough of Colwyn [...] is on file and available for inspection in the Borough offices.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Improved property inside Colwyn borough abutting or adjoining a street or alley with a sanitary sewer.

    • The ordinance requires sewer connection for the identified properties; it does not establish rules for properties outside that availability condition.
    “The owners of all improved property in the Borough of Colwyn abutting on or adjoining any street or alley in which is a sanitary sewer are hereby required to make connection with said sewer, in such manner as is provided by the rules and regulations relating thereto, for the purpose of discharging and removing from said premises all liquid household waste incidental to housekeeping, all liquid manufacturing wastes and all human sewage and fecal matter, but no surface or stormwater shall be allowed therein.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Improved property inside Colwyn borough abutting or adjoining a street or alley in which a sanitary sewer is located.

    • The connection is for liquid household waste, liquid manufacturing wastes, and human sewage and fecal matter; surface or stormwater is excluded. After notice, owners must connect within 45 days or the Borough may connect and assess costs plus a 10% penalty.

    connection deadline after notice: 45 days (Borough may make the connection if the owner fails to do so.)

    “abutting on or adjoining any street or alley in which is a sanitary sewer are hereby required”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Colwyn borough.

    • The accessible code chapter identifies a Borough-adopted subdivision chapter; its detailed approval requirements were not extracted.
    “It shall be unlawful for the owner of any land in the Borough to subdivide the same into two or more lots or parcels unless”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Plan examination, building permits, and inspections administered by Colwyn borough.

    • The applicable fee schedule is adopted by Borough Council resolution and is on file in the Borough Office.
    “A fee for each plan examination, building permit and inspection shall be paid in accordance with the schedule of permit fees”
  • Permit processPartial

    Certificates of occupancy for rental dwellings, vacant dwellings before occupancy, and owner-occupied residences upon ownership change in Colwyn borough.

    • The article requires an application form provided by the Code Enforcement Officer and provides that the Officer processes applications before issuance.
    “application form provided by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside Colwyn borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Colwyn borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Colwyn borough.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Colwyn borough.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Colwyn borough.
15 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Colwyn publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Delaware County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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