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

Ridley Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, demolition, or relocation of a structure inside Ridley Township.

  • Permit is obtained from the Zoning Office.
  • A permit becomes void 90 days after issuance unless actual construction has begun by then.
  • The application must include a duplicate site plan except projects concerned only with maintenance or repair to existing structures.

  permit commencement deadline: 90 days (The permit becomes void unless actual construction has begun by that date.)

  “Building permits. For the construction, alteration, demolition or relocation or any structure, a building permit must be obtained from the Zoning Office. A building permit shall become void in 90 days from the date of issuance unless actual construction has begun by that date on the project described therein.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction subject to the municipal building code inside Ridley Township.

  • The incorporated Uniform Construction Code is amended from time to time.
  • parameters are subject to the local exceptions stated in § 105-2.

  “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Ridley Township limits.

  • Uses and occupancy must comply with the applicable district provisions unless otherwise provided by law or Chapter 325.

  “The Township of Ridley is hereby divided into districts of different types”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Ridley Township.

  • The chapter includes preliminary and final plat procedures, design standards, improvement and construction requirements, fees and enforcement provisions.

  “Chapter 268 Subdivision and Land Development”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Township permits and licenses inside Ridley Township.

  • The Township forms page identifies the schedule as updated January 6, 2025; individual fee amounts were not extracted from the linked document.

  “Permits & Licenses Fee Schedule Updated 1/6/25”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Ridley Township.

  • A zoning permit is secured before issuance of a building permit.
  • A duplicate site plan is required unless the project is only maintenance or repair to existing structures.

  “Zoning permits shall hereafter be secured from the Zoning Officer's office prior to the issuance of a building permit”

Rules another office applies inside Ridley Township

Ridley Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots used or occupied in Ridley Township A Residential Districts.

  • The provision also requires a minimum lot width of 60 feet.

  minimum lot area: >= 6000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 60 feet

  “The building area shall not exceed 20% of the lot area, and in no case shall any building be erected on a lot with an area of less than 6,000 square feet and width of less than 60 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in Ridley Township A Residential Districts.

  maximum building area: <= 20 percent of lot area

  “The building area shall not exceed 20% of the lot area, and in no case shall any building be erected on a lot with an area of less than 6,000 square feet and width of less than 60 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Ridley Township.
• Inspections — Building work inside Ridley Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Ridley Township.
• Building height — Buildings inside Ridley Township.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Ridley 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 Ridley 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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