Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania

Upper Providence Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land and structures inside Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

  • Land, water, structures, and occupancy must conform to the regulations and procedures for the district where located.

  “This Ordinance requires that within the Township of Upper Providence in the County of Delaware and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, no land, body of water, or structure shall be used or occupied and no structure or part thereof shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, or structurally altered unless in conformity with all the regulations and procedures herein specified for the district in which such land, body of water, or structure is located.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Upper Providence Township.

  • The adopted zoning map accompanies and is made part of the ordinance; overlay districts also apply where mapped.

  base districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, B, LI, POC, RO · overlay districts: SS, RC, FP, PRD

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance, Upper Providence Township is hereby divided into districts which shall be designated as follows: [...] R-1 Residence [...] R-2 Residence [...] R-3 Residence R-4 Residence [...] R-5 Residence [...] R-6 Residence [...] B Business [...] LI Limited Industrial [...] POC Planned Office Campus [...] RO Recreation and Open Space [...] In addition, for the purpose of this Ordinance, Upper Providence Township hereby establishes the following overlay districts: [...] SS Steep Slope Conservation [...] RC Ridley Creek Watershed Overlay [...] FP Flood Plain Overlay [...] PRD Planned Residential Overlay”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Sewage or waste disposal associated with a new use or construction inside Upper Providence Township.

  • On-site disposal requires approval by the Sewage Enforcement Officer; public sewer requires approval by the Township Sewer Authority.

  “No zoning permit for any new use or construction which will involve the disposal of sewage or waste and no zoning permit for a change in use or an alteration which will result in an increased volume of sewage or waste shall be issued until approval has been granted by the Sewage Enforcement Officer (on-site disposal) or Township Sewer Authority (public sewer).”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings inside Upper Providence Township.

  • The zoning-permit provision expressly includes an agricultural building as defined by the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act of 1999, No. 45; no separate local exemption was established.

  “A zoning permit shall be secured from the Zoning Officer prior to the construction or alteration of a building, prior to the use or change in use of a building or land, prior to the change or extension of a nonconforming use or building, prior to the reconstruction, altering, raising or moving of a building, including the following structures with a building area of less than 1,000 square feet and as accessory to a residential or non-residential building: [...] Agricultural building as defined by the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act of 1999, No. 45.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Upper Providence Township.

  • Specific submission and development standards were not extracted in this research pass.

  “The Township Council for Upper Providence shall have the authority to regulate subdivision and land development within the Township by enacting these Regulations.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Township zoning permits, special exceptions, conditional uses, interpretations, and variance appeals.

  • Fees and escrow requirements are set by Township Council resolution and may be amended; an escrow deposit may be required for professional review fees and other expenses.

  “All applicants for zoning permits, special exceptions, conditional uses, and interpretation and variance appeals shall, at the time of making application, pay a fee in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by resolution of the Township Council upon the enactment of this Ordinance, or as such schedule may be amended by resolution of the Township Council.”

• Permit processPartial

  Township zoning-permit applications.

  • Application must be written on Township forms and may be submitted by the owner, tenant with written owner permission, contract purchaser, or authorized agent.
  • The applicant must provide information necessary for the Zoning Officer to determine compliance.

  “All applications for zoning permits shall be made in writing to the Zoning Officer on such forms as may be furnished by the Township. The application may be made by the owner or tenant with the owner's written permission, purchaser under contract of sale, or authorized agent. The application shall contain all information necessary for the Zoning Officer to ascertain whether the proposed erection, alteration, use or change in use complies with the provisions of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Upper Providence Township.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Upper Providence Township.
• Inspections — Building work inside Upper Providence Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Upper Providence Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Upper Providence 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 Upper Providence 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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