Washington Township, Pennsylvania: building permits, zoning and septic

At a glance

Land-use permit

Required for all structures, including temporary structures and buildings without permanent foundations¹

Building permit

Construction-code permit required for UCC-covered projects; apply through Commonwealth Code Inspection Service²

Zoning

Township zoning applies; lot sizes and setbacks differ by district³¹

Septic

Contact the township Sewage Enforcement Officer for a new system⁴

New well

Separate township well permit required¹

Occupancy

Occupied buildings need both CCIS and township occupancy permits²

Owner-builder

No statewide general contractor license for most work; local requirements and building approvals still apply⁵⁶

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Washington Township, PA?

Washington Township requires a land-use permit for all structures, including temporary structures and buildings without a permanent foundation.¹ Construction covered by Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code also needs a construction-code building permit before the project starts.¹ The township directs applicants to obtain land-use approval before applying to Commonwealth Code Inspection Service for the UCC building permit.²

Pennsylvania’s agricultural-building UCC exemption covers qualifying farm structures without habitable space, agricultural processing or public occupancy; a proposed home does not qualify merely because the parcel is farmland.⁷ Washington Township’s separate all-structures land-use requirement still needs attention for a farm building.¹

Who handles Washington Township building permits and inspections?

Begin at Washington Township Municipal Offices for the land-use application, zoning information and new-well permit.¹ Commonwealth Code Inspection Service is the township’s named construction-code permitting contact for projects covered by the UCC.² Prepare a site plan for the township application and a floor plan for a dwelling or commercial building.¹

Pennsylvania requires inspections of residential construction for which a UCC permit was issued, including foundations, building systems, framing and a final inspection.⁸ For buildings occupied by people, Washington Township requires occupancy permits from both CCIS and the township; CCIS issues its approval after construction inspections are completed and approved.²

Does Washington Township have zoning for RVs and tiny homes?

Washington Township has its own zoning ordinance, so Franklin County’s lack of countywide zoning does not make township land free of zoning restrictions.³⁹ Published township districts include agricultural, low-density residential, forest-conservation and other residential and commercial districts, with floodplain and wellhead overlays.¹⁰ Washington Township’s building guidance says setbacks and lot-size requirements differ by district.¹

We could not confirm Washington Township’s rules for living in an RV, camping during construction, tiny-home occupancy or accessory dwellings; ask the township municipal office about the proposed use before buying.³¹ Ask the same office for the parcel’s district and the applicable minimum lot size, dwelling size and setbacks rather than assuming an agricultural designation permits residential camping.¹⁰¹

How do septic permits and wells work in Washington Township?

Washington Township directs new-septic-system applicants to its Sewage Enforcement Officer, JWP Environmental.⁴ Pennsylvania generally requires local-agency approval before installing, constructing, occupying or using an on-lot sewage system.¹¹ Washington Township says a property without public sewer must have a percolation test on file with the township.¹

A composting toilet does not eliminate sewage-disposal requirements for a new Pennsylvania residence: washwater and excess liquid still need an approved disposal method.¹² Washington Township also requires a separate permit for a new well, with the driller’s name and proposed well location.¹ Ask the township office whether the parcel will use public utility connections or a well and septic system before finalizing the house site.¹

What are the steps to build a home in Washington Township?

1. Ask Washington Township Municipal Offices to identify the zoning district, permitted use, setbacks and lot-size requirements for the parcel.¹
2. Resolve the sewage and water arrangement: obtain the required percolation information when public sewer is unavailable, contact the township Sewage Enforcement Officer for a new septic system, and apply for a township permit for a new well.¹⁴
3. Submit the township land-use application with a site plan and dwelling floor plan.¹
4. After land-use approval, apply to Commonwealth Code Inspection Service for the UCC building permit; submit a township-road driveway application alongside the land-use application where needed.²¹³
5. Keep permitted residential construction accessible for inspections, then obtain both CCIS and township occupancy approvals before moving into the home.⁸¹⁴²

What should you check before buying Washington Township land?

Ask Washington Township Municipal Offices to review the proposed house location alongside the well, sewage-disposal arrangement and district setbacks; the township requires those details for its land-use application.¹ Township-road access requires a driveway permit, while building or changing a driveway on state highway land or connecting to a PennDOT drainage facility requires PennDOT’s highway occupancy approval.¹³¹⁵

Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area is subject to municipal floodplain review and approval under Pennsylvania’s floodplain requirements.¹⁶ Washington Township has its own subdivision and land-development chapter, while Franklin County’s planning commission retains a regional review role.¹⁷¹⁸ For land outside Washington Township, use the Franklin County guide to understand the county and municipal division of zoning authority.⁹

Watch-outs

• Washington Township’s land-use permit requirement includes temporary structures and buildings without permanent foundations.¹
• We could not confirm local RV occupancy, tiny-home standards or current building-permit fees; ask Washington Township Municipal Offices and CCIS before budgeting or planning a move.³¹²
• Pennsylvania’s owner-builder licensing allowance does not waive the UCC building-permit requirement for covered residential construction.⁵⁶

Sources

1. Washington Township Municipal Offices (washtwp-franklin.org)
2. Commonwealth Code Inspection Service, Inc. (washtwp-franklin.org)
3. Township of Washington, PA eCode360 table of contents (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
4. Township Sewage Enforcement Officer — JWP Environmental (washtwp-franklin.org)
5. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Data Center Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
10. Chapter 360: Zoning - Township of Washington, PA (eCode360) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
11. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Washington Township Municipal Offices — driveway applications (washtwp-franklin.org)
14. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Township of Washington, PA eCode360 table of contents (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
18. Data Center Ordinance, quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 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.