Borough of Montgomery, PA: building permits, zoning and septic rules

At a glance

Building approval

Borough project permits for changes to structures; UCC building permits for covered residential work.¹⁴

Zoning

Borough zoning chapter exists; district standards need confirmation.²

Septic

Local-agency permit required for on-lot systems, subject to state exceptions.⁵

Occupancy

UCC-regulated residential buildings need a certificate of occupancy.⁶

Owner-builder

No statewide license for most construction contractors; municipal requirements may apply.⁷

Subdivision

Borough subdivision and land-development chapter exists; procedures need confirmation.⁸

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 Borough of Montgomery, PA?

For covered residential construction in Borough of Montgomery, Pennsylvania’s UCC requires a building permit before work begins, subject to listed scope exclusions and exemptions.⁴ The borough also requires project permits, issued through Codes and Zoning, for changes to structures.¹ Ask the borough which project application and UCC building application your proposed work requires, and who currently serves as the building code official.¹ The borough code includes a Uniform Construction Codes chapter, but we could not confirm the designated UCC enforcement agency.⁹

Who handles building permits and zoning in Borough of Montgomery?

Start with Montgomery Borough Codes and Zoning through the Borough Office for the borough’s project-permit requirements.¹ Request the current building application, fee schedule, inspection contact and zoning review requirements before commissioning final construction drawings.¹ The complete borough code is available for viewing at the Borough Office during regular business hours.¹ For land outside borough limits, use the Lycoming County guide and confirm jurisdiction: the county zoning office does not accept zoning applications for every municipality.¹⁰ On-lot sewage permitting follows a separate local-agency system under Pennsylvania’s sewage program.³

Does Borough of Montgomery have zoning, and can you live in an RV?

Borough of Montgomery has a zoning chapter, but we could not confirm the district-specific rules for RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum home size, lot size or setbacks.² Ask Borough Codes and Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and the approval route for the exact proposed use: describe whether the home will be on wheels or a foundation, and whether occupancy will be temporary or permanent.¹ A UCC-regulated residential building cannot be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy from the building code official.⁶

How do septic permits work inside Borough of Montgomery?

Pennsylvania requires a local-agency on-lot sewage permit before installing, contracting for construction, constructing, occupying or using a building served by an individual or community on-lot sewage system, subject to specified exceptions.⁵ Ask Montgomery Borough to identify the local sewage agency and Sewage Enforcement Officer for the address; we could not confirm the borough-specific contact or public-sewer connection requirements.³ A composting toilet does not eliminate wastewater obligations: Pennsylvania requires approved disposal for washwater and excess liquid.¹¹ A newly constructed sewage system generally needs approval from the permit issuer before it is covered.¹²

Building a home in Borough of Montgomery: what comes first?

Use this sequence to organize the approval questions before starting work.

1. Ask Borough Codes and Zoning for the parcel’s zoning requirements and project-permit application.¹
2. If dividing land or proposing land development, ask how the borough’s subdivision and land-development chapter applies.⁸
3. Resolve sewage service; if an on-lot system is proposed, obtain the required local-agency sewage approval before contracting for construction.⁵
4. Obtain the UCC building permit for covered work before construction begins and arrange required inspections while the work remains accessible.⁴¹³
5. Obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before moving into a UCC-regulated home.⁶

What should you check before buying in Borough of Montgomery?

Ask the borough to review floodplain status before planning site work: Pennsylvania requires municipal floodplain-development approval before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area.¹⁴ If a proposed driveway involves state highway land or connects to a PennDOT drainage facility, a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit is required.¹⁵ For a private-water proposal, distinguish Pennsylvania’s driller licensing and rig permits from local approval; the state requirement for commercial water-well drillers does not establish the borough’s private-well rules.¹⁶ Pennsylvania has no statewide license requirement for most construction contractors, but municipalities may impose local licensing or certification requirements; ask the borough about owner-performed work.⁷

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm RV living, tiny-home standards or district dimensions in Borough of Montgomery; request an address-specific answer from Borough Codes and Zoning before buying for that use.²
• A UCC exemption for limited work applies only when the work does not violate another law or ordinance; ask Borough Codes and Zoning about project approval as well.⁴¹

Sources

1. Montgomery Borough Codes and Zoning / Borough Office (montgomeryborough.org)
2. Borough of Montgomery, PA code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Borough of Montgomery), quoted and re-checked
3. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Borough of Montgomery, PA code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Borough of Montgomery), quoted and re-checked
9. Borough of Montgomery, PA code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Borough of Montgomery), quoted and re-checked
10. Zoning Administration, quoted and re-checked
11. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), 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.