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

Delaware Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  All building construction inside Delaware township, Mercer County, PA, under the PA Construction Code Act (Act 45 of 1999)

  • Township elected to administer and enforce the PA Construction Code Act and adopted the Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code chapters 401-405) as its municipal building code.
  • Administration may be by a designated municipal code official, retained construction code officials or third-party agencies, an intermunicipal agreement, a contract, or an agreement with PA Department of Labor and Industry for plan review and inspection of structures other than one- and two-family dwellings and utility and miscellaneous use structures, as the governing body decides by resolution.
  • Board of appeals is to be set up by resolution, or jointly if enforcement is shared. Ordinance 08-04 (Aug. 4, 2004) creates a tri-county association for appeals under Act 45.
  • Ordinance takes effect five days after passage.

  “the uniform construction code, contained in 34 pa. code, chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this municipality.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  All new construction in Delaware township, Mercer County, PA, measured from the center of the road

  • The forms page states that all new construction has a setback of 75 feet from the center of the road, citing Ordinance #11-2003 (establishing minimum set back lines, Nov. 5, 2003).
  • No side-yard, rear-yard or district-specific setbacks were found. Zoning status is unknown, so no zoning district limits are claimed.

  setback from center of road: 75 feet

  “all new construction has a setback of 75′ from the center of the road (ordinance #11-2003).”

• Septic permitRequired

  On-site (individual) sewage disposal systems installed inside Delaware township, Mercer County, PA

  • Ordinance 3-2006-01 (Mar. 1, 2006) requires permits for all on-site septic systems installed within the township under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
  • The same ordinance eliminates permit-exempt systems under the Act for lands of ten acres or more.
  • Permit administration runs through the Mercer County Joint Sewage Agency (Ordinance 21-1989).

  “an ordinance for the purpose of providing for the requirement that all on-site septic systems installed within the township, shall require permits pursuant to the pennsylvania sewage facilities act”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Private driveways that connect to a public highway in Delaware township, Mercer County, PA (culverts)

  • Ordinance 12-96 (Dec. 4, 1996) amends and supplements ordinance #4 to regulate culvert installation and maintenance across private driveways from a public highway, with penalties for violation.
  • No general driveway-access permit or access standard was found; the ordinance text was not opened.

  “amending and supplementing ordinance # 4; regulating the installation and maintenance of culverts across private driveways leading from a public highway and providing penalties for violation thereof”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Fees for township administration and enforcement of the Uniform Construction Code in Delaware township, Mercer County, PA

  • Under Ordinance 06-04 section 6, fees are set by the governing body by resolution from time to time.
  • No published fee schedule was found on the pages opened. The current resolution was not located.

  “shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time”

Rules another office applies inside Delaware Township

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

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Sewage enforcement for on-site sewage systems inside Delaware township, Mercer County, PA

  • The township agreed (Ordinance 21-1989, Feb. 1, 1989) with other Mercer County municipalities to operate the Mercer County Joint Sewage Agency to perform the duties and enforce the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
  • The township forms page lists a Mercer County Joint Sewage Agency application process for sewage permits.

  “an agreement of cooperation with other municipalities of mercer county to operate the mercer county joint sewage agency to perform the duties and enforce the requirements of the pennsylvania sewage facilities act”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or inspection in Delaware township, Mercer County, PA
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Delaware township, Mercer County, PA
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings in Delaware township, Mercer County, PA
• Local zoning — Land inside Delaware township, Mercer County, PA (Greenville address, 53 Oniontown Road)
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts in Delaware township, Mercer County, PA

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.