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

Hempfield Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA limits (not Westmoreland County Hempfield Township, not unincorporated Mercer County)

  • The copy is a PDF hosted by the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission; the adoption date on the certification page is blank and the township's own site was not located, so current adoption status is unverified.
  • Ordinance text states the zoning ordinance takes effect ten days after adoption by the Hempfield township board of supervisors; no adoption date is stated, so effective_at is null.

  “the zoning ordinance shall take effect ten (10) days after the date of adoption by the board of supervisors of hempfield township, mercer county, pennsylvania.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA

  • Section 501 lists R-1 rural residential and agriculture, R-2 single family residential, R-3 multi-family residential; article III also lists commercial, industrial and mixed-use districts. Official zoning map was not read as text.

  “zoning district r-1 rural residential & agricultural r-2 single family residential r-3 residentialmulti family”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All dwelling units in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA

  • Section 600.1 also requires all dwelling structures to be placed on a basement foundation, concrete pad, piers, or other permanent foundation with footings to a minimum depth of 36 inches and anchored to withstand 15 psf wind pressure.

  minimum floor area per dwelling unit: >= 750 square feet

  “a dwelling unit shall have a minimum floor area of 750 square feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in all zoning districts in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA

  • Section 500.1 applies in all districts; Section 600.8 allows building-mounted communications antennas to exceed the district height limit by no more than 20 feet, but not on single-family or two-family dwellings.

  maximum building height: <= 40 feet (or three (3) stories, whichever is stated in the rule)

  “500.1: maximum height of structures in all districts is forty (40) feet or three (3) stories.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  New or expanded mobile home parks in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA

  • Mobile home park plans must be approved by the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission and a copy submitted to the zoning officer before a permit issues.
  • Single manufactured homes on individual lots are not addressed in the excerpted text; that use was not confirmed.

  “a copy of the final plan of the mobile home park indicating approval of the mercer county regional planning commission shall be submitted to the zoning officer prior to issuance of a permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA

  • Zoning officer is the township official who administers the zoning ordinance; building-permit and fee procedure not found in the ordinance excerpts read.

  “a copy of the final plan of the mobile home park indicating approval of the mercer county regional planning commission shall be submitted to the zoning officer prior to issuance of a permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Hempfield Township

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of lots inside Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA; the rule is the Mercer County subdivision and land development ordinance, which the township zoning ordinance incorporates

  • Subdivision is permitted only if it complies with the township zoning ordinance and the Mercer County subdivision and land development ordinance.
  • New mobile home parks must also comply with the mobile home park provisions of the Mercer County subdivision and land development ordinance.

  “the subdivision of lot(s) shall only be permissible if in accordance with this zoning ordinance and the mercer county subdivision and land development ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA
• Building code adopted — Building code enforcement in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA
• Inspections — Building inspections in Hempfield township, Mercer County, PA
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Hempfield 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.