Chestnuthill Township, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, sets its own zoning under Chapter 119 of the township code1. The township also administers and enforces Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, so building permits are handled locally2. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency, not the county planning office; ask the township office to confirm who issues them for your lot3.
At a glance
- Zoning
- Yes, township zoning with districts such as CR, RR, R-1 and R-21
- Building permit
- Required; the township enforces the state Uniform Construction Code2
- Inspections
- Required for permitted construction4
- Lot size and setbacks
- Set by zoning district in the township's dimensional table56
- Septic permit
- Required; issued by a local agency under Act 5373
- Driveway on a state road
- PennDOT highway occupancy permit7
Who to call
Building permits
Township zoning, building code administration and the starting point for septic questions in Chestnuthill Township
271 Route 715 PO Box 243 Brodheadsville, PA 18322
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Chestnuthill 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.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Does Chestnuthill Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?
Yes. Chestnuthill Township divides its land into zoning districts, including CR, RR, R-1 and R-2, under Chapter 119 of the township code1. The table of permitted uses and the dimensional table are attachments to that chapter8.
Minimum lot area and setbacks depend on the district your parcel sits in, so no single number applies township-wide56. The township also sets a separate setback from creeks6. Whether an RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling is allowed on a parcel is answered by that permitted-use table, and we could not confirm those answers; ask the township office listed below which district your parcel is in and what the table allows.
Do you need a building permit in Chestnuthill Township, and who issues it?
Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code applies to builders across the state9. Chestnuthill Township has elected to administer and enforce that code itself2, so the township, not Monroe County, is where building permits and required inspections are handled4.
Monroe County's planning department does not issue building or zoning permits; it keeps model ordinances and a municipal directory10. We could not confirm the township's own permit fees or application steps; the Chestnuthill Township office can give you its fee schedule11.
How do septic permits work inside Chestnuthill Township?
In Pennsylvania, local agencies issue permits for individual on-lot sewage systems, and a local agency may be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department12. A septic permit is required before installing a system or occupying a building that depends on one3.
The township code has a chapter on individual sewage disposal systems, and we could not confirm from it who issues permits for your lot11. Ask the township office which agency and sewage enforcement officer cover your address. Statewide, a permit exemption can apply to a residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, with owner-of-record and siting conditions attached13. Soils are a real constraint: only 3.4% of Monroe County's soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so plan for a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system14.
Building a home in Chestnuthill Township: the steps, in order
- Ask the township office which zoning district your parcel is in and what the permitted-use and dimensional tables allow8.
- Get a septic site evaluation and permit from the local sewage agency before you design the house around a system3.
- Apply to the township for a building permit under the Uniform Construction Code2.
- If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required before access is permitted7.
- Schedule the required inspections as work proceeds4.
- Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone uses the building15.
What stays with Monroe County, and what to check before you buy?
Zoning and subdivision rules are municipal in Monroe County: all 20 municipalities have their own zoning and subdivision ordinances10. For land outside Chestnuthill Township, start at the Monroe County page and the township or borough where the parcel sits.
Pennsylvania has no state permit requirement for homeowners drilling their own private water well, though licensed drillers do need licenses16. Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%17. Ask the township office about floodplain mapping and subdivision rules before you close.
Watch-outs
- Lot-size, setback, RV, tiny-home and accessory-dwelling answers sit in attached tables of the township's zoning chapter that we could not confirm; ask the Chestnuthill Township office before you buy5.
- Do not rely on Monroe County for building or zoning questions inside the township; the township handles them21.
- Septic permits are issued by a local agency and are required before occupancy; confirm which agency covers your lot3.
Sources
- Chestnuthill Township Code, Ch. 119 Zoning, Art. III Establishment and Regulation of Districts (Chestnuthill Township), quoted and re-checked
- Chestnuthill Township Code, Ch. 41 Construction Codes, Uniform (Chestnuthill Township), quoted and re-checked
- Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
- Chestnuthill Township Code, Ch. 41 Construction Codes, Uniform (Chestnuthill Township), quoted and re-checked
- Chestnuthill Township Code, Ch. 119 Zoning, Art. III Establishment and Regulation of Districts (Chestnuthill Township), quoted and re-checked
- Chestnuthill Township Code, Ch. 119 Zoning, Art. III Establishment and Regulation of Districts (Chestnuthill Township), quoted and re-checked
- Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Chestnuthill Township Code, Ch. 119 Zoning, Art. III Establishment and Regulation of Districts (Chestnuthill Township), quoted and re-checked
- Uniform Construction Code (UCC) (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- 2025 Annual Report, quoted and re-checked
- Chestnuthill Township office (monroecountypa.gov)
- Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
- 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
- Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
- Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
Written October 14, 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.