Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

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

Hatfield Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 282 of the township code1. Building permits are issued by the township's Building, Planning & Zoning Department under the state Uniform Construction Code23. Septic permits and well permits come from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, not the township45.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for most construction; issued by the township23
Zoning
Township zoning (Chapter 282) applies; ER and RA-1 to RA-3 residential districts16
Septic
Montgomery County Office of Public Health permits on-lot systems4
Wells
County Office of Public Health permit required before drilling5
Driveways
Township driveway permit required, with a narrow owner-work exception7
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor licence for an owner's own primary residence8

Who to call

Building permits

Hatfield Township Building, Planning & Zoning Department

Building permits, inspections, certificates of occupancy and zoning questions inside Hatfield Township

215-855-0900

1950 School Road Hatfield, PA 19440

Septic permits

Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH)

On-lot sewage permits and inspections and well permits for Montgomery County, including Hatfield Township

610-278-5117

[email protected]

1430 DeKalb Street, PO Box 311, Norristown, PA, 19404-0311

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Hatfield Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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 Hatfield Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Hatfield Township enforces its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 282 of the township code, and the Board of Commissioners can amend it1. Montgomery County does not zone for its municipalities; the county's 62 municipalities make land-use and zoning decisions individually9.

The ordinance sets up separate residential districts, including ER, RA-1, RA-2 and RA-36. Lot area, width, yards, coverage and height are set district by district, so the numbers depend on which district a parcel sits in1011. We could not confirm the figures, nor the township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum house size. Ask the zoning officer at the Building, Planning & Zoning Department before you buy3.

Do you need a building permit in Hatfield Township, and who issues it?

Yes. Hatfield Township has adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code2, and the UCC requires a building permit before construction or building work begins12. The township's Building, Planning & Zoning Department issues the permits3. A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a building can be used13.

The township sets its permit fees by Board of Commissioners resolution, so ask for the current schedule of fees14. Residential permit applications take about 15 business days to review, and every permit requires inspections3.

The township's rules apply inside Hatfield Township. For land outside it, see the Montgomery County page.

How do septic permits work inside Hatfield Township?

Septic permits are not a township function. The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act requires a permit from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health to build or modify an on-lot sewage system15. Applications go to the Sewage Enforcement Officer for the applicant's territory4.

The county process starts with soil probes and percolation tests, then a septic design and application for approval if the soils are suitable15. Inspection follows installation16. Across Montgomery County about 28% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a careful site evaluation17.

We could not confirm how the township's On-lot Sewage Management Program works day to day; ask the Office of Public Health18.

Who handles driveways, wells and flood rules in Hatfield Township?

A private driveway cannot be built, enlarged or altered without a township permit. The exception covers only owner-performed work that has no activity in the township right-of-way and uses no rubber-tired or track equipment or mechanical rollers7. A driveway onto a state highway also needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit19.

Drinking-water, irrigation and geothermal wells need a Montgomery County Office of Public Health permit before installation5. Construction in a floodplain requires documentation sealed by a registered design professional20. We could not confirm the township's floodplain permit steps; ask the township office3.

Building a home in Hatfield Township: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the township zoning officer which district the parcel is in and what it allows3.
  2. If the lot is not on public sewer, start the soil probes and percolation tests with the Montgomery County Office of Public Health15.
  3. Apply for the township building permit and the township driveway permit27.
  4. Get the well permit from the Office of Public Health if the property needs a private well5.
  5. Pass the inspections, then obtain the certificate of occupancy13.

What to check before you buy land in Hatfield Township

Hatfield Township sits in Montgomery County, where density averages about 1,799 people per square mile and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 16 miles from the county center2122. Expect suburban zoning rather than rural freedom. The typical home in the county is worth about $504,17923, and the effective property tax rate is 1.4%24.

On the legal side, confirm the zoning district, whether public sewer reaches the lot, any floodplain mapping, and any subdivision requirement: subdivisions go through the township's land-development process25. Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor licence for an owner building their own primary residence8.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the township's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, short-term rentals or minimum dwelling size; call the zoning officer at the township Building, Planning & Zoning Department3.
  • The numeric lot-size, setback and height standards depend on the zoning district and were not confirmed here11.

Sources

  1. Chapter 282: Zoning - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 112: Construction Codes, Uniform - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Hatfield Township Building, Planning & Zoning Department (hatfield.org)
  4. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  5. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 282: Zoning - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 127: Driveways - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Contractor Licensing (2026 county census)
  9. Homes For All, quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 282: Zoning - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 282: Zoning - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 112: Construction Codes, Uniform - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  17. 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
  18. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
  19. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
  20. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  21. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Chapter 250: Subdivision and Land Development - Township of Hatfield, PA (Hatfield Township), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Hatfield Township

Hatfield Township’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction within Hatfield Township.

    • The adopted code is the Uniform Construction Code in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, plus local adoptions, modifications, and appendixes.
    “The Uniform Construction Code contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the Municipal Building Code of Hatfield Township, together with the following adoptions, modifications, and appendixes:”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Hatfield Township, Pennsylvania.

    • Chapter 282 is the Township zoning ordinance; amendments and enforcement are subject to the Township Board of Commissioners' ordinance authority.
    “This ordinance also provided that the Township Board of Commissioners reserves the right, from time to time, to adopt modifications of, supplements to, or amendments of its ordinance, including this provision, and that the failure of the Township to enforce any provision of this chapter shall not constitute a waiver by the Township of its rights of future enforcement hereunder.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Hatfield Township.

    • The published zoning chapter includes residential districts and separate district-specific regulations.
    “Article IV ER Residential District [...] Article V RA-1 Residential District [...] Article VI RA-2 Residential District [...] Article VII RA-3 Residential District”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Construction, enlargement, or alteration of a private driveway inside Hatfield Township.

    • The permit provision does not apply only when all of these apply: work is performed by the property owner; no activity occurs within the Township ultimate right-of-way; and no rubber-tired equipment, track equipment, or mechanical rollers are used.
    “Before any private driveway may be constructed, enlarged or altered a permit shall be obtained from the Township. [...] The work is performed by the property owner. [...] The work involves no activity within the Hatfield Township ultimate right-of-way. [...] The work does not involve the use of rubber tired equipment, track equipment or mechanical rollers.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Fees for Township Uniform Construction Code administration and enforcement.

    • Fees are established by Board of Commissioners resolution from time to time.
    “Fees assessable by Hatfield Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and its regulations shall be established by the Board of Commissioners by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Subdivision and land-development applications inside Hatfield Township.

    • The published chapter index identifies sketch-plan, preliminary-plan, final-plan, minor-subdivision, land-development, public-hearing, appeal, and recording procedures; operative procedural requirements were not extracted.
    “Article III Plan Procedures § 250-7 Purpose of sketch plan phase. § 250-8 Sketch plan procedure. § 250-9 Preliminary plan procedure. § 250-10 Final plan procedure. § 250-11 Minor subdivision procedure. § 250-12 Land development plan procedure.”

Rules another office applies inside Hatfield Township

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

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    ER Residential District inside Hatfield Township.

    • The district has separately published lot-area and width regulations; the numeric standards were not extracted in the opened index material.
    “Article IV ER Residential District § 282-11 Designation of district; applicability. § 282-12 Use regulations. § 282-13 Lot area and width regulations.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    ER Residential District inside Hatfield Township.

    • The district has separately published yard regulations; the numeric standards were not extracted in the opened index material.
    “§ 282-13 Lot area and width regulations. § 282-14 Yard regulations. § 282-15 Coverage regulations. § 282-16 Height regulations.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    ER Residential District inside Hatfield Township.

    • The district has separately published coverage regulations; the numeric standard was not extracted in the opened index material.
    “§ 282-13 Lot area and width regulations. § 282-14 Yard regulations. § 282-15 Coverage regulations. § 282-16 Height regulations.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    ER Residential District inside Hatfield Township.

    • The district has separately published height regulations; the numeric standard was not extracted in the opened index material.
    “§ 282-13 Lot area and width regulations. § 282-14 Yard regulations. § 282-15 Coverage regulations. § 282-16 Height regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential building construction inside Hatfield Township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hatfield Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Hatfield Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Hatfield Township.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Hatfield Township.
13 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Hatfield Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Montgomery County: county rules, score and offices