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

Springfield Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, or a change of use of a building or lot inside Springfield Township.

  • A permit must be secured from the Building Inspector before construction, alteration, or a use change.
  • The application is written, filed by the owner or authorized agent, and must include the stated plans, documents, and information needed for compliance.
  • No permit issues until the Building Inspector certifies compliance with the zoning chapter, Building Code, and other applicable ordinances.

  “Permits required. No building shall be constructed or altered in the Township, or the use of any building or lot changed, until a building permit has been secured from the Building Inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

  • The adopted code is the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405, as amended, with Township additions, insertions, deletions, and changes.
  • Subsequent editions or successor codes are adopted as provided under Act 45, Section 304.

  “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is herby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of the Township of Springfield, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with additions, insertions, deletions and changes as prescribed in this chapter.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Springfield Township.

  • The boundaries are shown on the attached Zoning Map, which is made part of Chapter 114.

  number of districts: 17

  “For the purpose of this chapter, the Township of Springfield is hereby divided into 17 districts, which shall be designated as follows:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Springfield Township.

  • The adopted Township chapter includes submission and recording of plans, plan-content requirements, filing fees and escrow deposits, final-plan approval, and construction-permit provisions.

  “Article II Submission of Plans § 95-4 Submission and recording of plans required. § 95-5 Public hearing; modifications prior to approval. § 95-6 Preliminary plan requirements. § 95-7 Contents of preliminary and final plans. § 95-8 Filing date; fees; escrow deposits.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or development anywhere within Springfield Township, including the Floodplain Conservation District.

  • A permit must be obtained from the Floodplain Administrator before the undertaking.
  • The Floodplain Conservation District applies to areas subject to one-percent-annual-chance flooding as delineated in the stated FEMA map and subsequent revisions, plus specified soils.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the Township of Springfield unless a permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.”

Rules another office applies inside Springfield Township

Springfield 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 sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the AA Residence District inside Springfield Township.

  • Applies to every building thereafter erected, altered, or used in whole or part as a dwelling.

  minimum lot area per family: >= 25000 square feet

  “Lot area. A lot area of not less than 25,000 square feet per family shall be provided for every building hereafter erected, altered or used in whole or in part as a dwelling.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Buildings in the AA Residence District inside Springfield Township.

  maximum building area: <= 15 percent of lot area

  “Building area. The building area shall not exceed 15% of the lot area.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  A development using the AA Residence District design alternative under § 114-45 inside Springfield Township.

  • The development must be designed under § 114-45.

  “A development designed under the provisions of this section must be served by public water and sanitary sewer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Springfield Township.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Springfield Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Springfield Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential zoning districts inside Springfield Township.
• Building height — Residential zoning districts inside Springfield Township.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Springfield 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.

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