Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania

Upper Dublin Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Upper Dublin Township.

  • The Township code modifies the International Building Code provisions identified in § 73-2.

  “Changes from the International Building Code, to the Building Code of the Township of Upper Dublin, are as follows:”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Construction projects proposing new or expanded plumbing/sewage facilities inside Upper Dublin Township.

  • DEP must approve sewage planning through a planning-module approval or exemption, or state that planning is not required, before a certificate of occupancy may issue.

  “No building permit, certificate of occupancy, [...] may be issued until sewage planning has been approved by DEP”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Trailer-house or mobile-home parking and occupancy on lots inside Upper Dublin Township.

  • A trailer/mobile home otherwise must be in an approved trailer park or meet single-family-dwelling requirements.
  • Temporary residential-district parking requires a Building Inspector permit, owner/lessee ownership, one unit per lot, written approval of location and length, no ground attachment, no utility connection, and no residential use or occupancy.
  • The permit may not exceed one calendar year and may be revoked.

  maximum temporary-parking permit period: <= 1 calendar year (May be revoked by the Building Inspector.)

  “The trailer house is not used for residential use or occupancy.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage disposal for subdivisions, land development, and individual lots inside Upper Dublin Township.

  • Private facilities must comply with Act 537.
  • DEP regulates appropriate sewage disposal in unsewered areas.
  • The Township code additionally specifies well and setback conditions for on-lot disposal.

  minimum septic system distance from drilled well: >= 100 feet (A septic tank, tile field, or other effluent disseminating system.) · minimum septic system distance from dwelling or property line: >= 10 feet (A septic tank, tile field, or other effluent disseminating system.)

  “such private facilities must be installed [...] in accordance with the provisions of Act 537”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Subdivisions and land developments inside Upper Dublin Township.

  • Sewers must be installed whenever practicable following DEP plan review and approval.
  • Where consistent with the Township Sewage Facilities Plan, each building must be connected to public sewer at the applicant's or subdivider's expense.

  “connected to a public sanitary sewer system”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Plumbing and sewer permits inside Upper Dublin Township.

  • A reinspection fee applies when the applicant fails to comply with code requirements or promptly correct defects after initial inspections.

  sewer lateral connection/tapping/reinstallation/repair fee: 75 USD · closure of existing septic tank or cesspool fee: 50 USD · reinspection fee: 100 USD (Failure to comply with code requirements or expeditiously correct defects after initial inspections.)

  “Sewer lateral connection, tapping, re-installation, or repair | $75 [...] Closure of existing septic tank, cesspool | $50 [...] Reinspection* | $100”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New residential building construction inside Upper Dublin Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Upper Dublin Township.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Upper Dublin Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in the B Residential District inside Upper Dublin Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Upper Dublin 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 Upper Dublin 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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