Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

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

Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania (Montgomery County) has its own zoning ordinance and requires a building permit from the township's Building & Permits office for regulated work12. A zoning permit application goes in with every building permit application except roofing and siding3. Septic permits for on-lot systems come from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, not the township4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; apply to the township building official2
Zoning
Township zoning ordinance and zoning map apply15
Zoning permit
Required with every building permit application except roofing and siding3
Septic permit
Montgomery County Office of Public Health4
Well permit
Montgomery County requires an Office of Public Health permit for drinking-water wells6
New home fee
$1,600 building fee for the first 2,000 sq ft, plus $75 zoning (2026 schedule)7
Owner-builder
Pennsylvania licenses no general contractors statewide; township rules not confirmed8
RV / tiny home
Not confirmed; ask the township Building & Permits office9

Who to call

Building permits

Whitemarsh Township Building & Permits

Building permits, zoning permit applications, contractor registration and use & occupancy permit applications inside Whitemarsh Township

610-825-3535

616 Germantown Pike Lafayette Hill, PA 19444

Septic permits

Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH)

On-lot sewage permits and inspections and individual water-supply well permits

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 Whitemarsh Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Whitemarsh Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Whitemarsh Township enforces its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 116 of the township code, adopted in 1957 and amended in its entirety in 19811. Districts are set on the township Zoning Map5. Montgomery County does not zone for its municipalities; each of its 62 municipalities makes land-use and zoning decisions individually10. Dimensional rules differ by district, so look up the parcel's district before assuming a setback or lot size.

We could not confirm the township's rules on RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes or short-term rentals, so ask the township zoning office before planning any of them. Accessory dwelling units appear to be limited to what is permitted within a conservation design subdivision or land development11. Pennsylvania's rules for state park campgrounds do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot.

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

Yes. Anyone who intends to construct, alter, repair, relocate or demolish a building, or install regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, must first apply to the township building official and obtain the permit2. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before any work starts and a certificate of occupancy before a building is used1213. Whitemarsh's Building & Permits office at 616 Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill takes the applications9.

A zoning permit application is required with all building permit applications except roofing and siding projects3. For a new home, the 2026 township schedule lists $1,600 for the first 2,000 square feet, $50 for each additional 200 square feet or fraction, and a $75 zoning fee, with a $4.50 state Act 13 fee where noted7.

How do septic permits work in Whitemarsh Township?

Septic permits for Whitemarsh Township come from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, not the township414. Anyone building or modifying an on-lot sewage disposal system needs that permit15. The process starts with soil probes and percolation tests; if the site is suitable, a septic design and application go to the Office of Public Health for approval16. After installation, the county's Sewage Enforcement Officers inspect the system and give final approval for use17.

We could not confirm whether a given Whitemarsh lot must connect to public sewer, so ask the township building office first; an on-lot permit only matters where a septic system is actually proposed.

Do you need a well permit in Whitemarsh Township?

Montgomery County requires a permit from the Office of Public Health before any drinking-water, irrigation or geothermal well is installed; monitoring, agricultural and test wells are exempt6. The township's 2026 fee schedule separately lists a $25 deep-well permit fee, plus the $4.50 Act 13 fee where noted18.

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

  1. Ask the township Building & Permits office which zoning district the parcel is in and what the zoning ordinance allows there95.
  2. If you will divide the lot, expect a subdivision plan; a single home on an existing lot does not need a land-development application, though other township permitting ordinances may apply19.
  3. If no public sewer is available, start the Office of Public Health on-lot sewage evaluation16.
  4. Submit the building permit application with the zoning permit application3.
  5. Get any state highway driveway permit if the lot fronts a PennDOT road20.
  6. Arrange inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in2122.

What stays with Montgomery County, and what to check before you buy

Montgomery County handles septic and well permits, and its Planning Commission gives advisory review of subdivision and land-development proposals while the township makes the final decision23. For land outside the township, see the Montgomery County page.

A driveway onto a Commonwealth highway needs a state highway occupancy permit noted on the building permit20. Construction in a floodplain needs documentation sealed by a registered design professional24. Montgomery County's median property tax bill is about $5,776 a year, an effective rate of 1.4%2526.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Whitemarsh Township's building code edition, inspection schedule or when a use and occupancy certificate is required; ask the Building & Permits office at 610-825-35359.
  • We could not confirm township rules on RVs, tiny homes, owner-builder work, off-grid sanitation or floodplain permits, so call the township Building & Permits office before buying for any of these9.
  • Pennsylvania's agricultural building exclusion does not cover habitable space, and township zoning may still apply27.

Sources

  1. Chapter 116: Zoning - Township of Whitemarsh, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building, Permitting & Licensing | Whitemarsh Township, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Permit Applications & Requirements | Whitemarsh Township, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. On-Lot Sewage Permitting | Montgomery County, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article III: Enumeration and Boundaries of Districts; Maps; Applicability - Township of Whitemarsh, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  7. 2026 Building, Engineering, and Zoning Fees | Whitemarsh Township, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Whitemarsh Township Building & Permits (whitemarshtwp.org)
  10. Homes For All, quoted and re-checked
  11. Article II: Definitions and Word Usage - Township of Whitemarsh, PA (Whitemarsh 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. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
  15. On-Lot Sewage Permitting | Montgomery County, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  17. On-Lot Sewage Permitting | Montgomery County, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. 2026 Building, Engineering, and Zoning Fees | Whitemarsh Township, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Subdivision & Land Development | Whitemarsh Township, PA (Whitemarsh Township), quoted and re-checked
  20. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
  21. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  22. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  23. Subdivision & Land Development Reviews, quoted and re-checked
  24. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  25. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), 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 Whitemarsh Township

Whitemarsh Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, repair, relocation, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing work inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • The work must be regulated by the Code.
    • The owner or authorized agent must first apply to the building official and obtain the required permit.
    “shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • The zoning ordinance has subsequent amendments noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Whitemarsh 9-26-1957 by Ord. No. 112; amended in its entirety 6-18-1981 by Ord. No. 409. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Whitemarsh Township subject to the Township Zoning Map.

    • Districts are located on the Zoning Maps.
    • The map is titled "Zoning Map, Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania," dated November 2002 or its most recent revision.
    “Such districts are herein enumerated and ratified and confirmed as located on the Zoning Maps.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • The definition limits this use to what is permitted within a conservation design subdivision or land development.
    “as permitted within a conservation design subdivision or land development.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    On-lot sewage disposal systems inside Whitemarsh Township, where an on-lot system is proposed or modified.

    • This claim concerns on-lot sewage disposal systems; it does not establish sewer-availability or mandatory-connection rules.
    “The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act #537 requires residents planning to construct or modify an on-lot sewage disposal system to obtain a permit from the Office of Public Health. (OPH)”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction or modification of an on-lot sewage disposal system inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • Applicant must obtain a permit from Montgomery County Office of Public Health.
    • If the site is suitable, a septic-system design and application must be submitted for OPH approval.
    “requires residents [...] to obtain a permit”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Installed on-lot sewage disposal systems inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • Inspection follows permit approval and installation.
    • OPH Sewage Enforcement Officers inspect the installed system and provide final approval for use.
    “If the site is suitable, a septic system design and application must be submitted for OPH approval. Upon permit approval, OPH Sewage Enforcement Officers (SEOs) will inspect the installed system and provide final approval for use.”
  • Well permitLimited

    Deep wells inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • The published schedule specifically identifies deep-well permits; no broader well rule was established.

    deep well permit fee: 25 USD · PA Act 13 fee: 4.5 USD (Where noted in the fee schedule.)

    “Deep Well Permits | $25.00 Act 13 | $4.50”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • A single home on an existing lot does not require a land-development application under the cited page, but may remain subject to other township permitting ordinances.
    • Plans are reviewed for compliance with the Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, Stormwater Ordinance, and other applicable requirements.
    “A subdivision plan is required whenever a landowner wants to divide his / her property”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Township building, zoning, engineering, and related permits inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • A $4.50 fee is assessed under PA Act 13 of 2004 where noted.
    • The page is expressly titled 2026 Building, Engineering, and Zoning Fees.

    new residential dwelling fee, first 2,000 square feet: 1600 USD (Additional 200 square feet or fraction is $50; zoning and Act 13 fees are separately listed.) · residential zoning fee for new dwelling: 75 USD

    “New Dwelling - RESIDENTIAL First 2,000 Sq. Ft. | $1,600.00 Each Additional 200 Sq. Ft. or Fraction Thereof. | $50.00 Zoning | $75.00 Act 13 | $4.50”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Whitemarsh Township.

    • A zoning permit application is required for all building-permit applications except roofing and siding projects.
    • Applicant must meet all requirements applicable to the project.
    “a Zoning Permit Application is required for all Building Permit Applications”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Whitemarsh Township.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Whitemarsh Township.
  • Inspections — Building construction inside Whitemarsh Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Whitemarsh Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Whitemarsh Township.
8 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • 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 Whitemarsh Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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