Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Somerset, Pennsylvania

Borough of Somerset’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, enlargement, alteration or demolition of structures inside Somerset borough

  • Borough lists exempt items, e.g. no permit for replacement of shingles or hot water heater.
  • UCC permits handled by Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance since January 1, 2019.
  • Larger projects may need other agency permits.

  “permits are required to construct, enlarge, alter, or demolish a structure.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Somerset borough; the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code applies and the borough page says UCC permits are handled by Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance

  • UCC is a statewide code; the borough page describes it and names its third-party administrator.

  “as of january 1, 2019 all permits regulated by the ucc are now handled by pennsylvania municipal code alliance.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Somerset borough, Somerset County, PA

  • Ordinance is titled the Somerset Borough Zoning Ordinance, as amended; adoption date not stated on the page.

  “this ordinance shall apply to the incorporated territory of somerset borough, pennsylvania.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Somerset borough zoning districts

  • Districts R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2 plus flood plain regulations; the district chart page was not retrieved.

  districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2

  “r-1 zoning r-2 zoning r-3 zoning b-1 zoning c-1 zoning c-2 zoning c-3 zoning m-1 zoning m-2 zoning”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District, Somerset borough

  • Guest quarters are permitted only as an accessory use and are not for rent.
  • Other districts (R-2, R-3) not checked.

  “servants quarters and guest quarters (not for rent).”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway construction inside Somerset borough

  • Borough driveway permit; details of the driveway and street openings ordinance not opened.

  “permits are also required for driveway construction, and for fences.”

• Permit processPartial

  Borough permits inside Somerset borough

  • UCC permits are handled by Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance, 318 Georgian Place, Somerset.
  • Larger projects may need state, county conservation district, DEP or zoning hearing board approvals.

  “permit applications may be obtained at the inspections department in the borough building, 347 west union street or printed from our web site.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Somerset or Somerset County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Somerset borough
• Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Somerset borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Somerset borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Somerset borough
• Minimum lot size — R-1 district, Somerset borough

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.