Zoning, building permits and septic in Fallowfield Township, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, township zoning chapter (districts A-1, R-1, R-2, B-1, I-1, I-2)¹⁵

Building permit

Required; township adopts the state Uniform Construction Code²³

Septic permits

Local agency under Act 537; confirm which one with the township⁴

Minimum lot, A-1

0.75 acre⁶

Minimum lot, R-1

0.5 acre⁷

Owner-builder

Owners may build their own primary residence; no statewide contractor license⁸

Who to call

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

Does Fallowfield Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Fallowfield Township, Pennsylvania has a zoning chapter adopted by its Board of Supervisors¹. Its use table is organized by A-1, R-1, R-2, B-1, I-1 and I-2 districts⁵. Washington County itself does not zone; each municipality enacts and administers its own rules⁹.

Dimensional rules depend on the district. In the A-1 Agricultural District the minimum lot is 0.75 acre⁶, with a 25-foot front setback, 30-foot side yards and a 15-foot rear yard¹⁰. Lot coverage is capped at 25%¹¹ and buildings at 35 feet¹². In R-1 Single-Family Residential the minimum lot is 0.5 acre⁷, with a 35-foot front setback, 10-foot sides and a 15-foot rear¹³, 40% coverage¹⁴ and the same 35-foot height limit¹⁵.

We could not confirm the township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or a minimum house size. Ask the township office before buying.

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

Fallowfield Township adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code². Pennsylvania requires a UCC building permit before construction starts³, and a certificate of occupancy before the building is used¹⁶. Agricultural buildings are excluded from the UCC, but that exclusion does not exempt them from zoning, septic or floodplain rules¹⁷.

The township sets how the code is enforced by resolution, and sets fees the same way¹⁸¹⁹. We could not confirm the current fee schedule or the name of the code office, so start with the²⁰ and ask for the permit forms.

How do septic permits work in Fallowfield Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before an on-lot septic system is installed or a building served by one is occupied²¹. A local agency can be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a health department⁴. Washington County has no countywide health department running septic permits²². We could not confirm which agency or Sewage Enforcement Officer serves Fallowfield Township, so ask the township office.

Soils matter: USDA rates only about 0.2% of the soils in Washington County as not limited for a conventional drain field²³. Expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system.

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

1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, setback and coverage limits with the township office¹.
2. If you are dividing land, check the township's subdivision chapter²⁴; the Washington County Planning Commission also reviews subdivision plans for environmental concerns²⁵.
3. Arrange septic approval with the local agency²¹.
4. Get the UCC building permit³.
5. If the driveway meets a state highway, apply for a PennDOT permit²⁶.
6. Pass inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy¹⁶.

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

For land outside the township, see the Washington County page. Inside Fallowfield, the county does not set zoning⁹, but its Planning Commission reviews subdivision plans²⁵. Construction in a flood plain needs sealed documentation with the UCC permit²⁷. Washington County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%²⁸, with a median bill of $2,445 a year²⁹. Private wells: homeowners may drill their own, and the state sets no construction standards for private wells³⁰.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Fallowfield Township's rules on RV living, tiny homes, driveways, floodplain permits or wells; ask the township office before you buy²⁰.
• The township's zoning chapter has a driveway section and an occupancy permit section we could not read in full, so confirm both with the township office²⁰.

Sources

1. Chapter 400: Zoning — Township of Fallowfield, PA (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Chapter 175: Construction Codes, Uniform — Township of Fallowfield, PA (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
5. Chapter 400 Attachment 2: Table 2, Use Authorization Table (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Chapter 400 Attachment 1: Table 1, Lot, Area and Dimensional Standards (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 400 Attachment 1: Table 1, Lot, Area and Dimensional Standards (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Washington County PA - Planning / Subdivision & Land Development (2026 county census)
10. ecode360.com (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
11. Chapter 400 Attachment 1: Table 1, Lot, Area and Dimensional Standards (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
12. ecode360.com (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
13. ecode360.com (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
14. Chapter 400 Attachment 1: Table 1, Lot, Area and Dimensional Standards (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
15. ecode360.com (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
16. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
17. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, quoted and re-checked
18. Chapter 175: Construction Codes, Uniform — Township of Fallowfield, PA (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
19. Chapter 175: Construction Codes, Uniform — Township of Fallowfield, PA (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
20. Fallowfield Township office (fallowfieldtownship.org)
21. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. PA DEP - Sewage Enforcement Officers (Act 537) (2026 county census)
23. 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
24. Chapter 350: Subdivision and Land Development — Township of Fallowfield, PA (Fallowfield Township), quoted and re-checked
25. Subdivision and Land Development Review Application, quoted and re-checked
26. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
30. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (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.