Zoning, building permits and septic rules in West Finley Township, Pennsylvania

West Finley Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New single-family home construction inside West Finley township, including manufactured and mobile homes; permit issued through the township's building code agent.

  • Permits page states certain items are in the process of being updated and may vary.
  • Permits page states: harshman ce group, llc is the building (bci) for the township; permit applications are submitted to the township office.
  • Permit approval is reviewed at the supervisors' monthly meeting per the permits page process text.

  “a building permit is required for the following types of construction: all new home construction, including manufactured and mobile homes”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building permits issued for work inside West Finley township, including new home construction.

  • Inspections are performed by the township building code official (BCO) as stated on the permits page; specific inspection stages were not listed.

  “all building permits will require inspections by the bco”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside West Finley township limits (Washington County, PA): the township administers its own adopted zoning ordinance.

  • Township home page states the zoning ordinance was adopted as of February 9, 2026; the ordinance text itself was not opened, so district standards are not recorded here.
  • Zoning enforcement is directed to Harshman Engineering on the home page (phone 734-993-4505); the permits page lists Harshman CE Group, LLC at 724-993-4505 as the building code agent. Phone numbers differ between the two pages; verify before use.

  “west finley township has adopted zoning ordinance as of february 9, 2026.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural excluded buildings inside West Finley township (building permit route, not a general exemption from township permits).

  • Agricultural excluded buildings require a separate agricultural exclusion addendum attached to the township permit, per the permits page.
  • Recreational cabins also use a separate addendum on the permits page; this claim does not extend to them.

  “agricultural excluded buildings (separate addendum must be attached to this permit)”

• Permit processPartial

  Residential building and variance permit applications inside West Finley township.

  • Incomplete forms are returned to the applicant.
  • The permits page states that certain items are in the process of being updated and may vary; process published only in part.
  • Variance applications are reviewed by the supervisors at their monthly meeting.

  “any incomplete form will be returned to the applicant. the permit will be reviewed and approved/denied at the following supervisors’ monthly meeting.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for residential construction inside West Finley township.
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies inside West Finley township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside West Finley township.
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and list for West Finley township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district of West Finley 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.