Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Avalon borough, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes: Tri-Borough Joint Zoning Ordinance (Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon)¹

Building code

Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the borough²

Building permit

Required before starting construction work⁴

Permit fees

Set by borough council resolution; schedule not located⁵

Minimum lot (R-L, single family)

6,000 sq ft⁶

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department³

Owner-builder

Yes: no statewide contractor license for an owner's own primary residence⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does Avalon, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Avalon borough is divided into zoning districts under the Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance, which it shares with Bellevue and Ben Avon¹. The published districts are R-L, R-M, R-H, MU, C-NC, C-HC, C-BE, C-MW, COS and T⁸.

Dimensions depend on the district. In the R-L low density residential district, a single-family lot needs at least 6,000 square feet, building coverage tops out at 40 percent, and buildings may reach 35 feet⁶⁹¹⁰. Duplex and multi-family lots in R-L need 3,000 square feet⁶. R-M and R-H allow smaller single-family lots, and R-H allows taller buildings⁶¹⁰.

Yard setbacks are set in the ordinance's Table IV for residential districts¹¹. We could not confirm the district-by-district figures, so ask the borough office for the setbacks on your parcel.

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

Yes, building work in Avalon is covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, which the borough adopted as its municipal building code². The UCC requires a building permit before starting construction or building work, and a certificate of occupancy before a building can be used⁴¹². Inspections are required for construction or changes to residential buildings and for electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems¹³.

The borough sets who administers the code by council resolution, which can be an employee, a third-party agency or an intermunicipal agreement². We could not confirm which one applies today, so call the Avalon borough administration office¹⁴.

Permit fees are set by borough council resolution, and we did not locate the current schedule⁵. Allegheny County does not issue building permits for Avalon; it directs applicants to file with the municipality where the work happens¹⁴.

How do septic permits work in Avalon, PA?

Septic permits for on-lot systems in Allegheny County are issued by the Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act³. A permit from the Health Department is needed before any on-lot disposal is built¹⁵.

In a dense borough, public sewer is the likelier situation. Under county rules, continued use of an individual system is unlawful when any part of the building is within 150 feet of an available public sewer¹⁶. We could not confirm the borough's own sewer connection rules, so ask the borough office whether your lot is sewered.

The county's Plumbing Program is the contact point at 412-578-8036¹⁷. Plumbing work also needs a permit and a final inspection¹⁸.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Avalon?

We could not confirm it. The joint zoning ordinance's use table, which would answer RV occupancy, tiny homes and accessory dwellings inside Avalon, has not been verified¹. Pennsylvania's rules for RVs cover state park campgrounds, not living on a residential lot¹⁹.

Before parking an RV for living space or planning a tiny home, ask the borough administration office, which handles zoning questions through the zoning hearing board¹⁴. Manufactured homes installed on a lot still fall under the UCC for utility connections, grading and additions, though local siting rules are separate²⁰.

Building a home in Avalon: the steps, in order

1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and its lot, coverage, height and setback rules with the borough office⁸¹¹.
2. Ask the borough office who administers the building code and what fees apply²⁵.
3. If the lot is on a state road, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required for driveway access²¹.
4. If the parcel is in a floodplain, a registered design professional must prepare sealed floodplain documentation²².
5. Get the building permit before work starts, and schedule the required inspections⁴¹³.
6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before using the building¹².
7. Public electric or gas connection requires written proof that the building passed inspection²³.

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

Septic permits come from the Allegheny County Health Department³. Plumbing permits are also a county matter²⁴. Highway occupancy permits are required for construction in a county right-of-way²⁵.

For rules on land outside the borough, see the Allegheny County page. County figures are not specific to Avalon: Allegheny County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%²⁶, and the median property tax bill is $3,399 per year²⁷.

Before buying, check the zoning district, any floodplain mapping and whether the lot has public sewer. The borough also lists an unconfirmed short-term rental amendment, so ask about rentals if you plan one.

Watch-outs

• The joint zoning ordinance we reviewed is dated August 2009, and later amendments may exist; confirm current rules with the borough office¹.
• Who administers building permits in Avalon is set by council resolution and we could not confirm it, so call the borough office before applying².
• A zoning hearing board appeal can decide whether a vacant lot in the COS civic and open space district is buildable, so check the district before you buy⁸.

Sources

1. The Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (August 2009), Avalon/Bellevue/Ben Avon (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
2. Chapter 155: Construction Codes - Borough of Avalon, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
3. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
4. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
5. Chapter 155: Construction Codes - Borough of Avalon, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
6. The Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (August 2009), Avalon/Bellevue/Ben Avon (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
7. Contractor Licensing (2026 county census)
8. The Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (August 2009), Avalon/Bellevue/Ben Avon (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
9. The Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (August 2009), Avalon/Bellevue/Ben Avon (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
10. The Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (August 2009), Avalon/Bellevue/Ben Avon (Borough of Avalon), quoted and re-checked
11. The Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (August 2009), Avalon/Bellevue/Ben Avon (Borough of Avalon), 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. Borough of Avalon Administration Office (boroughofavalon.org)
15. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
16. Article XIV Sewage Management, quoted and re-checked
17. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
18. Project Plans and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
19. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
22. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
23. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
24. Project Plans and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
25. Permits and Licenses, quoted and re-checked
26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
27. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 14, 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.