Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Bell Acres, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, the borough has its own zoning chapter with district-specific rules¹

Building permit

Required under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code for residential construction³

Zoning permit

Required from the borough for fences, pools, sheds, decks, garages and driveways²

Septic

Allegheny County Health Department, where no public sewer serves the lot⁵⁶

Rear-yard accessory buildings

At least 15 feet from the rear lot line⁷

Subdivision

Regulated under the borough's subdivision and land development chapter⁸

Owner-builder

Pennsylvania requires no contractor license for an owner's own unpaid work on a primary residence⁹

Who to call

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

Does Bell Acres have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Bell Acres borough has its own zoning chapter, and residential requirements are set district by district in a table at the end of the chapter¹. Minimum lot size depends on the district, with an exception for lawful pre-existing lots in separate ownership¹⁰. Setbacks also vary by district, and a detached accessory building may sit in the rear yard but not closer than 15 feet to the rear lot line⁷. Because the figures differ by district, ask the borough office which district a specific parcel is in before planning a house, barn or shed². We could not confirm the district-by-district numbers, RV rules or tiny-home rules, so ask the borough office before buying.

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

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit for residential construction, enlargement, alteration and change of occupancy wherever the code is enforced³. Allegheny County does not issue these permits; applicants file in the municipality where the work happens¹¹. Bell Acres lists a contracted building code official and a building permit application on its resident page⁴. We could not confirm the borough's own building chapter details, so call the borough office to confirm fees and what your project needs². Separately, the borough requires zoning permit approval for fences, swimming pools, utility sheds, patios, porches, decks, signs, demolition, garages and driveways⁴.

How do septic permits work inside Bell Acres?

Lots in Bell Acres that are not served by public sewer must meet requirements as specified by the Allegheny County Health Department⁵. Countywide, a permit from the Health Department is necessary before any on-lot disposal system is built¹², and its Sewage Enforcement Officers carry out the permitting under Pennsylvania's Sewage Facilities Act¹³. Contact the Plumbing Program at 412-578-8036¹⁴. Soils matter: about 11.6% of the county's soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system¹⁵. We could not confirm whether the borough requires public sewer or water connection on a given street, so ask the borough office.

Building a home in Bell Acres: the steps, in order

1. Ask the borough office which zoning district the parcel is in and what lot size, yard and accessory-building rules apply²¹⁰.
2. Check whether the work involves subdividing land, which falls under the borough's subdivision and land development chapter⁸.
3. Get septic approval from the Allegheny County Health Department if no public sewer serves the lot⁵¹⁴.
4. Apply for the zoning permit with the borough and the building permit through the borough's code official⁴.
5. If the driveway meets a state road, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required¹⁶.

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

Septic permits for on-lot systems stay with the Allegheny County Health Department¹³. The county page for land outside the borough is at Allegheny County. Allegheny County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%, with a median bill of $3,399 a year¹⁷¹⁸. Construction in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit issued by the municipality¹⁹. Qualifying agricultural buildings are excluded from the Uniform Construction Code²⁰.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm the borough's building construction chapter, certificate of occupancy rules or owner-builder details; ask the borough office at 412 741-5448².
• We could not confirm whether RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings may be lived in on a lot inside Bell Acres; ask the borough office before buying. The borough office at 412 741-5448 answers zoning questions².
• Septic permits come from the Allegheny County Health Department even though zoning and building permits are local⁵.

Sources

1. Bell Acres Borough Code, Ch. 165 Zoning, Art. III Dimensional Requirements (eCode360) (Borough of Bell Acres), quoted and re-checked
2. Bell Acres Borough office (bellacresborough.org)
3. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Bell Acres building code official (Professional Code Services, Inc.) (bellacresborough.org)
5. Bell Acres Borough Code, Ch. 165 Zoning, Art. III Dimensional Requirements (eCode360) (Borough of Bell Acres), quoted and re-checked
6. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
7. Bell Acres Borough Code, Ch. 165 Zoning, Art. III Dimensional Requirements (eCode360) (Borough of Bell Acres), quoted and re-checked
8. Borough of Bell Acres, PA code table of contents (eCode360) (Borough of Bell Acres), quoted and re-checked
9. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Bell Acres Borough Code, Ch. 165 Zoning, Art. III Dimensional Requirements (eCode360) (Borough of Bell Acres), quoted and re-checked
11. Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments (alleghenycounty.us)
12. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
13. alleghenycounty.us, quoted and re-checked
14. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
15. 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
16. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
18. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
19. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.