Bolthole Index

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bellevue, Pennsylvania

Yes, Bellevue borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania requires building permits for construction inside the borough, issued by the borough's own code office under the Uniform Construction Code12. Zoning comes from the Tri-Borough joint ordinance shared with Avalon and Ben Avon, handled by the borough's zoning officer34. Septic permits come from the Allegheny County Health Department5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the Bellevue code office under the Uniform Construction Code12
Zoning
Yes: Tri-Borough joint zoning ordinance with Avalon and Ben Avon, administered by Bellevue's zoning officer34
Lot size (R-L district)
6,000 sq ft minimum for a single-family lot6
Septic permits
Allegheny County Health Department, Sewage Enforcement Officers5
Certificate of occupancy
Occupancy permit from the borough code office before a building is occupied2
Driveways onto state highways
PennDOT highway occupancy permit7
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the zoning officer4

Who to call

Building permits

Bellevue Borough Code Office

Building permits, code inspections and occupancy permits inside Bellevue borough

(412) 766-6164

codeofficial@bellevueboro.com

537 Bayne Avenue, Bellevue, PA 15202

Zoning

Bellevue Borough Zoning Officer

Zoning permits, special exception and conditional use applications, and variance requests inside Bellevue borough

412-766-6164

537 Bayne Avenue, Bellevue, PA 15202

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program

Plumbing permits and the county's contact point for on-lot sewage permitting

412-578-8036

2121 Noblestown Road, Suite 207, Pittsburgh, PA 15205

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Bellevue means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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

Bellevue borough has its own zoning, adopted jointly with its neighbors: the Avalon, Bellevue and Ben-Avon Tri-Borough Joint Zoning Ordinance3. The borough's zoning officer handles zoning permits, and the borough's Zoning Hearing Board hears appeals4.

Rules differ by district. In the R-L Low Density Residential district, a single-family lot needs at least 6,000 square feet6. Building coverage in R-L is capped at 40%8, and buildings may stand up to 35 feet tall9. Setbacks are set district by district in the ordinance's yard tables10, and the ordinance names its districts, from residential to commercial and mixed-use11.

We could not confirm what Bellevue's zoning says about RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the zoning officer before you plan one4.

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

Yes. Bellevue borough has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code1, and the borough's own code office issues the permits2. Anyone who intends to repair, add to, alter, relocate, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, or to replace an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, must first obtain a permit from that office2.

The borough lists additions, pools, garages, sheds, fences, patios, demolitions, decks over 30 inches high, and sidewalks, driveways and curb cuts among the work that needs a permit2. Fees are set by borough council resolution, so ask the code office for the current schedule12.

Pennsylvania's statewide code requires a certificate of occupancy before a residential building is used13, and Bellevue's code office issues an occupancy permit before any building is occupied2.

How do septic permits work in Bellevue?

Septic permits for on-lot systems anywhere in Allegheny County come from the Allegheny County Health Department, through its Sewage Enforcement Officers acting under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act5. A permit is required before construction begins where on-lot disposal is proposed14.

Bellevue sits in a built-up part of the county, so many lots may be served by public sewer. We could not confirm which Bellevue streets have it. Ask the borough code office, and ask the health department before you assume a septic system is an option15. County rules also bar continued use of an individual system when a building is within 150 feet of an available public sewer16.

Building a home in Bellevue: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and what it permits with the zoning officer, and file a zoning permit application if you are altering or changing the use of a property4.
  2. If the use is a special exception or conditional use, submit that application to the zoning officer; a denial can be appealed to the Zoning Hearing Board4.
  3. Apply for a building permit with the borough code office before hiring a third-party agency or inspector2.
  4. Check for floodplain: a municipality must issue a floodplain development permit before work in a Special Flood Hazard Area17.
  5. If the driveway meets a state highway, get a PennDOT highway occupancy permit7.
  6. Build with required inspections, then obtain the occupancy permit before moving in2.

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

The borough decides building permits and zoning inside its limits. Septic permits and plumbing permits stay with the Allegheny County Health Department518. The county's own pages direct applicants to file building permits in the municipality where the work happens2. For land outside Bellevue, see the Allegheny County page.

Before you buy, ask the code office whether the property has a current occupancy permit; the borough says occupying a building without one is illegal2. Allegheny County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%19, and the typical home value is $247,00820.

Watch-outs

  • Bellevue's zoning rests on a joint ordinance dated 2009 with later amendments, so ask the zoning officer which version and district map apply to your parcel114.
  • We could not confirm Bellevue's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum home size; the zoning officer can answer these4.

Sources

  1. Bellevue Borough Code Chapter 100, Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  2. Bellevue Borough Code Office (bellevuepa.org)
  3. Borough of Bellevue Council Agenda July 24, 2018 (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  4. Bellevue Borough Zoning Officer (bellevuepa.org)
  5. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  6. Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon), August 2009 (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  7. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon), August 2009 (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  9. Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon), August 2009 (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  10. Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon), August 2009 (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  11. Tri-Borough Communities Joint Zoning Ordinance (Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon), August 2009 (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  12. Bellevue Borough Code Chapter 100, Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  15. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
  16. Article XIV Sewage Management, quoted and re-checked
  17. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Project Plans and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Bellevue

Borough of Bellevue’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Bellevue borough

    • Adopted by Ord. 04-06 on 6-30-2004; amended in its entirety 2-6-2007 by Ord. 07-04
    • UCC adopted as amended from time to time
    “the uniform construction code (ucc) contained in 34 pa. code, chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of the borough of bellevue.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Bellevue borough, governed by the Avalon, Bellevue and Ben-Avon (Tri-Borough) Joint Zoning Ordinance

    • Zoning is administered through a joint ordinance shared with Avalon and Ben Avon, not a stand-alone Bellevue chapter; the 2018 agenda shows Bellevue amending it by borough ordinance
    “motion to introduce and advertise ordinance no. 18-06 amending article iii of the avalon, bellevue and ben-avon joint zoning ordinance to further provide for off-street parking and loading requirements.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts (R-L, R-M, R-H, M-U, C-NC, C-HC, C-BE, C-MW, COS, T) in the joint ordinance applying inside Bellevue borough

    • Ordinance dated August 2009; later amendments not checked
    “table iii: non-residential lot dimensions lot area (minimum) lot frontage (minimum) building coverage (maximum) building height (maximum) m-u n/a n/a 85% 80' c-nc 5,000 s.f. 65' 75% 35' c-hc c-be c-mw 5,000 s.f. 10,000 s.f. 20,000 s.f. 100' 100' 200' 60% 50% 60% 35' 45' 55' cos n/a n/a 20% 45' t n/a n/a 75% 55'”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-L Low Density Residential district under the Tri-Borough Joint Zoning Ordinance, applied inside Bellevue borough

    • Table II also sets R-M and R-H districts at lower minimums (R-M 3,500 s.f. and R-H 2,000 s.f. for single family, per scrambled table text)
    • Lot frontage minimum 40' in R-L

    minimum lot area single family R-L: >= 6000 sq ft · minimum lot area duplex/multifamily R-L: >= 3000 sq ft

    “table ii: residential district lot dimensions r-l lot area (minimum) [single family) 6,000 s.f. lot area (minimum) [duplex/multi family) 3,000 s.f. lot frontage (minimum) 40' building coverage (maximum) 40% building height (maximum) 35'”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential and non-residential districts under the Tri-Borough Joint Zoning Ordinance, applied inside Bellevue borough

    • Residential yard standards are in Table IV and non-residential in Table V; extracted table text is scrambled so per-district numbers are not recorded
    • Exceptions in subsequent subsections of §2000-406.B and projections in §2000-407
    “b. yard requirements for residential shall be as set forth in table iv and the yard requirements for non-residential districts shall be as set forth in table v, except as set forth subsequently in this subsection.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-L Low Density Residential district, Tri-Borough Joint Zoning Ordinance, inside Bellevue borough

    • R-M and R-H districts allow higher coverage (60%) per table text

    maximum building coverage R-L: <= 40 percent

    “table ii: residential district lot dimensions r-l lot area (minimum) [single family) 6,000 s.f. lot area (minimum) [duplex/multi family) 3,000 s.f. lot frontage (minimum) 40' building coverage (maximum) 40% building height (maximum) 35'”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-L Low Density Residential district, Tri-Borough Joint Zoning Ordinance, inside Bellevue borough

    • R-M 45' and R-H 65' per table text; height exceptions in §2000-408

    maximum building height R-L: <= 35 ft (§2000-408 height exceptions)

    “table ii: residential district lot dimensions r-l lot area (minimum) [single family) 6,000 s.f. lot area (minimum) [duplex/multi family) 3,000 s.f. lot frontage (minimum) 40' building coverage (maximum) 40% building height (maximum) 35'”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Fees for UCC administration and enforcement inside Bellevue borough

    • Amounts set by council resolution; schedule not opened
    “fees assessable by the borough of bellevue for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the code shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Bellevue borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Bellevue borough
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Bellevue borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Bellevue borough
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Bellevue borough
16 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Bellevue publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Allegheny County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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