Bolthole Index

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Borough of Sewickley, Pennsylvania

The Borough of Sewickley, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, so zoning approval is a borough matter, not an Allegheny County one1. The borough's zoning and building code officer reviews building permit applications against the 2018 International Building Code as the borough amended it2. Septic permits for on-lot systems come from the Allegheny County Health Department3; whether a given address is on public sewer we could not confirm.

At a glance

Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance covers all land inside Sewickley1
Building permit
Applied for with the borough; the borough's zoning and building code officer reviews it2
Building code
2018 International Building Code as amended by borough ordinance2
Septic
Allegheny County Health Department, under Act 5373
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor licence for most construction; borough rules not confirmed4

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Sewickley, Borough Manager's Office

Borough offices; the borough's Building & Zoning permit applications and zoning ordinance copies are available here

412-741-4015

601 Thorn Street Sewickley, PA 15143

Codes & inspections

Borough of Sewickley, Building and Zoning Permit Application Guidelines

Building and zoning permit applications inside the borough

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program

Plumbing permits and the contact point for private 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 Sewickley means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Sewickley, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Yes. The Borough of Sewickley, in Allegheny County, enacted its own zoning ordinance under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, and it covers all land inside the borough1. The borough is divided into residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and open-space districts, with floodplain, village and natural resource protection overlays5.

Minimum lot dimensions are set district by district in the ordinance's Table 3, so the answer for a given parcel depends on its district6. In the R-1a single-family district the front setback is at least 20 feet, reduced to the median setback of the block face if neighbors sit closer; going below that median needs a variance from the zoning hearing board7.

We could not confirm what the ordinance allows for RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the borough manager's office, which holds the zoning ordinance and the zoning map8.

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

Building permits inside Sewickley are applied for through the borough, not Allegheny County. The borough's guidelines state that the zoning and building code officer acts on a completed building or zoning application within 30 days2. All work must comply with the 2018 International Building Code as amended by borough ordinance2.

Additions, porches, accessory structures and fences need a sealed survey showing setbacks, and new structures and additions need three sets of building plans2. Exterior work in a designated historic district also needs a certificate of appropriateness from borough council2.

For questions, call the Borough Manager's Office at 412-741-40158. We could not confirm the borough's permit fee schedule or its owner-builder rules, so ask when you call.

How do septic permits work inside Sewickley?

Allegheny County, not the borough, handles on-lot sewage permits: Health Department Sewage Enforcement Officers issue them under Pennsylvania's Act 5373. Where any on-lot disposal system is proposed, a permit from the county health department is needed before construction9.

Borough plumbing work is also tied to the county: the borough's guidelines send plumbing permits and inspections to the Allegheny County Health Department2. Call the Plumbing Program at 412-578-803610.

We could not confirm whether the borough's sewer chapter requires a given address to connect to public sewer instead of building a septic system. Where a public sewer is available, county rules can bar continued use of an on-lot system within 150 feet of it11. Ask the borough manager's office which applies to your lot.

Building a home in Sewickley: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the borough manager's office for the zoning district of the lot and a copy of the zoning ordinance8.
  2. Check the district's lot and setback rules in the ordinance's Table 36.
  3. Order a sealed survey if you are building an addition, porch, accessory structure or fence2.
  4. Submit the building and zoning application with the required building plans; the borough's officer acts on a completed application within 30 days2.
  5. Get plumbing plans approved and inspected through the Allegheny County Health Department2.
  6. Have the work inspected and obtain a certificate of occupancy before anyone uses the building12.

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

Septic permits and plumbing permits stay with the Allegheny County Health Department, while zoning and building permits come from the borough3. Land outside the borough follows other municipalities' rules; the Allegheny County page covers the county as a whole.

Before buying, check three things. First, the zoning map: the borough has floodplain and natural resource protection overlays5, and construction in a floodplain needs sealed documentation from a registered design professional13. Second, any driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit14. Third, the historic district: exterior work there needs borough council's certificate of appropriateness2.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the borough's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size or short-term rentals; ask the Borough Manager's Office before you rely on any of them8.
  • We could not confirm the borough's permit fees or whether a given lot is on public sewer; ask the Borough Manager's Office and the Allegheny County Health Department10.
  • Exterior work inside a designated historic district needs a certificate of appropriateness from borough council before a permit can move forward2.

Sources

  1. Borough of Sewickley Code, Ch. 330 Zoning, Art. I Intent, Title and Purposes (Borough of Sewickley), quoted and re-checked
  2. Borough of Sewickley, Building and Zoning Permit Application Guidelines (sewickleyborough.org)
  3. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  4. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Sewickley Code, Ch. 330 Zoning, Art. IV Zoning District Regulations (Borough of Sewickley), quoted and re-checked
  6. Borough of Sewickley Code, Ch. 330 Zoning, Art. IV Zoning District Regulations (Borough of Sewickley), quoted and re-checked
  7. Borough of Sewickley Code, Ch. 330 Zoning, Art. IV Zoning District Regulations (Borough of Sewickley), quoted and re-checked
  8. Borough of Sewickley, Borough Manager's Office (sewickleyborough.org)
  9. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  10. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
  11. Article XIV Sewage Management, 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. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Sewickley

Borough of Sewickley’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Sewickley borough

    • Enacted under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code
    • Part of the Aleppo, Sewickley and Glen Osborne joint comprehensive plan
    “this chapter shall be known as and may be cited as the "official zoning ordinance of the borough of sewickley," and the map shall be known and designated as the "official zoning map of the borough of sewickley."”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Sewickley borough: R-1, R-1a, R-2, C-1, C-2, Inst., I, OS, OMU, plus floodplain, village and natural resource protection overlays

    • Boundaries are on the official zoning map (maps 1 to 4), an attachment to the chapter
    “for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this chapter, sewickley borough is divided into a series of zoning district and antennas, which are shown by the zoning district boundaries on map 1 of 4 of the official zoning map.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lots in each zoning district inside Sewickley borough (R-1, R-1a, R-2 residential districts and others)

    • Numeric values are in Table 3, an attachment to the chapter that was not read
    “the minimum dimensional requirements for lots in each district shall be provided as shown in table 3.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Front setback in the R-1a single-family residential district inside Sewickley borough

    • May be reduced to the median setback of principal buildings on the block face
    • Less than the median setback requires a variance from the zoning hearing board
    • Corner lots: half front setback is the full front setback divided by two but no less than 10 feet
    • Other district setbacks are in Table 3

    minimum front setback R-1a: >= 20 feet (reduced to block-face median setback)

    “front setbacks for the r-1a district shall be a minimum of 20 feet; however, provided the applicant can prove that the median setback of all other principal buildings making up the block face where such building shall be located is less than 20 feet, the front setback may be reduced to such median setback. any applicant proposing less than the median setback of the block face must obtain a variance from the zoning hearing board.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Permitted and conditional use procedures inside Sewickley borough

    • Procedure diagrams are held at the borough municipal building administrative office
    “the borough's permitted use procedure is described on application diagram a found on record in the sewickley borough municipal building administrative office.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Sewickley borough
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Sewickley borough
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Sewickley borough
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Sewickley borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Sewickley borough
19 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • 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
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Sewickley publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Allegheny County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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