Bolthole Index

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Shaler Township, Pennsylvania

Shaler Township, Pennsylvania in Allegheny County adopts its own zoning code1, and building permits are filed with the township's Building & Zoning office, which applies Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code2. Septic permits for on-lot systems come from the Allegheny County Health Department, not the township3. A building permit is required for additions, decks, pools, solar panels and structural changes2.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; filed with the township's Building & Zoning office24
Zoning
Township-adopted zoning code (Chapter 225) with a zoning map1
Minimum lot, R-1
9,000 sq ft lot area5
Minimum lot, R-2
5,000 sq ft lot area6
Septic
Allegheny County Health Department Sewage Enforcement Officers3
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license requirement for work on your own primary residence7
Zoning authority
Shaler Township, not Allegheny County8

Who to call

Building permits

Shaler Township Building & Zoning

Building permits, zoning permits and code enforcement inside Shaler Township

412-486-9700

300 Wetzel Road Glenshaw, PA 15116

Building permits

Shaler Township building permit applications (CloudPermit)

Online building permit applications and inspection scheduling

412-486-9700

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program

Plumbing permits and 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 Shaler Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Shaler Township, PA?

Yes. Shaler Township requires building permits for additions, attached decks, swimming pools, solar panels and structural changes to a home9. The township applies the statewide Uniform Construction Code, with the 2021 International Residential Building Code, International Building Code and International Fire Code9. Pennsylvania law also requires a certificate of occupancy before a building can be used10.

By state law the township has 15 business days to process residential building permits and 30 business days for commercial ones9. Applications go in through the township's online CloudPermit system9.

Who issues building permits in Shaler Township, and how do you reach them?

The township's own Building & Zoning office issues building permits, with a building inspector and a clerk; it sits at 300 Wetzel Road, Glenshaw, PA 15116, and the phone is 412-486-97002. Applications, required documents and fees go to the building and code enforcement officer for approval9.

Allegheny County does not issue municipal building permits: the county's assessment office tells owners to file permits in the municipality where the work happens4.

Does Shaler Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Shaler Township adopts its own zoning chapter and zoning map for all land inside the township, with overlay districts for stormwater, floodplain and riverfront1. Residential districts run from R-1 Limited One-Family to R-5 Apartment11.

In the R-1 district the minimum lot area is 9,000 square feet5, with front yards of 25 feet and side yards of 10 feet on each side12. In R-2 the minimum lot is 5,000 square feet6, with a 20-foot front yard and 5-foot side yards13. A one-family dwelling in either district is limited to 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet14, and a one-story house needs at least 900 square feet of first floor area15. Subdividing land is regulated under the township's Chapter 19516.

How do septic permits work inside Shaler Township?

On-lot sewage permits in Allegheny County are issued by the Allegheny County Health Department's Sewage Enforcement Officers under Pennsylvania's Act 5373. A permit from the Health Department is necessary before any construction of an on-lot system17. The Plumbing Program's phone is 412-578-803618.

A building within 150 feet of an available public sewer may not keep using an individual system19. We could not confirm which Shaler addresses are on public sewer; ask the township Building & Zoning office.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Shaler Township?

We could not confirm Shaler Township's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes or accessory dwellings. Because the township zones every parcel under its own code1, call the Building & Zoning office at 412-486-9700 before parking or building anything to live in2.

Building a home in Shaler Township: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, setback and height rules with Building & Zoning11.
  2. If the lot is not on public sewer, get a septic permit from the Allegheny County Health Department first17.
  3. Apply for the building permit through CloudPermit with a property survey and building plans9.
  4. If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required before access is allowed20.
  5. Schedule inspections, and obtain the certificate of occupancy before using the building10.

What to check before you buy land in Shaler Township

Check whether the parcel lies in a floodplain: construction there needs documentation sealed by a registered design professional21. Allegheny County's typical effective property tax rate is 1.6%22. Only 11.6% of county soils rate as not limited for a conventional septic field23, so expect a site evaluation if the lot is off sewer.

Watch-outs

  • Allegheny County's rules for septic and plumbing apply inside Shaler Township, but building permits and zoning belong to the township2.
  • We could not confirm Shaler Township's fees, owner-builder handling, or RV and tiny-home rules; ask the Building & Zoning office at 412-486-97002.
  • Pennsylvania's updated Uniform Construction Code took effect January 1, 202624.

Sources

  1. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article III District Classifications and Boundaries (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Shaler Township Building & Zoning (shaler.org)
  3. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  4. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  5. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article V District Regulations (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article V District Regulations (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Contractor Licensing (2026 county census)
  8. Land Use Planning, quoted and re-checked
  9. Shaler Township building permit applications (CloudPermit) (shaler.org)
  10. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article III District Classifications and Boundaries (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article V District Regulations (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article V District Regulations (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article V District Regulations (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article V District Regulations (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Shaler Township Code Ch. 225 Zoning, Article III District Classifications and Boundaries (Shaler Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
  18. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
  19. Article XIV Sewage Management, quoted and re-checked
  20. Uniform Construction Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  21. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. 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
  24. Uniform Construction Code, 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 Shaler Township

Shaler Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Shaler township; township adopts its own Chapter 225 Zoning with a zoning map

    • Overlay districts (stormwater, floodplain, riverfront) supplement underlying districts
    “the township of shaler is hereby divided into classifications of zoning districts for the purpose of applying the provisions of this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Shaler township

    • Also PRD, C cemetery, P professional, NS neighborhood shopping, GC general commercial, I industrial
    • Zoning map is on file in the township offices
    “these zoning districts are: r-1 limited one-family district r-2 one-family district r-3 two-family district r-4 multifamily dwelling district r-5 apartment district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    R-1 Limited One-Family District inside Shaler township (first floor area per one-family dwelling)

    • Two or two and one-half stories: 645 sq ft first floor

    first floor area, one story: >= 900 sq ft · first floor area, one and one-half stories: >= 875 sq ft

    “h. first floor area per dwelling unit for one-family dwellings: (1) one story: 900 square feet. (2) one and one-half stories: 875 square feet. (3) two or two and one-half stories: 645 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — R-2 One-Family District inside Shaler township (first floor area per one-family dwelling)
      “h. first floor area per dwelling unit for a one-family dwelling: (1) one story: 900 square feet. (2) one and one-half stories: 875 square feet. (3) two or two and one-half stories: 645 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Limited One-Family District inside Shaler township

    • Lot width at building line 70 feet; exceptions for cul-de-sac or curved street lots per exhibits c and d

    lot area: >= 9000 sq ft

    “§ 225-24 r-1 limited one-family district. requirements for this district shall be as follows: a. lot area: 9,000 square feet. b. lot width at building line: 70 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 Limited One-Family District inside Shaler township (one-family dwelling)

    • Exceptions for cul-de-sac or curved street lots per exhibits c and d
    • Rear yard 25 ft for through lots; accessory structure 10 ft side/rear; utility building 3 ft

    front yard depth: >= 25 ft · rear yard (one-family, not through lot): >= 10 ft · side yard each side: >= 10 ft · side yard abutting street: >= 25 ft

    “c. front yard depth: 25 feet. for exceptions as to a lot on a cul-de-sac or curved street, see exhibits c and d.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Limited One-Family District inside Shaler township

    • Utility building 10 ft

    one-family dwelling max height: 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet · accessory structure max height: <= 15 ft

    “g. maximum height: (1) one-family dwelling: 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet. (2) accessory structure: 15 feet. (3) utility building: 10 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Shaler township under township Chapter 195

    • Chapter 195 text not opened; specifics unresolved
    “where this article conflicts with chapter 225, zoning, or chapter 195, subdivision of land, this article shall apply.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Shaler township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Shaler township
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Shaler township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Shaler township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Shaler township
18 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • 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
  • 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 Shaler Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Allegheny County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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