East Rockhill Township, Pennsylvania building permits, zoning and septic

At a glance

Building permits

Required for new construction; township Building & Zoning Department¹

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance applies²

Septic permits

Bucks County Department of Health³

Well approval

Township application; county Health approval also required⁴

Occupancy

UCC residential certificate of occupancy required before use⁵

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in East Rockhill Township?

East Rockhill Township requires building and zoning permits for new construction, and construction must comply with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.¹ East Rockhill Township also requires building plans signed and sealed by a design professional.¹

Treat township zoning approval and construction-code approval as separate questions when discussing a project with the Building & Zoning Department.¹ For residential construction covered by the UCC, obtain the building permit before starting work; the state regulation has limited exceptions for specified work rather than a blanket exemption for small projects.⁶

Who handles building and zoning applications in East Rockhill Township?

Start with the East Rockhill Township Building & Zoning Department for building applications and the township Zoning Officer for zoning review.¹⁴ The township publishes building, zoning, well and floodplain application information on its department page.⁴

East Rockhill Township says building and zoning permits are generally issued within 45 business days when no additional approvals, such as stormwater review, are needed.⁴ Leave room in the project schedule for those additional reviews rather than treating the published turnaround as a guaranteed completion date.⁴

Does East Rockhill Township have zoning for RVs and tiny homes?

East Rockhill Township has its own zoning ordinance, so the absence of countywide zoning does not establish permission to use a township parcel for a particular dwelling.² Use the township’s zoning district map with tax map parcels to identify the parcel’s district, then ask the Zoning Officer about the proposed use.⁴

We could not confirm East Rockhill Township’s rules for living in an RV, occupying a tiny home, minimum dwelling size, district lot sizes or setbacks. Ask the township Zoning Officer for the applicable use and dimensional requirements before buying land for those plans. A UCC-regulated residential building also needs a certificate of occupancy before use.⁵

How do septic permits work in East Rockhill Township?

Bucks County Department of Health permits on-site sewage facilities, including new and repaired septic systems, in Bucks County.³ East Rockhill Township building and zoning approval therefore does not replace the county sewage review.¹³

Bucks County rules prohibit constructing, maintaining or using an on-lot sewage system where an approved public sewer is accessible.⁷ For a structure served by a county-permitted on-lot system, occupancy must wait for written Approval to Cover and a final inspection by the county Sewage Enforcement Officer.⁸ A composting toilet for a new residence does not remove the state requirement to treat washwater or excess liquid through an approved disposal method.⁹

What are the steps to build a home in East Rockhill Township?

1. Identify the parcel’s zoning district and ask the township Zoning Officer to review the proposed residential use.⁴
2. Resolve sewage service with Bucks County Health; county rules restrict on-lot systems where an approved public sewer is accessible.⁷
3. Prepare the signed and sealed building plans required by East Rockhill Township and obtain the building and zoning permits.¹
4. Keep permitted residential construction accessible and notify the construction code official when work is ready for inspection.¹⁰
5. Obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before using the home, and satisfy county final sewage inspection requirements for a county-permitted on-lot system.⁵⁸

What should you check before buying land in East Rockhill Township?

Ask East Rockhill Township about stormwater review before fixing the house, driveway and grading layout: cumulative new impervious surface since September 2002 of 1,000 square feet or more, grading changes or changes to stormwater flow trigger township review.⁴ The township lists a floodplain application for any work in a FEMA floodplain, and its well application also requires Bucks County Health approval.⁴

A driveway involving state highway land or a connection to a PennDOT drainage facility needs PennDOT approval.¹¹ For land outside the township, use the Bucks County guide for the county sewage authority; the county’s sewage program covers on-site systems across Bucks County.³

Watch-outs

• East Rockhill Township warns that work without required building or zoning permits brings double permit fees and a failed resale certificate when the home is sold.⁴
• East Rockhill Township building permits become void after 180 days without starting work or activity, or if work is not completed within one year; extensions require a written request and approval.¹

Sources

1. East Rockhill Township Building & Zoning Department (eastrockhilltownship.org)
2. Township of East Rockhill, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (East Rockhill Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Sewage Program, quoted and re-checked
4. East Rockhill Township Zoning Officer (eastrockhilltownship.org)
5. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Bucks County Department of Health Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
8. Bucks County Department of Health Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
9. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 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.