Borough of Sellersville, PA: building permits, zoning and septic rules

At a glance

Building permits

Required for UCC-covered residential work; borough administers the code¹²

Zoning

Borough zoning applies; check the parcel’s district³

Septic permits

Bucks County Department of Health for on-lot systems⁴

Wells

County permits wells outside PA DEP regulation⁵

Occupancy

UCC-covered residential buildings need a certificate of occupancy⁶

Building permit fees

Set by borough resolution; request the current schedule⁷

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in the Borough of Sellersville, PA?

Sellersville has adopted and elected to administer Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code.² Residential construction, enlargement, alterations and other covered work require a building permit before work begins, subject to the state’s listed exclusions and exemptions.¹ Building permit fees are established by borough resolution, so ask for the current schedule for your project.⁷ A building permit exemption does not establish zoning approval: Sellersville’s zoning provisions also address fences, sheds, garages and swimming pools.⁸

Who issues building permits in the Borough of Sellersville?

Sellersville has appointed Cowan Associates, Inc. as its Building Code Official.⁹ Building permit applications are accepted at the Sellersville Borough building or at Cowan Associates during regular business hours.⁹ Call the Building Code Official at 215-536-7075 about the building permit application.⁹ The borough’s application instructions request three sets of site plans and three sets of construction plans.⁹ Ask the official which supporting drawings your particular project needs before preparing the submission.

Does the Borough of Sellersville have zoning, including for RVs and tiny homes?

Sellersville has its own zoning, with districts identified on the borough zoning map.³ The districts are BC, I, LR, MR, MR-1, NC and PR; the mapped floodplain reference also points readers to separate floodplain regulations.¹⁰ The borough describes its zoning ordinance as regulating building use, intensity, size and location.⁸ We could not confirm residential RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, or district-specific minimum lot sizes and setbacks; ask Sellersville Borough Zoning to review the proposed use and parcel before buying.

How do septic permits and wells work inside the Borough of Sellersville?

For a Sellersville property requiring an on-lot sewage system, the Bucks County Department of Health requires a septic permit before covered installation, alteration, repair, connection or occupancy.⁴ A permitted on-lot system must receive written Approval to Cover and a final inspection by the Department’s Sewage Enforcement Officer before the structure is occupied.¹¹ Bucks County rules prohibit on-lot systems where an approved public sewer is accessible.¹² County well permitting covers wells not regulated by Pennsylvania DEP.⁵ Ask the borough about the parcel’s public sewer and water connections before planning private systems.

Building a home in the Borough of Sellersville: what comes first?

Start by asking Borough Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and review the intended use and building location, which the borough zoning ordinance regulates.⁸ Next, prepare the building permit application for the Borough Building Code Official; the borough instructions call for site and construction plans.⁹ If the property needs on-lot sewage disposal, arrange the Health Department’s septic permit before covered work.⁴ UCC-permitted residential construction requires inspections and a final inspection, and a covered residential building cannot be occupied without a certificate of occupancy.¹³⁶ For land outside Sellersville, use the Bucks County guide to orient your next questions.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm permission to live in an RV or tiny home while building; ask Sellersville Borough Zoning about the specific proposal.³
• A UCC building permit exemption applies only where the work does not violate a law or ordinance.¹

Sources

1. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
2. Sellersville Code Ch. 63 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Sellersville), quoted and re-checked
3. Sellersville Code Ch. 160 Zoning, Art. III Establishment of Districts (Borough of Sellersville), quoted and re-checked
4. Bucks County Department of Health On-Lot Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
5. Residential Well Inspection Program, quoted and re-checked
6. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Sellersville Code Ch. 63 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Sellersville), quoted and re-checked
8. Sellersville Borough — Zoning (sellersvilleboro.org)
9. Sellersville Borough Building Code Official — Cowan Associates, Inc. (sellersvilleboro.org)
10. Sellersville Code Ch. 160 Zoning, Art. III Establishment of Districts (Borough of Sellersville), quoted and re-checked
11. Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
12. Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (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.