Wrightstown Township, PA: building permits, zoning and septic rules

At a glance

Building permits

Required for new construction; start with the township department¹⁵

Zoning

Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance applies²

Septic permits

Bucks County Department of Health³

Building permit fees

Set by township resolution; ask for the current schedule⁶

Occupancy

UCC residential certificate of occupancy required before use⁷

Wells

County Health regulates wells not regulated by PA DEP; township also regulates new well digging⁸⁴

Who to call

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

Does Wrightstown Township have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

Wrightstown Township uses the Newtown Area Joint Municipal Zoning Ordinance with Newtown and Upper Makefield townships.² The joint ordinance publishes district-specific rules, including a Municipal Services Agriculture district intended for municipal service facilities within Wrightstown.⁹ Ask the township Zoning Officer to identify the parcel’s district and the provisions governing the proposed use before choosing a house footprint.⁴ We could not confirm Wrightstown’s minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage or minimum dwelling size; request the applicable district table from the Zoning Officer.²

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

Wrightstown Township has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code and elected to administer and enforce it.⁵ Wrightstown’s department lists new construction, additions, structural alterations, pools, sheds and fences among work requiring township approval.¹ Pennsylvania requires a residential building permit before UCC-covered construction begins, with specified exceptions for limited work and ordinary repairs.¹⁰ Ask Wrightstown to distinguish the building-code permit from zoning approval for your project, because the state’s listed exemptions apply only when the work does not violate another law or ordinance.¹⁰⁴

Who issues building permits in Wrightstown Township, and how do you apply?

Wrightstown Township’s Zoning, Code, and Land Development Department manages construction and zoning applications, and its official page provides a Building/Zoning Permit form.¹⁴ Contact the Building Inspector at building@wrightstownpa.org; building appointments are by arrangement.¹ For land-use questions, contact zoning@wrightstownpa.org or the township’s main line, 215-598-3313.⁴ Wrightstown’s Board of Supervisors sets UCC administration fees by resolution, and the department links a current fee schedule.⁶⁴ Request the project-specific application requirements and fee calculation before submitting plans.¹

How do septic permits work inside Wrightstown Township?

Bucks County Department of Health permits new and repaired on-site sewage facilities in Wrightstown Township; the county program also covers holding tanks and qualifying alternate systems.³ Pennsylvania generally requires local-agency approval before installing or contracting for an on-lot sewage system, subject to specific exemptions.¹¹ Bucks County prohibits using an on-lot system where an approved public sewer is accessible.¹² For a structure served by a county-permitted system, written Approval to Cover and the county Sewage Enforcement Officer’s final inspection are required before occupancy.¹³ Wrightstown separately regulates on-lot sewage maintenance, so ask both County Health and the township about an existing system.⁴¹⁴

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

We could not confirm permission for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping or a tiny home on a private Wrightstown Township lot; ask the Zoning Officer about the exact dwelling type, district and intended length of stay.² Wrightstown lists temporary uses and structures among activities requiring township approval.⁴ A UCC-regulated residential building must have a certificate of occupancy before use, including a small dwelling that falls within that rule.⁷ For a new residence using a composting or incinerating toilet, Pennsylvania still requires an approved way to treat washwater or excess liquid under the applicable sanitation permit.¹⁵

Building a home in Wrightstown Township: what are the steps?

1. Ask Wrightstown’s Zoning Officer to identify the parcel’s district and confirm the proposed residential use under the joint ordinance.²
2. Resolve sewer availability and contact Bucks County Health about an on-lot sewage system before contracting for septic construction.¹²¹¹
3. Contact County Health’s well program and Wrightstown about new well digging if the home will use a well.⁸⁴
4. Obtain the township building permit before UCC-covered construction and arrange required inspections as work becomes ready.¹⁰¹⁶
5. Secure the residential certificate of occupancy and any required county septic final approval before moving in.⁷¹³

What stays with Bucks County, and what should you check before buying?

Bucks County Health handles septic permitting and regulates well construction and inspections for wells outside PA DEP’s jurisdiction, while Wrightstown regulates new well digging and administers stormwater and floodplain ordinances.¹⁴⁸⁴ Ask Wrightstown whether the proposed building site needs floodplain approval; the department provides a Floodplain Permit Application.⁴ Wrightstown also lists driveway approvals, and work on state highway land or connecting to a PennDOT drainage facility requires a PennDOT highway occupancy permit.⁴¹⁷ For a parcel outside Wrightstown, use the Bucks County guide and identify the applicable municipality’s zoning ordinance.¹⁸

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Wrightstown Township’s private-lot RV or tiny-home occupancy rules; ask the township Zoning Officer before planning to live on site during construction.²
• An accessible approved public sewer prevents use of an on-lot sewage system under Bucks County’s rules.¹²
• A qualifying agricultural building’s Pennsylvania construction-code exclusion requires that the structure have no habitable space; municipal land-use requirements can still apply.¹⁹

Sources

1. Wrightstown Township Building Inspector (wrightstownpa.org)
2. Township of Wrightstown, PA - Chapter 27 Zoning (Wrightstown Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Sewage Program, quoted and re-checked
4. Wrightstown Township Zoning, Code, and Land Development Department (wrightstownpa.org)
5. Township of Wrightstown, PA - Chapter 5 Part 1 Uniform Construction Code (Wrightstown Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Township of Wrightstown, PA - Chapter 5 Part 1 Uniform Construction Code (Wrightstown Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Bucks County Department of Health — Residential Well Inspection Program (buckscounty.gov)
9. Newtown Area Zoning Jointure, PA - Establishment of Districts (Wrightstown Township), quoted and re-checked
10. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Bucks County Department of Health Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
13. Bucks County Department of Health Rules and Regulations Governing Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
14. Bucks County Department of Health — Sewage Program (buckscounty.gov)
15. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Overview | Bucks County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
19. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (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.