Bolthole Index

Butler County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic in the Borough of Mars, Pennsylvania

The Borough of Mars, in Butler County, Pennsylvania, has its own zoning ordinance, and building work inside the borough needs a building permit under the Uniform Construction Code the borough adopted123. A zoning review fee and an occupancy permit apply too4. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Mars, so ask the borough office before you buy.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for listed construction, depending on size and type3
Building code
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the borough2
Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance with R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, commercial and industrial districts15
R-1 minimum lot
10,000 square feet6
Occupancy permit
Required at completion; listed fee $257
Septic
State requires a local-agency permit; Mars borough's agency not confirmed8

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Mars office and Zoning Officer

Zoning review, building permits and occupancy permits inside Mars borough; permit forms are submitted to the borough office, the Zoning Officer or appointed inspection agencies

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Mars means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Mars, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and height?

Yes. The Borough of Mars adopted its own zoning chapter, and it covers land inside the borough1. The zoning chapter names R-1 Single-Family, R-2 Single- and Two-Family and R-3 Multifamily residential districts, along with commercial and industrial districts5.

In the R-1 and R-4 districts, the minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet6. Buildings may cover at most 25% of an R-1 lot9, and the height limit is 35 feet, with exceptions for the structures named in the code's notes10.

We could not confirm the borough's rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or manufactured homes, so ask the Zoning Officer before you plan any of them5.

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

Yes, for the construction the borough's fee chapter lists. Building work in the Borough of Mars requires, depending on size and characteristics, a zoning review fee, a building permit fee and an inspection fee3. The borough adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code2.

Permit forms go to the Borough office, the Zoning Officer or the appointed inspection agencies11. The borough lists a zoning review fee of $50 for building permits required by the UCC and for structures over 64 square feet4. Building permit and inspection fees follow the current UCC third-party inspector schedule, and inspections not done by a borough-appointed representative are billed to the owner4.

Pennsylvania law lets an owner be the named permit applicant12. We could not confirm a separate owner-builder rule inside Mars, so ask the borough office.

How do septic permits work inside Mars?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the Borough of Mars, because the borough code we reviewed does not say. Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local agency before installing or using an onlot sewage system8. The local agency can be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department13.

If the lot connects to public sewer, no onlot system applies, but we could not confirm sewer service for any particular address. Ask the Borough of Mars office whether the parcel is sewered and, if not, which local agency issues the septic permit. The state also lets a homeowner who drills their own private well skip the driller licence14; we found no Mars well rule.

Building a home in Mars: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Borough of Mars Zoning Officer which zoning district the parcel is in and what lot size, coverage and height limits apply5.
  2. Ask the borough office whether the lot has public sewer or needs an onlot septic permit8.
  3. Apply for the building permit and pay the zoning review and inspection fees3.
  4. If the driveway meets a state road, get a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit first15.
  5. Schedule the required inspections as work proceeds16.
  6. Get the occupancy permit at completion; the borough lists a $25 fee7.

What stays with Butler County, and what to check before you buy

Subdivision and land development inside Mars is regulated, and the borough's code says the Butler County ordinance is currently enforced in the borough17. Splitting a lot therefore starts with the county planning office, which does not run zoning or building permits for the borough. For land outside the borough, see the Butler County page.

County figures: Butler County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%18. The share of county soils rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field is 1.1%, so expect a site evaluation or an engineered system on an unsewered lot19. Building in a floodplain requires documentation sealed by a registered design professional20.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Mars; ask the Borough of Mars office before you commit to a lot13.
  • Fees change by borough resolution, so confirm the current schedule with the borough office4.
  • A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit15.

Sources

  1. Chapter 270: Zoning - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 107: Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 126: Fees - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 126: Fees - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 270: Zoning - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article VI: Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 126: Fees - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  8. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article VI: Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article VI: Dimensional Requirements - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Mars office and Zoning Officer (ecode360.com)
  12. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, quoted and re-checked
  13. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
  16. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  17. Chapter 230: Subdivision and Land Development - Borough of Mars, PA (Borough of Mars), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. 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
  20. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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 Mars

Borough of Mars’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction or installation of facilities listed in Chapter 126 inside Mars borough.

    • Requirement depends on the facility's size and characteristics.
    • Chapter 126 also requires a zoning review fee and inspection fee for the listed construction or installation.
    “Construction or installation of the facilities listed in this chapter shall require, depending on their size and characteristics, a zoning review fee, a building permit fee and an inspection fee.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction code enforcement within Mars borough.

    • The adopted UCC is 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time.
    “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of the Mars Borough.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction or installation of facilities listed in Chapter 126 inside Mars borough.

    • Requirement depends on the facility's size and characteristics.
    • The same provision requires zoning review and building-permit fees.
    “The following required permit applications, inspections, and fees are adopted by the Borough of Mars to facilitate the enforcement of the Borough Code”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    All building permits issued for construction inside Mars borough.

    • Issued at construction completion.
    • The listed occupancy-permit fee is $25.

    occupancy permit fee: 25 USD (Issued at construction completion for all building permits issued)

    “Occupancy permit (issued at construction completion for all building permits issued) | $25”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Mars borough.

    • Chapter 270 was adopted by Borough Council and amended as noted in the code.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Mars 12-7-2009. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Mars borough.

    • The published zoning chapter identifies R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, Commercial, Light Industrial, Heavy Industrial, and Overlay Zoning District provisions.
    “§ 270-22 R-1 Single-Family Residential District. § 270-23 R-2 Single- and Two-Family Residential District. § 270-24 R-3 Multifamily Residential District.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Water service applications for premises abutting a public highway containing a Borough distribution-system main inside Mars borough.

    • The owner or authorized agent must submit the Borough's written application.
    • The provision establishes service upon application; it does not state a general mandatory-connection distance rule.
    “Upon written application by the owner or his properly authorized agent, on forms furnished by the Borough, for the immediate and continuous supply of water to premises abutting on a public highway in which a main pipe of the distribution system of the Borough is located, the Borough will install, own and maintain the service connection from said main pipe to the curbline of said public highway adjoining said premises.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Borough permits and reviews inside Mars borough.

    • The Borough may adopt the permit and fee schedule by resolution from time to time.
    • Building-permit and inspection fees refer to the current UCC third-party inspector schedule.
    • Third-party inspections not performed by Borough-appointed representatives are billed directly to the owner or responsible party.

    zoning review fee: 50 USD (Building permits required by the UCC and structures over 64 square feet) · occupancy permit fee: 25 USD (Issued at construction completion for all building permits issued)

    “The Borough shall from time to time adopt by resolution a permit and fee schedule.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Borough permit applications inside Mars borough.

    • Forms must be filled in and submitted to the Borough office, Zoning Officer, or appointed inspection agencies.
    • Specific requirements depend on the proposed facility's size and characteristics.
    “The forms for all permits shall be provided by the Borough to all applicants and shall be required to be filled in and submitted to the Borough office or to the Zoning Officer or appointed inspection agencies.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Mars

Borough of Mars does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Mars borough.

    • The table applies in all zoning districts.

    minimum lot area: 10000 square feet (R-1 and R-4)

    “Requirement | R-1 and R-4 | R-2 and R-3 | C | L-I | H-I | O-1 [...] Minimum lot size (area) | + 10,000 square feet | + 7,500 square feet | 4,500 square feet | 4,500 square feet | 7,500 square feet |”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Mars borough.

    • The table applies in all zoning districts.

    maximum building coverage: 25 percent (R-1 and R-4)

    “Requirement | R-1 and R-4 | R-2 and R-3 | C | L-I | H-I | O-1 [...] Maximum building coverage | 25% | 25% | 85% | 85% | 85% |”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Mars borough.

    • Height limitations do not apply to the structures named in note 1.
    • Towers and antennas are subject to the additional terms stated in note 1.

    maximum building height: 35 feet (R-1 and R-4; subject to note 1 exceptions)

    “Maximum height | 35 feet^{1} | 35 feet^{1} | 50^{1} | 50^{1} | 50^{1} |”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Mars borough.

    • Butler County's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance is the ordinance currently enforced in the Borough.
    “[The Butler County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance is currently enforced in the Borough of Mars.]”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Mars borough.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Mars borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Mars borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Mars borough.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Mars borough.
10 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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

← All of Butler County: county rules, score and offices