Bolthole Index

Chester County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Downingtown, Pennsylvania

The Borough of Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania adopts its own zoning chapter and enforces the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, so building permits and zoning approval come from the borough's code enforcement office12. Septic permits and well permits come from the Chester County Health Department, not the borough34. Land outside the borough follows other municipalities' rules.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough under the state Uniform Construction Code25
Zoning
Borough zoning chapter with districts such as R-21
R-2 minimum lot
12,000 sq ft, 80 ft wide6
Septic and wells
Chester County Health Department3
Owner-builder
Pennsylvania has no general contractor license for an owner's own home7

Who to call

Building permits

Downingtown Borough Code Enforcement (Planning, Zoning & Building)

Building permits, zoning permits and code enforcement inside the borough

610-269-0344

4-10 W Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335

Septic permits

Chester County Health Department

Septic (on-lot sewage) permits and well permits

610-344-6225

601 Westtown Road, Suite 295, West Chester, PA 19380-0990

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 Borough of Downingtown means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Downingtown, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Borough of Downingtown adopts its own zoning chapter, Chapter 287, with several districts including an R-2 single-family detached residential district1. Zoning is set by the borough, not by Chester County8.

Dimensional rules differ by district. In R-2, the minimum lot size is 12,000 square feet with a minimum width of 80 feet at the building setback line6. The minimum front yard is 35 feet and the minimum rear yard is 35 feet; single-family side yards total 25 feet with neither under 10 feet9. Building coverage tops out at 20% and other impervious surface at 15%10. Maximum building height is 35 feet11.

Rules in other districts, and whether RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are allowed, we could not confirm; ask the borough's code enforcement office12.

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

Yes. Downingtown Borough elects to administer and enforce the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code itself2, and the borough's code enforcement office states that a building permit is required when performing work on the interior or exterior of a home or non-residential building12.

Beyond the state code's own list, the borough's code also requires a permit for accessory structures of 200 square feet or more, any utility installation to an accessory structure, decks 12 inches or more above grade, and reroofing more than 25% of a roof5. The borough's page lists new or replacement fencing and patios as work needing a zoning permit12.

A certificate of occupancy is required before a residential building is used13. Permit fees are set by borough council resolution; we could not confirm the amounts, so ask the code office14.

Who do you call about building and zoning permits in Downingtown?

Call Downingtown Borough's code enforcement office, which handles planning, zoning and building, at 610-269-034412. The office is at 4-10 W Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, PA 1933512.

The Chester County Planning Commission supports municipal planning and mapping but does not administer the borough's zoning or building permits15.

How do septic permits work in Downingtown?

Septic and well permits for Chester County, including addresses in boroughs, come from the Chester County Health Department34. A permit is required for new septic systems, repairs or modifications16. We could not confirm sewer availability for a given Downingtown address; ask the borough code office and the health department at 610-344-62254.

For new construction, a well permit requires public sewerage or a valid sewage permit17.

Building a home in Downingtown: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, yard and coverage limits with the borough code office112.
  2. Settle sewer or septic: public sewer connection through the borough, or a county Health Department septic permit4.
  3. Apply for the building permit from the borough, which enforces the Uniform Construction Code2.
  4. Pass the required inspections as work proceeds18.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone lives there13.

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

Septic, wells and public health stay with the Chester County Health Department3. Land outside the borough is governed by the zoning of whichever Chester County municipality it lies in8; see the Chester County page for the county picture.

A driveway that connects to a state highway needs a PennDOT permit19. A floodplain development permit is issued by the municipality before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area20; ask the borough whether a parcel lies in one. Chester County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%21.

Watch-outs

  • Rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings and manufactured homes inside Downingtown were not confirmed; ask the borough code enforcement office at 610-269-0344 before buying for that purpose12.
  • R-2 dimensional standards do not apply in the borough's other districts, and a lot may also be subject to a central business revitalization overlay or historic district rules6.
  • Certificates of occupancy, owner-builder and inspection procedures inside the borough were not confirmed beyond the state rules; ask the code office12.

Sources

  1. Article VI R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 120 Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sewage & Water, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chester County Health Department (chesco.org)
  5. Chapter 120 Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article VI R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. chescoplanning.org, quoted and re-checked
  9. Article VI R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article VI R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article VI R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  12. Downingtown Borough Code Enforcement (Planning, Zoning & Building) (downingtown.org)
  13. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 120 Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Downingtown, PA (eCode360) (Borough of Downingtown), quoted and re-checked
  15. Planning in Pennsylvania, quoted and re-checked
  16. Permits for On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  17. Chester County Health Department Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  18. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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 Borough of Downingtown

Borough of Downingtown’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction and certain accessory structures inside Downingtown borough

    • Permit required in addition to UCC-required permits for accessory structures of 200 sq ft or more, any utility installation to an accessory structure, reroofing/reshingling more than 25% of roof, decks 12 inches or more above grade, and alterations
    • Amended 8-6-2025 by Ord. 2025-03

    accessory structure permit threshold: >= 200 sq ft (any utility installation requires permit regardless of size)

    “the construction, erection, or placement of any accessory structure which is equal to or greater than 200 square feet, whether or not such accessory structure is connected to a utility.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Downingtown borough; borough elects to administer and enforce the PA Uniform Construction Code

    • Borough may administer through employees, contracted agencies, other municipalities or PA L&I as determined by council resolution
    • Ordinance originally adopted 4-21-2004 (Ord. 2004-1), amended 7-5-2023
    “the borough of downingtown hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the pennsylvania construction code act, act 45 of 1999, 35 p.s. § 7210.101 et seq., as amended from time to time”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Downingtown borough; the borough adopts its own zoning chapter (Chapter 287) with an R-2 district among others

    “the r-2 single-family detached residential district primarily includes areas of relatively recent development of single-family detached dwellings in moderate to low density.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Downingtown borough

    • Subject to Article XIA (central business revitalization overlay)
    • Minimum lot width 80 feet at the building setback line
    • Amended 12-1-1999 by Ord. 99-14

    minimum lot size: >= 12000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 80 ft

    “the following regulations shall apply to uses in the r-2 district subject to article xia: a. minimum lot size: 12,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Downingtown borough

    • Corner lot (new construction) single side yard minimum 15 feet
    • Special exception uses: side yards 40 feet aggregate, neither less than 15 feet
    • Accessory buildings: 3 feet from side or rear lot line, no closer than 5 feet to any alley or street at side or rear

    minimum front yard: >= 35 ft · minimum side yards (single-family): 25 feet aggregate, neither less than 10 feet · minimum rear yard: >= 35 ft

    “e. minimum front yard: 35 feet. f. minimum side yards: (1) single-family dwellings: 25 feet aggregate, with neither less than 10 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Downingtown borough

    • Subject to Article XIA

    maximum building coverage: <= 20 % · maximum other impervious surface coverage: <= 15 %

    “c. maximum building coverage: 20%. d. maximum other impervious surface coverage: 15%.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-2 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Downingtown borough

    • Special exception uses may add two feet per additional one foot of side yard provided, up to 50 feet

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft (special exception uses up to 50 ft)

    “h. maximum building height: 35 feet; for special exception uses, an increase of two feet or any fraction thereof may be permitted for each additional one foot of side yard provided, up to a maximum height of 50 feet.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Construction code permit fees inside Downingtown borough

    • Fee amounts are set by council resolution, not in the code chapter; the resolution was not opened
    “fees assessable by the borough of downingtown for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the code shall be established by borough council by the resolution from time to time.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Downingtown borough
  • Inspections — Inspections inside Downingtown borough
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Downingtown borough
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Downingtown borough
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Downingtown borough
16 more unanswered
  • 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
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • 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 Borough of Downingtown publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chester County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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