Bolthole Index

Chester County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in East Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania

East Brandywine Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania requires building permits for work covered by the state construction code, and the township's own office administers them12. Zoning is set by the township's own code3. Septic and well permits for the township come from the Chester County Health Department4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the township, which administers the Pennsylvania construction code12
Zoning
Yes, the township's own zoning code with a zoning hearing board3
Septic permits
Required; Chester County Health Department45
Wells
Permit required from the county health department6
Owner-builder
Pennsylvania has no statewide general-contractor license requirement for owners building their own home7
Property tax (Chester County)
Effective rate 1.3%8

Who to call

Building permits

East Brandywine Township Building Permits & Codes Enforcement

Building permits and codes enforcement inside East Brandywine Township

(610) 269-8230

1214 Horseshoe Pike, Downingtown, PA 19335

Septic permits

Chester County Health Department

Septic (on-lot sewage disposal) permits and well permits for Chester County, including East Brandywine Township

610-344-6225

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

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 East Brandywine Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in East Brandywine Township, PA?

Yes. East Brandywine Township has elected to administer the Pennsylvania construction code itself, so building permits for work inside the township are issued by the township, not by Chester County19. Work started without a permit costs double fees2.

The township says applications are reviewed within 15 business days and that a standard application form with attachments is required for every permit10. The fee schedule is published in the township code online, and fees are non-refundable and paid by check or exact cash, not card11.

Who issues building permits in East Brandywine Township, and how do you reach them?

The East Brandywine Township Building Permits & Codes Enforcement office issues building permits, at 1214 Horseshoe Pike, Downingtown, PA 19335, phone (610) 269-82309. Applications must be signed and delivered to that office with the required fees10.

The Chester County Planning Commission supports municipal planning but does not issue building permits or administer municipal zoning12. Septic and well permits are the county's job, covered below.

Does East Brandywine Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. East Brandywine Township zones its own land under Chapter 399 of the township code, administered with a zoning hearing board and the board of supervisors3. Rules differ by district, and we have reviewed only the R-3 Residential District and its TND-2 overlay13.

In R-3, a single-family detached lot needs at least 1 acre gross and 35,000 square feet net, with the front yard at least 50 feet and the rear yard at least 30 feet1415. Impervious surface may cover no more than 20% of net lot area, and buildings may not exceed 35 feet or three stories1617. An accessory dwelling in R-3 needs a special exception from the zoning hearing board18. Subdivision and land development fall under a separate township chapter19.

How do septic permits work in East Brandywine Township?

The Chester County Health Department, not the township, regulates sewage and water4. A permit is required for new on-lot systems, repairs and modifications5. Applications need an acceptable percolation test and test pits for soil profile examination, and the permit is authorization to proceed, not a guarantee of final approval5.

Across Chester County, USDA rates only about 24% of soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system20. Call the Health Department at 610-344-622521.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in East Brandywine Township?

We could not confirm East Brandywine Township's rules on RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny homes. Because the township zones its own land3, ask the township zoning and codes office at (610) 269-8230 before you move an RV or tiny home onto a lot9. Pennsylvania's statewide campground rules do not answer whether you may live in an RV on your own land22.

Building a home in East Brandywine Township: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and its lot-size and setback rules with the township3.
  2. Get a county septic permit, or confirm public sewer is available, before you design the house5.
  3. If the lot needs a well, a county well permit is required, applied for by a licensed contractor6.
  4. Submit the township's standard building and zoning application with attachments and fees10.
  5. Expect inspections and a certificate of occupancy under the state construction code2324.

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

Septic permits, well permits and subdivision health review stay with the Chester County Health Department46. For land outside East Brandywine Township, see the Chester County page.

Chester County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%8. The county's typical home value is $587,74725. Ask the township whether the lot sits in a floodplain, because state rules require a development permit in mapped flood hazard areas26.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm township rules on driveway permits, floodplain development, short-term rentals or off-grid sanitation; ask the township office at (610) 269-82309.
  • Work begun without a building permit is charged double fees2.
  • Zoning rules above cover only the R-3 district; other districts may differ, so confirm your parcel's district first13.

Sources

  1. Building Permits & Codes Enforcement (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building Permits & Codes Enforcement (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sewage and Water Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  5. Permits for On-Lot Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  6. Chester County Health Department Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  9. East Brandywine Township Building Permits & Codes Enforcement (ebrandywine.org)
  10. Building Permits & Codes Enforcement (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Building Permits & Codes Enforcement (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chester County PA - Planning Commission (2026 county census)
  13. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. East Brandywine Code Ch. 399 Zoning, Article VII R-3 Residential District (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Township of East Brandywine, PA code table of contents (East Brandywine Township), quoted and re-checked
  20. 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
  21. Chester County Health Department (chesco.org)
  22. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  26. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (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.

Answers from the rulebook for East Brandywine Township

East Brandywine Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work requiring a permit inside East Brandywine Township

    • Work started without a permit incurs double fees.
    • Applications reviewed within 15 business days.
    “any work requiring permit commenced without first securng permit will result in double fees.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside East Brandywine Township; the township administers the PA Uniform Construction Code

    • 2018 International Codes plus certain 2021 IBC/IEBC provisions apply to permits sought on or after Feb 15, 2022, per township page.
    “East Brandywine Township has elected to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside East Brandywine Township

    • Zoning is Chapter 399 of the township code, administered with a zoning hearing board and board of supervisors.
    “any of the following uses shall be permitted when approved as a special exception by the zoning hearing board”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts of East Brandywine Township; only R-3 and the TND-2 overlay reviewed

    • Other districts (R-1, R-2, TND-1, etc.) not opened.
    “a portion of the r-3 residential district adjoining the tnd-1 traditional neighborhood development district is provided with the option to utilize the terms of the tnd-2 overlay district regulations.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached lots in the R-3 Residential District, East Brandywine Township

    • Does not apply where TND-2 overlay terms are used.
    • Minimum lot width 150 feet at the building setback line.
    • Clustered development follows § 399-37.

    minimum gross lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum net lot area: >= 35000 sq ft

    “a. minimum lot area. (1) gross: one acre. (2) net: 35,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings in the R-3 Residential District, East Brandywine Township

    • Side yards: two totaling at least 60 feet, neither under 20 feet; corner lot side yards at least 30 feet.
    • Rear yard at least 30 feet for principal buildings.
    • Not applicable where TND-2 overlay is used.

    front yard: >= 50 feet · rear yard: >= 30 feet

    “no building shall be situated less than 50 feet from the front lot line.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-3 Residential District, East Brandywine Township

    • Measured against net lot area.

    maximum impervious surface: <= 20 percent of net lot area

    “not more than 20% of the net area of any lot may be covered in impervious surfaces.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-3 Residential District, East Brandywine Township

    • Except as provided in § 399-73.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet or three stories, whichever is less (§ 399-73)

    “except as provided in § 399-73 of this chapter, no building or other structure erected in the r-3 district shall exceed a height of three stories or 35 feet, whichever is less.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling in the R-3 Residential District, East Brandywine Township

    • Special exception from the zoning hearing board required.
    • Must meet § 399-91 and the § 399-145 criteria.
    “(3) accessory dwelling, in accordance with the terms of § 399-91.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside East Brandywine Township

    • Chapter text not opened; substantive standards not reviewed.
    “chapter 350 subdivision and land development (§ 350-1 &ndash; § 350-66)”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Building and zoning permit fees, East Brandywine Township

    • Fees are non-refundable.
    • Payment by check or exact cash; no credit/debit cards.
    • Fee schedule is in the township code online; amounts not reviewed.
    “a current fee schedule, last modified by resolution 7 of 2023, may be found on the township's ecode online the township code site.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building/zoning permits, East Brandywine Township

    • Review takes up to 15 business days.
    • A standard building/zoning application form plus attachments is required for all permits.
    “applications must be signed + delivered to our office + any required application fees.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask East Brandywine Township or Chester County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside East Brandywine Township
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside East Brandywine Township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside East Brandywine Township
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside East Brandywine Township
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside East Brandywine Township
12 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 East Brandywine Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chester County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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