Bolthole Index

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania

Building in the Borough of East Lansdowne, Delaware County, Pennsylvania starts with a permit: the state Uniform Construction Code requires one before work begins1, and the borough's own forms page offers a building permit and plan review application2. Zoning approval is also handled at the borough level, not by Delaware County3. Septic systems and wells, where a lot has one, go through the Delaware County Health Department4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required under the Pennsylvania UCC; the borough's forms page has a building permit and plan review application12
Zoning
Handled by the borough, not Delaware County; district rules not confirmed3
Septic
Delaware County Health Department for on-lot systems4
Wells
A permit is required for individual wells5
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a residential building is used or occupied6
Owner-builder
Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor licence for most construction; the borough's own owner-builder rule is unconfirmed7

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of East Lansdowne (Borough Hall)

Borough permit and zoning application forms, including building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fence permits

610-623-7131

155 Lexington Ave., East Lansdowne, Pa.19050

Septic permits

Delaware County Health Department, Environmental Health

Permits, inspections and enforcement for on-lot sewage systems, and permits for private wells

(484) 276-2100

environmental@co.delaware.pa.us

1400 N Providence Road Suite 212, Media, PA 19063

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 East Lansdowne 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 Lansdowne, PA?

Yes. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work1. In Delaware County, building permits are administered by each municipality's code enforcement rather than by the county8, so for East Lansdowne the starting point is the borough office, not the county.

Permits come with inspections: a construction code official inspects all construction for which a permit was issued, and the permit holder must keep the work accessible for inspection9. A residential building may not be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy6.

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

The Borough of East Lansdowne publishes its permit forms online. The borough's forms page lists a Building Permit & Plan Review Application, a Construction Zoning Application and a U&O and Zoning Packet, plus separate electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fence permit applications2. Borough Hall is at 155 Lexington Ave. and the phone number is 610-623-71312.

We could not confirm a building permit fee schedule, so ask the borough office for current fees before you budget2. Delaware County does not issue building permits; its planning department points callers to their municipality's code enforcement officials8.

Does East Lansdowne have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Zoning in Delaware County is enforced by the municipality; the county Planning Commission only gives advisory subdivision and land-development review3. East Lansdowne's forms page includes zoning applications, so expect a zoning sign-off alongside the building permit2.

We could not confirm the borough's district rules for lot size, setbacks, building height, accessory dwellings, tiny homes or long-term RV occupancy. Ask the borough office which zoning district a parcel sits in and request the district's rules in writing before you buy. Subdivision and land development inside the borough are regulated under the borough's Chapter 2210.

How do septic permits work in East Lansdowne?

Septic permits are not a borough function. The Delaware County Health Department is responsible for inspections and permits for individual and small community on-lot sewage systems in East Lansdowne4. A permit is required for installation11, and no system or portion may be covered before final inspection and written approval12.

Wells follow the same path: all individual, semi-public or public water supplies, geothermal wells, monitoring wells and test wells require a permit5. Contact the Environmental Health office at (484) 276-210013. Most borough lots likely connect to public sewer, and we could not confirm whether a new home must connect, so ask the borough office.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in East Lansdowne?

We could not confirm it. No official borough provision on long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes or manufactured homes was available to us, and a published zoning chapter exists but its use rules were not verified. Ask the borough office, and get the answer in writing, before moving any RV or tiny home onto a lot2.

Building a home in East Lansdowne: the steps, in order

  1. Call Borough Hall at 610-623-7131 to confirm the lot's zoning district and what the zoning rules allow2.
  2. If the lot needs a well or on-lot septic system, apply to the Delaware County Health Department first115.
  3. Submit the borough's Building Permit & Plan Review Application and Construction Zoning Application2.
  4. If the driveway meets a state road, a Commonwealth driveway permit applies14.
  5. Schedule inspections as work proceeds9.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in6.

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

Septic permits, well permits and on-lot system inspections stay with the Delaware County Health Department4. For land outside the borough, see the Delaware County page.

County-level figures give context only: Delaware County's effective property tax rate is 2%15 and its median property tax bill is $6,001 a year16. Floodplain rules also matter: we could not confirm the borough's floodplain development permit rule, so ask the borough office whether a parcel lies in a mapped flood area.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm East Lansdowne's zoning district rules for lot size, setbacks, height or accessory dwellings; ask Borough Hall at 610-623-7131 before you buy2.
  • Septic and well permits come from the Delaware County Health Department, not the borough4.
  • No occupancy certificate means no legal move-in: Pennsylvania requires one for residential buildings6.
  • We could not confirm a borough building permit fee schedule or owner-builder rule; ask Borough Hall2.

Sources

  1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit—Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  2. Borough of East Lansdowne (Borough Hall) (eastlansdowne.org)
  3. Delaware County Planning Department - Development Review (2026 county census)
  4. Sewage and Water—Delaware County Health Department (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sewage and Water—Delaware County Health Department (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  6. 25 Pa. Code Chapter 403—Administration (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  7. Contractor Licensing (2026 county census)
  8. Delaware County Planning Department - Development Review (2026 county census)
  9. 25 Pa. Code Chapter 403—Administration (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  10. Borough of East Lansdowne, PA—Table of Contents (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  11. Sewage and Water—Delaware County Health Department (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sewage and Water—Delaware County Health Department (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  13. Delaware County Health Department, Environmental Health (delcopa.gov)
  14. 25 Pa. Code Chapter 403—Administration (Borough of East Lansdowne), quoted and re-checked
  15. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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 East Lansdowne

Borough of East Lansdowne’s own rules

  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • The published code contains a Borough chapter expressly titled Subdivision and Land Development; individual requirements were not verified from the chapter text.
    “Chapter 22 Subdivision and Land Development”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of East Lansdowne

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

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction governed by Pennsylvania's UCC inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • The cited Commonwealth page states that the UCC regulates building-project codes and standards in the Commonwealth.
    “The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) regulates the codes and standards of building projects in the Commonwealth.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction inside East Lansdowne borough for which a UCC permit is issued.

    • The rule applies to construction for which a permit was issued.
    • The permit holder must make the construction accessible for inspection.
    “A construction code official shall inspect all construction for which a permit was issued. The permit holder shall insure that the construction is accessible for inspection.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Residential buildings inside East Lansdowne borough subject to the UCC.

    • A final inspection report indicating compliance is required before issuance.
    • A building code official must issue the certificate within five business days after receipt of a compliant final inspection report; the cited rule provides ten business days in a city of the first class.

    certificate issuance deadline: 5 business days (10 business days in a city of the first class)

    “may not be used or occupied without a certificate of occupancy”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Individual and small community on-lot sewage disposal systems inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • DCHD administers its stated Act 537 responsibilities for individual and small community on-lot systems.
    “The Delaware County Health Department (DCHD) is responsible for inspections”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of individual and small community on-lot sewage disposal systems inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • The claim is limited to individual and small community on-lot systems.
    “Permits are required for the installation”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Individual and small community on-lot sewage disposal systems inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • The cited DCHD statement assigns inspections under Pennsylvania Act 537.
    “No system or portion may be covered before final inspection and written approval is given”
  • Well permitRequired

    Well construction inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • The cited DCHD statement includes well construction.
    “All individual, semi-public or public water supplies, geothermal wells, monitoring wells and test wells require a permit”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Properties inside East Lansdowne borough requiring driveway access to a Commonwealth highway.

    • The limitation applies only where highway access is under PennDOT jurisdiction.
    • A highway occupancy permit is required before driveway access is permitted.
    “before driveway access to a Commonwealth highway is permitted”
  • Permit processPartial

    UCC permit work inside East Lansdowne borough.

    • The cited statewide UCC process requires a permit before construction or building work.
    • The source does not establish East Lansdowne's intake office, local application form, or fee schedule.
    “The UCC requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting any work.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside East Lansdowne borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside East Lansdowne borough.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts inside East Lansdowne borough.
  • Setbacks — Residential zoning districts inside East Lansdowne borough.
  • Lot coverage — Residential zoning districts inside East Lansdowne borough.
12 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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

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