Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania

Borough of Sharon Hill’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, additions, demolition, moving structures, occupancy changes, affected lot-line moves, and regulated equipment work inside Sharon Hill borough.

  • The Borough list identifies the listed activities as requiring a permit.

  “Any time one of these activities occurs a permit must be obtained:”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction regulated inside Sharon Hill borough.

  • The ordinance says the Borough adopted the Pennsylvania UCC and later amendments by Ordinance No. 1298 on April 22, 2004.
  • The ordinance additionally states that the Borough enforces the 2015 International Residential Code for alteration and repair of residential buildings.

  “this Council adopted the UCC in the Borough of Sharon Hill and its later amendments by enactment of Ordinance No. 1298 on April 22, 2004;”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Sharon Hill borough.

  • The code page states that the current zoning ordinance is on file in the Borough Manager's office.
  • The page identifies adoption on 1995-10-26 by Ordinance No. 1248 and lists a 2024 zoning amendment.

  “A copy of the current Zoning Ordinance of the Borough of Sharon Hill [...] is on file in the office of the Borough Manager.”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Privies, privy vaults, septic tanks, cesspools, and other facilities intended or used for sewage disposal inside Sharon Hill borough.

  • The prohibition is subject to the code's stated exception: “Except as hereinafter provided.”

  “Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any [...] septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties inside Sharon Hill borough used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes.

  • The property must abut a street, alley, or right-of-way containing a current or future Borough public sanitary or combined sewer.
  • The sewer must be within 100 feet of the property line.
  • Connection and suitable toilet facilities must be installed at the owner's expense within 90 days after official notice.

  sewer distance from property line: <= 100 feet (Connection rule applies when the property also abuts the specified street, alley, or right-of-way.) · connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days

  “The owners of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the Borough and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the Borough, are hereby required at their expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this part of this chapter within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said sewer is within 100 feet of the property line.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of lots, tracts, or parcels inside Sharon Hill borough.

  • A subdivision plan must be approved and, where required, recorded before lots may be sold or building permits issued in a subdivision.
  • Required improvements must be constructed or secured through the stated completion guaranty, unless the Borough permits a hardship exception subject to conditions.

  “No subdivision of any lot, tract or parcel of land shall be effected [...] except in strict accordance with the Subdivision Regulations adopted hereunder.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential and commercial building permits issued by Sharon Hill borough.

  • Residential fees are based on project cost.
  • The application states that permit fees double if work begins before issuance of permits.
  • The stated residential fee includes a $4.50 Pennsylvania state fee.

  residential fee for first project cost increment: 84.5 USD (First $1,000 of project cost.) · residential additional fee: per 30 USD (Each additional $1,000 of total project cost or fraction thereof.)

  “Residential Building Permit Fee $84.50 for the first $1,000 of the cost of the project. $30.00 for each additional $1,000”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Borough building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit applicants.

  • Only complete applications with payment are accepted and processed.
  • The stated process may take up to 15 business days from application to approval.
  • Commercial projects must submit sealed drawings, and applicable contractor documentation and insurance are required.

  stated permitting-process duration: <= 15 business days (From application to approval.)

  “The permitting process can take up to 15 business days from application to approval.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Sharon Hill borough.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Sharon Hill borough.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Sharon Hill borough.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Sharon Hill borough.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Sharon Hill borough.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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