Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Upland, Pennsylvania

Borough of Upland’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Upland borough.

  • The referenced UCC is amended from time to time.

  “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405”

• InspectionsLimited

  Permitted construction or development in a Borough special flood hazard area.

  • The Floodplain Administrator or authorized official makes as many inspections during and upon completion as necessary.

  “During the construction period, the Floodplain Administrator or other authorized official shall inspect the premises to determine that the work is progressing in compliance with the information provided on the permit application and with all applicable municipal laws and ordinances.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Residential, commercial, and industrial apartments, dwelling units, premises, or structures covered by § 69-5 inside Upland borough.

  • A certificate is required before the covered occupancy, rental, sale, conveyance, transfer, creation, location, erection, change, lease, alteration, conversion, or enlargement.

  “without first securing a certificate of occupancy, and/ or Business/Commercial or Residential Rental License, from the Borough of Upland.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Upland borough.

  • Chapter 185 is the Borough zoning chapter.

  “Chapter 185 Zoning (§ 185-100 – § 185-2410)”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties facing streets in Upland borough.

  • The requirement is to make necessary connections with DELCORA sewer mains.

  “All property owners owning or controlling property facing upon any of the streets of the Borough of Upland shall lay or cause to be laid”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Upland borough.

  • The Borough adopts the 2016 Delaware County Planning Department ordinance by reference except for Section 819, Recreational areas.

  “All articles and sections of the 2016 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance of the Delaware County Planning Department[...] shall apply, except for Section 819”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or development in any special flood hazard area inside Upland borough.

  • A permit is required before construction or development.
  • The Floodplain Administrator must determine conformance with applicable codes and ordinances before issuance.

  “A permit shall be required before any construction or development”

• Permit processPartial

  Building, construction, or development permit applications for work in a Borough special flood hazard area.

  • Application must be in writing to the Upland Building Code Official on Borough forms.
  • The ordinance lists applicant, owner, contractor, site, tax-map, other-permit, work-description, cost, and site-plan information.

  “Application for all building/construction or development permits shall be made”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Upland borough.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Upland borough.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Upland borough.
• Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Upland borough.
• Setbacks — Residential districts inside Upland 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 Upland 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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