Bolthole Index

Mercer County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Shenango Township, Pennsylvania

Shenango Township in Mercer County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, so a parcel here is governed by township districts, not by the county1. The township's website carries a building permit page and a zoning permit page, and applicants are told to complete both2. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires a building permit before work starts3. Septic permits come from a local agency, and we could not confirm which one serves Shenango Township4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the township has its own zoning ordinance and districts15
Building permit
Required statewide under the Uniform Construction Code; the township posts its own building permit page32
Zoning permit
Township zoning permit, completed together with the building permit2
Minimum lot
45,000 sq ft with on-lot sewage; 32,000 sq ft in R-2 with public sewers (check the table)6
Septic
Permit from a local agency under Act 537; which agency serves the township is unconfirmed4
Mobile home parks
Only in R-1, as a conditional use approved by the Board of Supervisors7
Subdivision
Regulated under township code Chapter 228
Floodplain
Development must meet the township's flood plain ordinance9

Who to call

Building permits

Shenango Township (Mercer County) municipal office

Building permit and zoning permit applications and zoning questions inside Shenango Township

724-528-9571

3439 Hubbard-Middlesex Rd West Middlesex, PA 16159

Septic permits

Shenango Township septic tank pumping program

Township-approved septic pumpers and pumping reminders; ask the township office who issues new on-lot septic permits

724-528-9571

3439 Hubbard-Middlesex Rd West Middlesex, PA 16159

Planning & zoning

Mercer County Regional Planning Commission (MCRPC)

Publishes municipal zoning ordinances and maps for Mercer County; directs parcel-specific zoning questions to the local zoning officer

724.981.2412

mail@mcrpc.com

2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148

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

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Does Shenango Township, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for your land?

Yes. Shenango Township in Mercer County adopted its own zoning ordinance, which divides the township into zoning districts1. Mercer County itself does not zone land; zoning is adopted municipality by municipality10. That means the township ordinance, not a county rule, decides what you can build on a parcel here.

The districts include R-1 residential agricultural, where the predominant use is agricultural, and R-2 residential medium density, plus commercial and industrial districts5. Mobile home parks are permitted only in R-1, and only as a conditional use approved by the Board of Supervisors7. Whether an individual manufactured home, tiny home or RV may be placed on a lot was not confirmed, so ask the township office before you buy.

The township's zoning map and districts page is linked from its website, and Mercer County Regional Planning publishes a copy of the ordinance11.

How big does a lot need to be in Shenango Township?

The township's dimensional table appears to set a minimum lot of 45,000 square feet in R-1 or R-2 where the lot relies on on-lot sewage, and 32,000 square feet in R-2 where public sewers serve the lot6. The same table appears to call for a 150-foot minimum lot width with on-lot sewage6. Those figures come from a flattened PDF table, so confirm the column for your district with the zoning officer.

Setbacks also vary by district: rear setbacks run between 25 and 35 feet and side setbacks between 10 and 25 feet across the districts, with accessory structures at 10 feet from a side or rear line12. Building coverage appears to top out at 25% in the residential columns and 50% in the commercial and industrial columns13. Name your district when you call, because averaging across districts will mislead you.

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

Yes, expect to need one. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires property owners to obtain a construction or building permit before starting work, and inspections are required for new homes and for electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work3. A residential building may not be occupied without a certificate of occupancy issued by a building code official14.

Shenango Township's website has separate building permit and zoning permit pages, and it asks anyone applying for a building permit to complete a zoning permit as well2. Which code official or third-party agency reviews and inspects the work in Shenango Township was not confirmed; the township office at 724-528-9571 can tell you2.

Pennsylvania's recreational-cabin exclusion is narrow and is not a general exemption for ordinary owner-builders of a house15.

How do septic permits work in Shenango Township?

On-lot septic systems in Pennsylvania are permitted by a local agency under Act 537, not by the building permit office4. A permit is required before installing, building or occupying a building served by an individual on-lot system16. A local agency may be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a county health department17.

We could not confirm which agency or sewage enforcement officer handles Shenango Township, so ask the township office first. Parts of the township are served by public sewers through the Shenango Township Municipal Authority, so ask whether your parcel can connect.

Where a system is installed, the township says septic tanks need pumped every three years and lists approved pumpers18. The county's soil survey rates few soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system19.

Building a home in Shenango Township: the steps, in order

  1. Call the township office to confirm the zoning district for your parcel and whether public sewer is available2.
  2. Check minimum lot size, width and setbacks for that district against your plan6.
  3. If the parcel would be split, check the township's subdivision and land development rules in Chapter 22 of its code8.
  4. Confirm septic with the local agency and have the site evaluated before you finalize plans4.
  5. File the building permit and zoning permit applications with the township2.
  6. If the driveway meets a state road, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required before the work, and review can take 30-90 days20.
  7. Schedule the inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in21.

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

Mercer County does not zone land inside the township, but county and state offices still matter. The county planning commission publishes municipal zoning ordinances and refers parcel questions to the local zoning officer11. County-level planning applies to subdivisions only in municipalities that have not adopted their own standards22; Shenango Township's code has its own subdivision chapter8. For land outside the township, see the Mercer County page.

Before buying, check flood exposure: development must meet the township's flood plain management ordinance, and a stormwater ordinance also applies9. Mercer County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%23.

Watch-outs

  • Another Shenango Township exists in Lawrence County, and its website, shenangotownship.org, shows up first in many searches; the Mercer County township's office is at 3439 Hubbard-Middlesex Rd, West Middlesex2.
  • We could not confirm who reviews and inspects building permits or who issues septic permits inside Shenango Township; ask the township office at 724-528-9571 before you commit to plans2.
  • Whether an RV, tiny home or single manufactured home may be placed on a residential lot was not confirmed; only mobile home parks are addressed, and only in R-1 as a conditional use7.

Sources

  1. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Shenango Township (Mercer County) municipal office (shenangotownship.net)
  3. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  5. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Township of Shenango, PA code of ordinances table of contents (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. 2018 Mercer County Hazard Mitigation Plan, quoted and re-checked
  11. Mercer County Regional Planning Commission (MCRPC) (mcrpc.com)
  12. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Shenango Township Zoning Ordinance (adopted 11-19-2020) (Shenango Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. 34 Pa. Code Chapter 403, quoted and re-checked
  15. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
  16. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  18. Shenango Township septic tank pumping program (shenangotownship.net)
  19. 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
  20. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, quoted and re-checked
  21. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  22. Subdivision Process – Mercer County Regional Planning, quoted and re-checked
  23. 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 Shenango Township

Shenango Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Shenango township, Mercer County

    • Zoning ordinance text found on Mercer County Regional Planning Commission site; township code on eCode360 lists Chapter 27 Zoning.
    “the township of shenango for the purposes of the zoning ordinance is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Shenango township

    • Districts include R-1 residential agricultural and R-2 residential medium density, plus commercial and industrial districts per the dimensional table.
    “residential agricultural zoning district ‘r-1’ to provide a zoning district in which the predominate use is agricultural”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts R-1 and R-2 inside Shenango township

    • Table columns are in order: R-1 or R-2 on-lot sewage 45,000; R-2 only with public sewers 32,000; commercial 32,000; industrial 45,000 (square feet); column mapping from flattened PDF text.

    minimum lot area, on-lot sewage: >= 45000 sq ft (32,000 sq ft in R-2 with public sewers) · minimum lot width: >= 150 ft

    “on-lot sewage r-1 or r-2 * public sewers r-2 only commercial industrial 45,000 32,000 32,000 45,000 150 100 100 200”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Shenango township (see table)

    • Front setbacks measured from road centerline or publicly owned right-of-way; column mapping is from flattened PDF text and should be checked against the table.

    table row values rear setback (by column): 35 / 25 / 25 / 35 ft · table row values side setback (by column): 20 / 10 / 25 / 25 ft (accessory structures 10 ft side or rear)

    “rear setback 35 25 25 35 side setback 20 10 25 25 accessory”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Shenango township

    • Maximum impervious area provided all stormwater management requirements are met.

    maximum building coverage (by column): 25% / 25% / 50% / 50%

    “maximum building coverage 25% 25% 50% 50% maximum impervious area 85% 85%”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile home parks inside Shenango township

    • Mobile home parks only in R-1 district as conditional use approved by Board of Supervisors; additional SALDO standards. Placement of individual manufactured homes on lots not determined.
    “mobile home parks - permitted in the "r-1" residential - agricultural zoning district only and are hereby deemed to be a conditional use”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision inside Shenango township

    • Township code has a Chapter 22 Subdivision and Land Development; zoning ordinance also references Mercer County SALDO.
    “chapter 22 subdivision and land development chapter 23 stormwater management”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development inside Shenango township

    • Stormwater Ordinance #159 (July 11, 2011) also applies.
    “all development must meet requirements of the [fema] flood plain management act ordinance #161 as adopted august 16, 2012”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits in Shenango township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Shenango township
  • Building code adopted — Building code in Shenango township
  • Inspections — Building inspections in Shenango township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Shenango township
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • 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 Shenango Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mercer County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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