Building permits, zoning and land rules in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permit

Required before work covered by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code begins²

Building inspections

Required for covered building and systems work⁶

Zoning

Each of the county's 62 municipalities has its own ordinance and map³

Septic

County Office of Public Health permit and inspection required for on-lot systems⁷⁸

Private wells

County permit required before installing a drinking-water, irrigation or geothermal well⁹

RV or tiny home

Ask the parcel's municipality; no countywide occupancy answer was confirmed³

Owner-builder

Doing your own work does not waive permits or inspections; ask the local code office about contractor rules²¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania?

Yes. Montgomery County property owners must obtain a building permit before starting work covered by Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code². Covered construction and changes to residential or commercial buildings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, pools, hot tubs, and specified manufactured or industrialized housing work require inspections⁶. A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a UCC-regulated building or facility can be used¹¹. Emergency repairs or equipment replacement may begin before permit issuance only when an application reaches the building code official within three business days². Qualifying agricultural buildings without habitable space are excluded from the state Construction Code Act, but municipal land-use and other applicable requirements may remain¹².

Who issues building permits in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania?

Montgomery County does not operate one building-permit counter for every parcel; the applicable municipality or a certified third-party agency administers Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code permits². Start with the township, borough or city where the parcel lies for building permits and zoning approval, because all 62 municipalities have their own zoning ordinances and maps³. Building-permit fees vary: fees charged by municipalities or their third-party agencies are not regulated by statute or regulation¹³. Septic and well permits do not move to the municipality: the county Office of Public Health issues them at 610-278-5117⁴⁵¹⁴. The Montgomery County Planning Commission can help with county planning resources at 610-278-3722, planning@montgomerycountypa.gov, or 425 Swede Street in Norristown¹⁵. Pennsylvania generally does not license most construction contractors statewide and excludes uncompensated work by an owner on the owner's residence from home-improvement regulation, but that does not create an exemption from building permits or inspections; ask the responsible local code office about any contractor rules¹⁰²⁶.

Does Montgomery County, Pennsylvania have zoning?

All 62 Montgomery County municipalities have zoning ordinances and maps, and the rules vary by municipality³. The parcel's township, borough or city is therefore the source for allowed uses, setbacks, building height, lot coverage and minimum dwelling or lot size³. Montgomery County's Planning Commission reviews proposed municipal zoning amendments, but that review does not replace the municipality's ordinance or decision³. Subdivision and land-development proposals must also reach the county Planning Commission before municipal action; county review is advisory, and the municipality makes the final decision¹⁶. For a purchase decision, identify both the municipality and zoning district before assuming an RV, tiny home, accessory dwelling or short-term rental is allowed³.

How do septic permits work in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania?

Montgomery County's Office of Public Health requires a permit to construct or modify an on-lot sewage disposal system, with applications submitted to the Sewage Enforcement Officer serving the property's territory¹⁷⁷. The published process starts with soil probes and percolation testing; if the site is suitable, the applicant submits a system design and permit application for approval¹⁸. After installation, county Sewage Enforcement Officers inspect the system and provide final approval for use⁸. Only 28.3% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so establish septic feasibility before treating a buildable-looking lot as buildable¹⁹. State law includes a conditional exemption for an owner or immediate-family residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres, but ownership, siting and notice conditions still apply²⁰. Contact OPH at 610-278-5117 or publichealth@montgomerycountypa.gov¹⁴.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania?

We could not confirm one Montgomery County rule for residential RV occupancy, temporary private-land camping or tiny-home occupancy. All 62 municipalities have zoning ordinances and maps, so ask the parcel's township, borough or city whether the proposed unit is a permitted dwelling, where it may sit and what dimensional rules apply³. Pennsylvania's state-park campground limits apply only in state park campgrounds and do not answer whether someone may live in an RV on private land²¹. A manufactured home bearing the required federal label has state construction-code treatment, but that does not establish local land-use permission for a particular parcel²². A new residence using a composting or similar water-conservation toilet still needs an approved method for washwater or excess liquid under the same permit, subject to the state rule's exceptions²³.

What are the steps to build a home in Montgomery County?

1. Identify the parcel's township, borough or city, then read its zoning ordinance and map³.
2. If the project uses on-lot sewage, arrange soil probes and percolation testing, then obtain OPH design approval and a permit if the site is suitable¹⁸.
3. Before installing a drinking-water, irrigation or geothermal well, obtain the county Permit to Construct; monitoring, agricultural and test wells are exempt⁹.
4. Obtain the UCC building permit from the applicable municipality or certified agency before covered work begins².
5. Complete the required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before use; completed construction also needs written proof of passed inspections before public electric or gas connection⁶¹¹²⁴.
6. For floodplain construction, include the required sealed flood documentation with the UCC application²⁵.
7. If access is from a Commonwealth highway, obtain the required PennDOT highway occupancy permit before driveway access²⁶.

What should you check before buying land in Montgomery County?

Check the municipality first: zoning and parcel-specific dimensional standards turn on the township, borough or city, and all 62 municipalities have zoning ordinances and maps³. Check wastewater and water next: only 28.3% of soils are rated without severe conventional-drain-field limits, and county permits cover on-lot sewage systems plus drinking-water, irrigation and geothermal wells¹⁹⁷⁹. For a subdivision or land-development proposal, plan for advisory county review before the municipality makes the final decision¹⁶. Confirm floodplain conditions and state-highway access early because floodplain documentation and a PennDOT access permit can add separate requirements to the UCC process²⁵²⁶. The effective property-tax rate is about 1.4%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $5,776²⁷²⁸.

Watch-outs

• Montgomery County's well rule is stricter than a state driller-license exemption suggests: drinking-water, irrigation and geothermal wells need an OPH permit before installation even when state law does not require a homeowner drilling a personal well to hold a commercial driller license⁹²⁹.
• A parcel of at least 10 acres is not automatically exempt from septic permitting; the state exemption also has ownership, occupancy, siting and notice conditions²⁰.
• No single countywide answer was confirmed for RV living, temporary camping, tiny homes, setbacks or minimum dwelling size; obtain the rule from the parcel's municipality³.

Sources

1. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
2. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
3. Homes For All, quoted and re-checked
4. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
5. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
6. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
7. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
8. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
9. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
10. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
12. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Fee Schedule - UCC Buildings, quoted and re-checked
14. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
15. Montgomery County Planning Commission (montgomerycountypa.gov)
16. Subdivision & Land Development Reviews, quoted and re-checked
17. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
18. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
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. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
25. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
26. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
28. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
29. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 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.