Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

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

Abington Township, Pennsylvania in Montgomery County requires a building permit for new residential construction, and no work may start until the permit is issued1. The township adopts its own zoning ordinance2. Septic permits for on-lot systems come from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, not the township3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the township14
Zoning
Township ordinance with published districts25
Septic
Montgomery County Office of Public Health issues on-lot permits; public sewer is common36
Wells
County permit required for drinking-water wells7
Occupancy permit
Not required for resale of single-family homes8
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for most work; township rule unconfirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

Abington Township Fire and Code Services Department

Residential building permit applications, forms and fee schedules for Abington Township

267-536-1000

1176 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001

Septic permits

Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH)

On-lot sewage permits and inspections and individual water-supply well permits

610-278-5117

publichealth@montgomerycountypa.gov

1430 DeKalb Street, PO Box 311, Norristown, PA, 19404-0311

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

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Does Abington Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Abington Township has its own zoning ordinance, adopted in 1996 and amended since, and it is on file in the township offices2. The township also publishes a zoning-district sheet, which points readers to the 2017 zoning ordinance for overlay districts, use regulations, supplementary regulations and the zoning hearing board5.

Montgomery County does not zone Abington. The county's own planning page says its municipalities for the most part make land use and zoning decisions individually10, and Pennsylvania law limits county zoning to municipalities that have no ordinance of their own11.

We could not confirm what the ordinance says about RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes or minimum house size. Dimensional rules also differ by district. Ask the Abington Township zoning office which district your parcel is in, and read that district's rules before you buy.

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

Yes. Abington Township adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code4. The township's published policy says an application does not let the job start, and no work may start until the permit is issued1.

The township's Fire and Code Services Department handles applications, and its residential page says it is moving to a fully digital permitting process1213. Pennsylvania's code lists a few exemptions, such as fences up to 6 feet high14, so confirm with the department before assuming a small project is exempt.

A use and occupancy permit is not required for the resale of single-family dwellings8. If your lot needs access to a PennDOT highway, the township will not issue the building permit until a Highway Occupancy Permit is issued15. The one published fee we could confirm is $25 for a shed under 144 square feet16; ask the department for the schedule that applies to a house.

How do septic permits work in Abington Township?

Most Abington buildings are expected to use public sewer. A building within 200 feet of an available public sewer must connect, and a new building must connect within 60 days of completion unless the Department of Works grants special permission6. The township code also makes it unlawful, except as it provides later, to build or keep a septic tank, cesspool or similar facility17.

Where an on-lot system is allowed, Montgomery County handles it. The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act requires a permit from the county Office of Public Health to build or modify an on-lot system3. The process starts with soil probes and percolation tests, then a design and application if the site is suitable, and county inspectors approve the installed system for use18.

We could not confirm from township materials when the township allows an on-lot system. Call19 and the township before you count on a septic system. Drinking-water wells in Montgomery County also need a county permit before installation7.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Abington Township?

We could not confirm. The township's current zoning text and use table were not available to us, so RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy and accessory dwellings are all unconfirmed for Abington Township.

Two things are worth knowing. Pennsylvania's published RV rules cover state park campgrounds, not living on your own land20. And any dwelling, whatever its size, falls under the township's building-permit requirement for residential construction1.

Ask the Abington Township zoning office, through the number on the12 listing, whether your district permits the use before you buy or park anything on the lot.

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

  1. Ask the township which zoning district your parcel is in, and read that district's rules in the zoning ordinance5.
  2. Find out whether public sewer is within 200 feet6. If not, ask the township and Montgomery County whether an on-lot system is possible; the county requires a site evaluation first18.
  3. Check whether your driveway reaches a PennDOT highway. If it does, a Highway Occupancy Permit comes before the building permit15.
  4. Apply for the building permit through the township's Fire and Code Services Department; no work starts until it is issued112.
  5. Keep work open for the required inspections: Pennsylvania lists foundations, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, frame and masonry, and wallboard, plus a final inspection21.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in22.

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

The township decides zoning and issues building permits inside Abington21. Septic and well permits stay with the Montgomery County Office of Public Health37. Subdividing a lot goes to the county Planning Commission for advisory review, and the township makes the final decision23. Rules for land outside Abington are on the Montgomery County page.

Price context is countywide. Montgomery County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%24, and the median property tax bill is $5776 a year25. The typical home value is $50417926. Montgomery County has about 1799 people per square mile27, so expect a suburban setting rather than rural land.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the township's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum house size, which sit in its own zoning ordinance; ask the Abington Township zoning office before you buy2.
  • We could not confirm whether the township has an owner-builder exemption; Pennsylvania has no statewide license for most construction contractors, but municipalities may add their own requirements9.
  • We could not confirm how Abington handles floodplain development; Pennsylvania requires a municipal floodplain permit before development in a mapped flood hazard area28.
  • Permit fees charged by municipalities are not set by state rule and vary by township, so ask for the current Abington fee schedule29.

Sources

  1. Building Permits, Use & Occupancy Permits and Inspections Policies (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 162: Zoning - Township of Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 67: Construction Codes, Uniform - Township of Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Zoning Districts - 09 (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article III: Use of Public Sewers Required - Township of Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  8. Commercial Applications & Forms | Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Homes For All, quoted and re-checked
  11. Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Section 602 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Abington Township Fire and Code Services Department (abingtonpa.gov)
  13. Residential Applications & Forms | Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Residential Applications & Forms | Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Residential Applications & Forms | Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Article III: Use of Public Sewers Required - Township of Abington, PA (Abington Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  19. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
  20. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Subdivision & Land Development Reviews, quoted and re-checked
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  27. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  28. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  29. Fee Schedule - UCC Buildings, quoted and re-checked

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 Abington Township

Abington Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New residential and commercial construction inside Abington Township.

    • The published policy lists engineered plot plans and construction plans as required application information.
    “An application for a Building Permit or Use and Occupancy Permit does not grant the job to start. No work may start until the permit is issued.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction within Abington Township.

    • The adopted UCC is amended from time to time.
    “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of the Township, and this includes each of the various International Codes incorporated into the code Act.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Commercial, triplex, and quadplex occupancy inside Abington Township; not residential non-business property.

    • Required before first occupancy of covered buildings, changes in use, covered changes in occupancy, or expansion/change of a nonconforming use.
    “Please note this application is only for commercial, triplex and quadplex use. A use and occupancy permit is not required for the resale of single-family dwellings.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Abington Township.

    • The ordinance is stated to be as amended.
    “The Zoning Ordinance of the Township of Abington, Ordinance No. 1753, adopted 5-9-1996, as amended, is on file in the township offices and may be viewed there during normal business hours.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Abington Township.

    • The district sheet directs readers to the 2017 zoning ordinance for overlay districts, use regulations, supplementary regulations, and administration.
    “Please refer to the 2017 Abington Township Zoning Ordinance for: Overlay Districts, Use Regulations, Supplementary Regulations, Parking & Transportation Standards, Sign Regulations, Administration & Permits, Zoning Hearing Board Procedures & Zoning Amendments.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private sewage-disposal facilities inside Abington Township.

    • The quoted prohibition is subject to later provisions of Part 2; on-site sewage disposal is addressed in Article IV.
    “Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Buildings requiring sewer service inside Abington Township that are within 200 feet of an available public sewer.

    • Unless special permission to the contrary is granted by the Department of Works, a new building must connect within 60 days after completion; each building must be separately connected.

    distance from public sewer: <= 200 feet (Buildings requiring sewer service on premises abutting or traversed by the sewer.) · connection deadline for new construction: <= 60 days (After completion of the new building; unless special permission to the contrary is granted.)

    “Unless special permission to the contrary shall have been grated by the Department of Works, it shall be the duty of every owner of premises abutting a public sewer or through which a public sewer passes, and on which premises a building or buildings requiring sewer service are located within 200 feet of the public sewer, to connect such buildings to the public sewer within the following time frames and in the following manner: [...] For owners who construct a building or buildings on a premises after the effective date of this Subsection B: within 60 days of completion of construction of the new building or buildings.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Building-permit projects inside Abington Township requiring access to a highway under Pennsylvania Department of Transportation jurisdiction.

    • The Township will not issue the building permit until the Highway Occupancy Permit is issued.
    “Any application for a building permit that requires access to a highway falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation will not be issued until a Highway Occupancy Permit is issued;”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Residential permit applications inside Abington Township.

    • The displayed examples are project-specific; other fees may be governed by the referenced fee schedule.

    shed fee below 144 square feet: 25 USD (Less than 144 square feet of floor space.)

    “Less than 144 square feet of floor space - $25”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Residential permit applications inside Abington Township.

    • The listed digital-permitting transition was effective July 1, 2025.
    “The Abington Township Fire and Code Services Department is transitioning to a fully digital permitting process, effective July 1, 2025.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Abington Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling in the R-1 Low Density Residential District.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Abington Township.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Abington Township.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Abington Township.
9 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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 Abington Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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