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

At a glance

Building permit

Required for work under the township's building chapter²

Zoning

Township zoning districts and a zoning map¹⁶

R1 residential limits

15% building coverage, 35% impervious coverage⁷

RV living

A house trailer lived in for more than 30 days a year is treated as a dwelling⁸

Septic permits

Montgomery County Office of Public Health³

Sewer connection

Required within 200 feet of a township sewer⁹

Well permits

Montgomery County Office of Public Health⁴

Property tax

Montgomery County effective rate 1.4%¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Does Cheltenham Township have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Yes. Cheltenham Township divides its land into zoning districts, and the zoning map is part of the township's zoning chapter¹. Montgomery County does not zone for its municipalities; each one sets its own rules¹¹.

In the R1 Residential District, the township caps building coverage at 15% of the lot and impervious coverage at 35%⁷. Building height in R1 is limited to the lesser of 3 stories or 40 feet¹². Other districts have their own numbers, so check the district for your parcel before you plan.

For RVs, Cheltenham Township's building chapter treats a house trailer used for living or sleeping for more than 30 days in any one-year period as a single-family dwelling⁸. We could not confirm township rules on tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum house size; ask the Planning and Zoning Department⁵.

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

Yes. Cheltenham Township has adopted its own building code chapter and requires permits for work under it¹³². Starting work before the permit is approved triples the applicable fee². Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code also requires a building permit before any work starts, and a certificate of occupancy before a building is used¹⁴¹⁵.

The township's permit fee starts at $45 for the first $1,000 of estimated cost, then $30 for each additional $1,000 or fraction, plus a $4.50 state administration fee¹⁶.

The Building, Zoning & Codes office takes applications through its online portal; paper applications are no longer accepted⁵. The township recommends meeting Planning and Zoning before you begin a proposed development⁵.

How do septic permits work in Cheltenham Township?

Cheltenham Township does not issue septic permits. Montgomery County's Office of Public Health requires a permit for any new or modified on-lot sewage system, and its Sewage Enforcement Officers inspect the installed system³¹⁷. The process starts with soil probes and percolation tests, then a design submitted for approval¹⁸.

Sewer connection is the township's call. A building that needs sewage drainage and sits within 200 feet of a township sewer must connect, within 60 days of the completion notice or, for a new building, of completion⁹. After that period, no well may be used for sewerage drainage from a building within 200 feet¹⁹. On a sewered lot, an on-lot septic system is therefore unlikely; we could not confirm the township's rule for lots far from a sewer. Ask the Office of Public Health²⁰.

Do you need a permit to drill a well in Cheltenham Township?

Yes. Any drinking water, irrigation or geothermal well in Montgomery County needs a permit from the county Office of Public Health before installation, and monitoring, agricultural and test wells are exempt⁴. Cheltenham Township's own code does not set a separate well permit that we could confirm; call the Office of Public Health²⁰.

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

1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and its limits with the township Planning and Zoning Department⁵⁶.
2. If you are dividing land, know that Montgomery County's Planning Commission reviews subdivision proposals first, but only as advice; the township gives final approval²¹.
3. Check whether a township sewer is within 200 feet of the lot⁹.
4. Apply for the building permit through the township's online portal⁵.
5. If a driveway reaches a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required²².
6. Pass the required inspections and get a certificate of occupancy before moving in²³¹⁵.

What to check before you buy land in Cheltenham Township

Montgomery County is dense, at 1,798.7 people per square mile, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 16 miles from the county center²⁴²⁵. Montgomery County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%, with a median bill of $5,776 a year¹⁰²⁶.

If any part of the lot lies in a floodplain, construction needs documentation sealed by a registered design professional²⁷. For land outside the township, see the Montgomery County page.

Watch-outs

• Pennsylvania's agricultural building exemption excludes only qualifying farm buildings with no habitable space, and local zoning can still apply²⁸.
• The township says the 2021 International Codes take effect January 1, 2026 unless a design contract was signed earlier⁵.
• We could not confirm the township's rules on inspections, owner-builders, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the Building, Zoning & Codes office⁵.

Sources

1. Article II: Zoning District Classifications (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Chapter A300: Fees (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
3. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
4. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
5. Cheltenham Township Building, Zoning & Codes (Planning and Zoning) (cheltenhamtownship.org)
6. Article II: Zoning District Classifications (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Article V: R1 Residential Districts (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 110: Building Construction (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
9. Article III: Connections (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
10. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
11. Homes For All, quoted and re-checked
12. Article V: R1 Residential Districts (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
13. Chapter 110: Building Construction (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
16. Chapter A300: Fees (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
17. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
18. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
19. Article III: Connections (Cheltenham Township), quoted and re-checked
20. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
21. Subdivision & Land Development Reviews, quoted and re-checked
22. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
23. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
24. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
25. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
27. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
28. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), 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.