Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

The Borough of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania requires a building permit to be approved, issued and posted on the job site before work begins1. The borough also sets its own zoning, with district-specific lot sizes and setbacks2. Septic tanks and cesspools are barred on sewer-connected property inside the borough3; Montgomery County's Office of Public Health handles on-lot septic permits4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; approved, issued and posted before work starts1
Who issues it
Borough of Conshohocken Licenses & Inspections5
Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance; district-specific lot sizes and setbacks26
Residential permit fee
Minimum $50 up to $1,000 of work, plus $10 per additional $1,0007
Septic
Not allowed on sewer-connected property; county handles on-lot systems elsewhere34
Use and occupancy permit
Required for new or altered buildings and tenant changes8
Wells
Borough rule not confirmed; county permits wells in Montgomery County9

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Conshohocken Licenses & Inspections

Building permits, use and occupancy permits and construction inspections inside the borough

(610) 828-1092

buildinginspector@conshohockenpa.gov

400 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428

Zoning

Borough of Conshohocken Zoning Services (Zoning Officer)

Zoning map and ordinance, zoning permits, and the Zoning Hearing Board

(610) 828-1092

zoning@conshohockenpa.gov

400 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428

Septic permits

Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH)

On-lot sewage permits and inspections and individual water-supply well permits for Montgomery County

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 Borough of Conshohocken means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Conshohocken, PA, and who issues it?

Yes. The Borough of Conshohocken requires that a building permit application be approved, the permit issued and the permit posted on the job site before work begins1. Commercial applications also need drawings prepared by a licensed design professional1. Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code is the underlying standard, and the state says a permit is needed before starting any work10.

The borough's Licenses & Inspections department administers and enforces borough ordinances along with federal and state building codes5. Call Borough Hall at (610) 828-10925.

Fees are published on the permit application: a residential permit is a minimum of $50 for up to $1,000 of work, plus $10 for each additional $1,000 or portion of that7. We could not confirm which code edition the borough has adopted, so ask Licenses & Inspections before you price a project.

Does Conshohocken have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Conshohocken sets its own zoning through a borough zoning ordinance, and the borough has nine zoning districts11. Minimum lot sizes, building setbacks and maximum building heights differ by district, so the answer for a given lot depends on which district it sits in2612.

Fencing and residential utility sheds need zoning permits11. Exceptions to the ordinance are decided by the borough Zoning Hearing Board6, which meets the third Monday of each month or as needed11. The Zoning Officer at zoning@conshohockenpa.gov is the person to ask which district a parcel falls in11.

We could not confirm numeric lot-size or setback figures, lot-coverage limits, or rules for accessory dwellings, so confirm them with the zoning officer before you buy.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Conshohocken?

We could not confirm any Conshohocken rule on RV living, temporary camping or tiny homes, so treat all three as unconfirmed and ask the Zoning Officer before you plan around them. Pennsylvania's published RV stay limits apply only to state park campgrounds and say nothing about living in an RV on your own land13. The borough's zoning ordinance regulates accessory structures6, and a one-square-mile borough with nine zoning districts is a hard place to find a lot where such a use would fit11.

How do septic permits work inside Conshohocken?

Mostly they do not, because Conshohocken property is sewered. Borough code says no privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle may be used or maintained on improved property that is connected, or required to connect, to sewer3. The code does not establish rules for unserved properties3.

Where an on-lot system is allowed at all, Montgomery County's Office of Public Health issues the permit and inspects the installed system414. Pennsylvania law requires a local-agency permit before an on-lot system is installed or used15. Call the Office of Public Health at 610-278-511716. The county, not the borough, also permits drinking-water wells9; we could not confirm a borough well rule.

Building a home in Conshohocken: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Zoning Officer which of the nine zoning districts the lot is in and what that district allows11.
  2. Check whether the lot touches the floodplain; a floodplain development permit is required before any work in the special flood-hazard area17.
  3. If you are subdividing or combining lots, the borough's subdivision and land development process applies18.
  4. Apply to Licenses & Inspections and wait for the building permit to be approved, issued and posted before starting1.
  5. Keep work open for inspection; Pennsylvania requires inspections of foundations, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, frame and masonry, and wallboard, plus a final inspection19.
  6. Get a use and occupancy permit before anyone moves in8.

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

The county handles on-lot septic permits and well permits49 and reviews subdivision plans in an advisory role, while the municipality makes the final approval20. For land outside the borough, see the Montgomery County page.

Before you buy in Conshohocken, confirm the zoning district, any floodplain mapping17, whether a driveway onto a state road needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit21, and taxes: Montgomery County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%22, and the typical county home value is $504,17923. This is a built-up borough, not a rural parcel market, so large-lot and off-grid plans generally fall outside what its zoning and sewer rules contemplate.

Watch-outs

  • Conshohocken's use-and-occupancy permit is required again whenever a tenant changes or a building's use changes, not just for new construction8.
  • Floodplain work needs its own permit, and floodplain development may not be occupied until a separate Certificate of Flood Plain Compliance is issued17.
  • We could not confirm borough rules for RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, short-term rentals, owner-builder permits or private wells; call the Zoning Officer or Licenses & Inspections at (610) 828-10925.

Sources

  1. Building Permit Application Packet (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  2. Zoning Services | Borough of Conshohocken (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  3. ecode360.com (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  4. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Conshohocken Licenses & Inspections (conshohockenpa.gov)
  6. Zoning Services | Borough of Conshohocken (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  7. Building Permit Application Packet (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  8. Use and Occupancy Permits | Borough of Conshohocken (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  9. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  10. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Conshohocken Zoning Services (Zoning Officer) (conshohockenpa.gov)
  12. Zoning Services | Borough of Conshohocken (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  13. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  15. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
  17. Borough of Conshohocken Floodplain Development Permit Application (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  18. Subdivision & Land Development | Borough of Conshohocken (Borough of Conshohocken), quoted and re-checked
  19. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Subdivision & Land Development Reviews, quoted and re-checked
  21. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

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 Borough of Conshohocken

Borough of Conshohocken’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building work using the Borough building-permit application inside Conshohocken borough.

    • The application must be approved, issued, and posted before work begins.
    • Commercial applications require drawings prepared by a licensed design professional.
    “APPLICATION MUST BE APPROVED, PERMIT ISSUED AND POSTED ON JOB SITE PRIOR TO BEGINNING WORK!”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Altered or erected buildings, changes in use or occupancy, land-use changes, nonconforming-use occupancy changes, and tenant changes inside Conshohocken borough.

    • All proper Borough officials must certify compliance with pertinent ordinances before issuance.
    • Temporary permits are considered case-by-case.
    • The page states a duty to issue within 30 days after receipt once officials find compliance.
    “property owners are required to obtain a Use and Occupancy Permit”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    All Conshohocken zoning districts; numeric limits were not retrieved.

    • The Borough has nine listed zoning districts.
    “The rules for each zoning district are outlined in the Zoning Ordinance. This determines the specific land uses that are permitted, for instance, whether a district is deemed residential, office, commercial, or industrial. Furthermore, it outlines the minimum lot sizes and dimensional standards, such as the minimum building setbacks and maximum building heights.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    All Conshohocken zoning districts; numeric setbacks were not retrieved.

    • Zoning exceptions may be considered by the Borough Zoning Hearing Board.
    “Furthermore, it outlines the minimum lot sizes and dimensional standards, such as the minimum building setbacks and maximum building heights. The Zoning Ordinance also includes regulations governing off-street parking, landscaping, signs, fences and accessory structures.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    All Conshohocken zoning districts; numeric limits were not retrieved.

    “Furthermore, it outlines the minimum lot sizes and dimensional standards, such as the minimum building setbacks and maximum building heights. The Zoning Ordinance also includes regulations governing off-street parking, landscaping, signs, fences and accessory structures.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Improved property inside Conshohocken borough that has been connected, or is required to connect, to sewer.

    • A privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank, or similar receptacle may not be used or maintained on such property.
    • The source does not establish rules for unserved properties.
    “No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Conshohocken borough.

    • The Borough's official page links to floodplain, grading/excavating/demolition, and land-use-development application materials.
    “Subdivision and Land Development ensures the orderly”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in Conshohocken borough's floodplain or special flood-hazard area.

    • No work may start before the floodplain permit is issued.
    • Floodplain development may not be occupied until a separate Certificate of Flood Plain Compliance is issued.
    • A permit is not required where Borough review determines the proposed development is not in a Special Flood Hazard Area.
    “No work of any kind may start until a permit is issued.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit applications inside Conshohocken borough.

    • Residential building permit fee is minimum $50 up to $1,000 of work, plus $10 per additional $1,000 or portion.
    • Commercial building permit fee is minimum $75 up to $1,000 of work, plus $10 per additional $1,000 or portion.

    residential building permit minimum: 50 USD (Up to $1,000 of work; plus $10 per additional $1,000 or portion.) · commercial building permit minimum: 75 USD (Up to $1,000 of work; plus $10 per additional $1,000 or portion.)

    “Residential Permit Fee: minimum $50 up to $1000 plus $10 each additional $1000 or portion of. Commercial Permit Fee: minimum $75 up to $1000 plus $10 each additional $1000 or portion of.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building and zoning-permit applications inside Conshohocken borough.

    • Building application requires approval, issuance, and job-site posting before work.
    • Building application includes a zoning-review field and asks about special exception, variance, or other Zoning Board ruling.
    “APPLICATION MUST BE APPROVED, PERMIT ISSUED AND POSTED ON JOB SITE PRIOR TO BEGINNING WORK!”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Conshohocken borough.
  • Building code adopted — Building work inside Conshohocken borough.
  • Lot coverage — Development inside Conshohocken borough.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Conshohocken borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Conshohocken borough.
6 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Borough of Conshohocken publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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