Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Green Lane Borough, Pennsylvania

Green Lane Borough, Pennsylvania, in Montgomery County, runs its own zoning, so lot size, setbacks and home size depend on the zoning district1. Building work needs a permit under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, which the Borough has adopted2. Septic permits for on-lot systems come from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, not the Borough3.

At a glance

Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance with ten districts14
Building permit
Required under the Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the Borough25
R-1 minimum lot
40,000 sq ft, 125 ft street-line width6
R-1 minimum home
1,500 sq ft of living area7
R-1 setbacks
40 ft front, 75 ft rear, 25 ft combined sides8
Septic
Montgomery County Office of Public Health3
Wells
County OPH permit for drinking-water wells9

Who to call

Building permits

Green Lane Borough Office

Zoning questions, the Borough's adopted construction code and general Borough business

215-234-8633

greenlaneboro@comcast.net

PO Box 514, 209 Walnut Street Green Lane, PA 18054

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

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Does Green Lane, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Green Lane Borough has its own zoning chapter, adopted by Borough Council1, and divides the Borough into districts named R-1, R-2, R-3, GA, BR, BC, LI, REC, FP and SSC4. The zoning map shows which district a parcel sits in.

In the R-1 Residential District, a lot needs at least 40,000 square feet and 125 feet of street-line width6. A single-family detached home needs at least 1,500 square feet of living area7. Required yards are 40 feet in front, 75 feet in back, and 25 feet total for the two sides, with neither side under 10 feet8. Buildings may cover no more than 30% of an R-1 lot10, and the height limit is 30 feet, rising to a maximum of 35 feet when side yards are widened11. Rules in the other nine districts differ, so confirm the district first.

Do you need a building permit in Green Lane Borough, and who issues it?

Pennsylvania requires a Uniform Construction Code building permit before construction work starts5, and Green Lane Borough has adopted the Uniform Construction Code in its own code2. The Borough may enforce it with an employee, a retained code official, a third-party agency or an intermunicipal agreement, as Borough Council decides2.

We could not confirm which official or agency issues Green Lane's building permits today, what the permit fees are, or whether the Borough requires a separate zoning permit. Call the Green Lane Borough Office to find out before you apply12. Inspections and a certificate of occupancy are required under the state code before a building can be used1314.

How do septic permits work inside Green Lane Borough?

On-lot septic permits in Montgomery County come from the county Office of Public Health, which requires a permit to build or modify an on-lot sewage system3. The process starts with soil probes and percolation tests, then a design and application if the site is suitable15. After installation, OPH Sewage Enforcement Officers inspect the system and give final approval for use16.

The Borough's code has its own sewer chapter, including a rule on connecting to public sewers, but we could not confirm when a new home must connect or whether a lot can use a septic system instead. Ask the Borough Office first and Montgomery County OPH second17. Drinking-water, irrigation and geothermal wells also need an OPH permit before installation9.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Green Lane Borough?

We could not confirm. The Borough's zoning chapter we reviewed did not give a clear rule on long-term RV living, temporary camping, tiny homes or accessory dwelling units, so do not assume any of them is allowed. Ask the Green Lane Borough Office which district the parcel is in and whether the use is permitted there12.

Pennsylvania's state park camping limits, such as 14 consecutive nights in summer18, apply only to state park campgrounds and say nothing about living on private land. Manufactured housing is covered by the state construction code, but that rule does not settle local zoning or siting19.

Building a home in Green Lane Borough: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Green Lane Borough Office which zoning district the lot is in, and read that district's lot size, yard and height limits124.
  2. If the plan divides or develops land, expect subdivision and land development review under the Borough's subdivision chapter20; Montgomery County's Planning Commission also reviews proposals, but only advisorily, and the Borough gives final approval21.
  3. Confirm how the lot will be sewered: public sewer or an on-lot system permitted by the county Office of Public Health15.
  4. Apply for the Uniform Construction Code building permit through the Borough's enforcement arrangement2.
  5. Pass the required inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in14.

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

Septic and well permits stay with Montgomery County's Office of Public Health, as described above39. For land outside Borough limits, see the Montgomery County page; the Borough's zoning does not apply there.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit22. Construction in a floodplain needs a floodplain development permit from the municipality23, and the Borough's code includes floodplain chapters whose permit rules we could not confirm. Montgomery County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%24.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the Borough's building permit fees, its code official, or its certificate-of-occupancy procedure; call the Green Lane Borough Office before applying12.
  • We could not confirm Green Lane's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or short-term rentals, so get written confirmation from the Borough before relying on any of them12.
  • Lot, yard and home-size figures here are for the R-1 district only; other districts differ6.
  • The Borough Office keeps limited posted hours12.

Sources

  1. Chapter 415: Zoning - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 135: Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article II: Establishment of Districts - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  5. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  6. Article III: R-1 Residential Districts - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article III: R-1 Residential Districts - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article III: R-1 Residential Districts - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  9. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  10. Article III: R-1 Residential Districts - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article III: R-1 Residential Districts - Borough of Green Lane, PA (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  12. Green Lane Borough Office (greenlaneborough.org)
  13. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  17. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
  18. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Borough of Green Lane, PA Subdivision and Land Development (Borough of Green Lane), quoted and re-checked
  21. Subdivision & Land Development Reviews, quoted and re-checked
  22. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Effective property tax rate: 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 Green Lane

Borough of Green Lane’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction subject to the municipal building code inside Green Lane Borough.

    • The incorporated Uniform Construction Code and Pennsylvania Construction Code Act are amended from time to time.
    • Administration and enforcement may be performed by a Borough employee, retained code official or third-party agency, or intermunicipal agreement as determined by Borough Council resolution.
    “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Green Lane Borough.

    • Development and occupancy remain subject to the Borough's district-specific zoning controls.
    “Chapter 415 Zoning [HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Green Lane 6-12-1995. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Green Lane Borough.

    • District locations and boundaries are shown on the attached Zoning Map, which is made part of the chapter.

    districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, GA, BR, BC, LI, REC, FP, SSC

    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough is hereby divided into classes of districts which shall be designated as follows:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Green Lane Borough.

    minimum living area: >= 1500 square feet

    “Single-family detached dwelling. No residential dwelling shall be less than 1,500 square feet in living area.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots for buildings erected or used in the R-1 Residential District inside Green Lane Borough.

    • Each lot must also have a street-line width of at least 125 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 40000 square feet · minimum street-line width: >= 125 feet

    “A lot area of not less than 40,000 square feet shall be provided for every building hereafter erected or used”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Green Lane Borough.

    • For a corner lot, the side yard abutting a street must equal the minimum required front yard or the average existing front yard for 100 feet along that street.

    front yard depth: >= 40 feet (Measured from the ultimate right-of-way to the building line.) · side yards aggregate width: >= 25 feet (Neither side yard may be less than 10 feet.) · rear yard depth: >= 75 feet

    “Front yard. One yard not less than 40 feet in depth, measured from the ultimate right-of-way to the building line.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the R-1 Residential District inside Green Lane Borough.

    maximum building coverage: <= 30 percent of lot area

    “Building area. No more than 30% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the R-1 Residential District inside Green Lane Borough.

    • Height may increase one foot for each foot each side yard is increased beyond the minimum, but may not exceed 35 feet.
    • Height of uses accessory to dwellings is subject to § 415-114B.

    maximum building height: <= 30 feet (May increase to a maximum of 35 feet as stated in § 415-11.) · maximum increased building height: <= 35 feet (One additional foot of height for each additional foot of width of each side yard.)

    “No building shall exceed 30 feet in height; provided, that such height limit may be exceeded”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Green Lane Borough.

    • The chapter includes sketch-plan, preliminary-plan, final-plan, review, recording, and improvement-or-guarantee procedures.
    “Chapter 370 Subdivision and Land Development”
  • Permit processPartial

    Subdivision and land-development approvals inside Green Lane Borough.

    • This finding concerns subdivision and land-development plan review, not the full building-permit process.
    “Article II Submission and Review Procedures”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Green Lane Borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Green Lane Borough.
  • Inspections — Residential construction inside Green Lane Borough.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Green Lane Borough.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Green Lane Borough.
15 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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

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