Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Hatboro, Pennsylvania

Borough of Hatboro’s own rules

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Hatboro Borough.

  • District locations are confirmed on the Borough Zoning Map incorporated by reference into Chapter 27.

  base zoning districts: 12 (In addition to five overlay districts.) · overlay districts: 5

  “12 zoning districts plus five overlay districts [...] incorporated by reference into this chapter”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Privies, cesspools, sinkholes, septic tanks, and other sewage receptacles at occupied buildings on premises abutting the public sewer system inside Hatboro Borough.

  • The restriction is limited to occupied buildings on premises abutting the sewer system.

  “It shall be unlawful [...] septic tank [...] for receiving sewage.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Occupied buildings on premises abutting the public sewer system inside Hatboro Borough.

  • For a new occupied building, connection is required at the time of erection and at the owner's expense.
  • Existing occupied buildings on abutting premises must connect within two months after Authority notice.
  • Connections must comply with Borough ordinances and Authority rules; a connection permit is required from the Authority.

  connection deadline after Authority notice: 2 months (Existing occupied building on premises that hereafter abut the sewer system.)

  “shall, at the time of erection [...] make the connections with the sewer system”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Hatboro Borough.

  • The adopted chapter includes plan-submission and processing procedures, design standards, construction requirements, and administration, fees, and enforcement.

  “PLAN SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Hatboro

Borough of Hatboro does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential use in the R-1 Residential District inside Hatboro Borough.

  • The R-1 minimum applies to residential use.

  minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet (Residential use in the R-1 Residential District.)

  “Lot Area. A lot area of not less than 10,000 square feet shall be provided for residential use within the R-1 Residential District.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential lots in the R-1 Residential District inside Hatboro Borough.

  • Side-yard rule is subject to the accessory-building exception in § 27-603(1)(B)(6).
  • Accessory building/structure restrictions differ from principal-building setbacks.

  front yard depth: >= 30 feet (Measured from right-of-way line to nearest building foundation wall.) · rear yard depth: >= 25 feet (Measured from nearest foundation wall to rear property line.) · side yard: >= 10 feet (Principal buildings/structures; subject to § 27-603(1)(B)(6).)

  “Front Yard. A front yard depth of not less than 30 feet measured from the right-of-way line to the building foundation wall nearest to the right-of-way line. A front yard shall be that yard that extends from the right-of-way line to the nearest wall of the principal building.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Residential lots in the R-1 Residential District inside Hatboro Borough.

  • Coverage includes accessory-use buildings.

  total building coverage: <= 20 percent of total lot area (Includes accessory use buildings.)

  “Coverage. Total building coverage of not more than 20% of the total lot area. Coverage includes accessory use buildings.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Hatboro Borough.

  • The dwelling-height limit is subject to the exception permitted in § 27-413.
  • Accessory buildings have a separate 15-foot maximum.

  maximum dwelling height: <= 30 feet (Measured from mean ground level to highest point; except as permitted in § 27-413.) · maximum accessory-building height: <= 15 feet (Measured from mean ground level to highest point.)

  “For any dwelling: 30 feet measured from the mean level of the ground to the highest point of the building, except as permitted in § 27-413 of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed residential construction inside Hatboro Borough.
• Building code adopted — Building work inside Hatboro Borough limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — R-1 Residential District inside Hatboro Borough.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Hatboro Borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Hatboro Borough.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Hatboro means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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