Bolthole Index

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Royersford Borough, Pennsylvania

Royersford Borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 475, so zoning questions go to the borough, not the county1. Building permits are required under the state Uniform Construction Code, which the borough has adopted as its building code2. The borough's code enforcement office is the first call for building and zoning3. Septic permits for any on-lot system come from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, borough zoning ordinance (Chapter 475) with mapped districts15
Building permit
Required; the borough has adopted the state Uniform Construction Code26
Who to call
Royersford Borough code enforcement office3
Septic
Montgomery County Office of Public Health issues on-lot septic permits; most borough lots are on public sewer47
Sewer connection
Owners of property next to the borough sewer must connect7
Cesspools and privies
Prohibited where the borough sewer is available8
Height in R-1
35 feet for a dwelling, 20 feet for an accessory building9

Who to call

Building permits

Royersford Borough Code Enforcement (Building Inspector & Code/Zoning Enforcement)

Building inspection and code and zoning enforcement inside Royersford Borough

610-948-3737

codes@royersfordborough.org

300 Main Street, Royersford, PA 19468

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

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Does Royersford, PA have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Royersford Borough has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 475 of the borough code, adopted by Borough Council1. The ordinance divides the borough into mapped districts, including R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, O-R, CB, HB, I, GI, ARU, FP and MU5. Because Pennsylvania counties can zone only where a municipality has no zoning of its own, Montgomery County does not override the borough on land use10.

Rules differ by district. In the R-1 Residence District a dwelling may not exceed 35 feet and an accessory building may not exceed 20 feet9. Each R-1 dwelling unit also needs a minimum width of 20 feet along the side facing the street, with exceptions for R-3 and for some townhouses and twins11.

We could not confirm the borough's rules on long-term RV living, temporary camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the Royersford code enforcement office3 and look up your parcel's district on the Zoning Map before you plan on any of them.

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

Yes. Royersford Borough has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code2, and the state requires a building permit before construction work begins6. The borough decides by resolution how the code is enforced, which can mean a municipal employee, code officials or third-party agencies, or an agreement with the state12. Borough fees are set by resolution, and we did not find current dollar amounts13.

The borough's code enforcement page lists the Building Inspector & Code/Zoning Enforcement contact, and the office posts a fee schedule and forms3.

For a new home, the state also requires inspections and a certificate of occupancy before the building is used14. We could not confirm a separate borough rule on certificates of occupancy, so ask the code office what it issues. Agricultural buildings without habitable space are excluded from the state code15, but borough zoning can still apply to them.

How do septic permits work inside Royersford?

Property next to the borough sanitary sewer must connect to it7, and no privy vault or cesspool may be built or used where the sewer is available or accessible8. On most borough lots, sewer connection rather than a septic tank is the expected path.

Where an on-lot system is allowed, Montgomery County runs the permitting. A septic permit comes from the county Office of Public Health, which sends a Sewage Enforcement Officer to inspect the installed system and give final approval16. The process starts with soil probes and percolation tests, then a design and application if the site is suitable17. Drinking-water wells also need an Office of Public Health permit before installation18.

The borough's sewer chapter does not say who handles on-lot septic permits inside Royersford, so confirm with the Office of Public Health19 and the borough code office before you rely on a septic system.

Building a home in Royersford: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district on the borough Zoning Map and ask the code enforcement office what the district allows53.
  2. Ask the borough whether the lot has sewer available, since connection is required next to the sewer7.
  3. If the lot will use a well or septic system, apply to the Montgomery County Office of Public Health first1819.
  4. If you are dividing land, expect the plan to go through the borough, with advisory review by the county Planning Commission20.
  5. Apply to the borough for a building permit under the Uniform Construction Code2.
  6. A driveway onto a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit21.
  7. Schedule the required inspections and get the certificate of occupancy before moving in14.

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

Inside Royersford, the borough sets zoning and issues building permits, while septic and well permits stay with the Montgomery County Office of Public Health418. For land outside the borough, see the Montgomery County page, because borough rules do not apply to unincorporated or neighboring-township land.

Montgomery County is dense and close to the city: the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 16 miles from the county center22. Montgomery County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%23. Building in a floodplain adds requirements: the borough must issue a floodplain development permit before work in a mapped flood hazard area24. We could not confirm the borough's own floodplain rules, subdivision standards or short-term rental rules, so ask the code office about each3.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Royersford's rules on RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings; call the borough code enforcement office before you buy for any of those uses3.
  • Zoning rules differ by district, so a rule that applies in R-1 may not apply on the parcel you are looking at5.
  • A septic system is unlikely to be allowed where the borough sewer is available, since cesspools and privies are barred there8.
  • Borough permit fee amounts are set by resolution and change over time; ask for the current fee schedule13.

Sources

  1. Chapter 475: Zoning - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 185: Construction Regulations - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  3. Royersford Borough Code Enforcement (Building Inspector & Code/Zoning Enforcement) (royersfordborough.org)
  4. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  5. Article III: Zoning District Classifications - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  6. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 382: Sewers and Sewage Disposal - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 382: Sewers and Sewage Disposal - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article V: R-1 Residence District - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  10. Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article V: R-1 Residence District - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 185: Construction Regulations - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 185: Construction Regulations - Borough of Royersford, PA (Borough of Royersford), quoted and re-checked
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  17. On-Lot Sewage Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  18. Individual Water Supply Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  19. Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) (montgomerycountypa.gov)
  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. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Royersford

Borough of Royersford’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated inside Royersford borough.

    • The incorporated Uniform Construction Code 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 this municipality.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Royersford borough.

    • Chapter 475 was adopted by Borough Council; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Royersford 9-13-1983 by Ord. No. 624 (Ch. 27 of the 1990 Borough Code of Ordinances). Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Royersford borough.

    • The districts are established in Chapter 475 and confirmed as located on the Borough Zoning Map.
    • The map and its data are incorporated by reference into Chapter 475.

    district classes: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, O-R, CB, HB, I, GI, ARU, FP, MU (The provision describes 10 classes while also listing overlay and floodplain districts)

    “Such districts are hereinafter enumerated, established in the text of this chapter, and confirmed as located on the Zoning Map.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Construction or use of a privy vault or cesspool for sewage disposal where the Borough sewer system is available or accessible inside Royersford borough.

    • This prohibition is limited to areas where the sewer system is available or accessible.
    “No privy vault or cesspool shall hereafter be constructed or used for sewage disposal in any part of the Borough where the sewer system is available or accessible.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Properties inside Royersford borough that abut, benefit from, are improved by, or are accommodated by the Borough sanitary sewer system.

    • Connections must comply with Commonwealth laws and Borough ordinances and regulations.
    • Connections are subject to Borough inspection and supervision.
    • The source does not establish a public-water connection requirement.
    “It shall be the duty of every owner or property abutting, benefitted, improved or accommodated by the Borough of Royersford sanitary sewer system to connect therewith. All connections shall be made in accordance with the laws of the commonwealth and the ordinances and regulations of the Borough and shall be subject to inspection and supervision by the Borough.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Fees for Borough administration and enforcement of Chapter 185 and the Uniform Construction Code.

    • Fees are set by governing-body resolution from time to time; the opened code did not state the current dollar amounts.
    “Fees assessable by the municipality for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the code shall be established by the governing body by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Administration and enforcement of the construction code inside Royersford borough.

    • The governing body determines the administration and enforcement method by resolution from time to time.
    • Permitted methods include a municipal employee, construction-code officials or third-party agencies, intermunicipal administration, a municipal contract, or an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for the specified structure types.
    “Administration and enforcement of the code within this municipality shall be undertaken in any of the following ways, as determined by the governing body of this municipality from time to time by resolution:”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Royersford

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

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Each dwelling unit in the R-1 Residence District inside Royersford borough.

    • The ordinary minimum width is 20 feet along the side approximately parallel to an adjacent street.
    • It is 18 feet in R-3.
    • Where the specified front-yard parking or garage-door condition applies to allowed townhouses or twin dwellings, the minimum is 24 feet, whichever is more restrictive.

    minimum dwelling-unit width: 20 feet (18 feet in R-3; 24 feet under the stated townhouse/twin-dwelling frontage condition, whichever is more restrictive)

    “Each dwelling unit shall have a minimum dwelling unit width of 20 feet along the side of the dwelling that is approximately parallel to an adjacent street. This width shall be revised as follows, whichever is more restrictive:”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Dwelling and accessory buildings in the R-1 Residence District inside Royersford borough.

    • The 35-foot limit applies to a dwelling; the 20-foot limit applies to a building accessory to a dwelling.

    maximum dwelling height: <= 35 feet (Dwelling in R-1) · maximum accessory-building height: <= 20 feet (Building accessory to a dwelling in R-1)

    “Height. No building hereinafter erected as a dwelling in the R-1 Residence District shall exceed 35 feet in height. For any building accessory to a dwelling, the maximum height shall be 20 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Royersford borough.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of residential construction inside Royersford borough.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside Royersford borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Royersford borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Royersford borough.
11 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Borough of Royersford publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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