Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania

Upper Gwynedd Township’s own rules

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Upper Gwynedd Township.

  • The adopted zoning chapter lists district regulations including R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, TH, MH, GA, VPR, BP, B, VC, PSR, OC, TOD, C, SC, FP, LI, IN, I, and AP districts.

  “Article III Districts; Zoning Map; Boundaries”

• Permit processPartial

  Building-code administration inside Upper Gwynedd Township.

  • The Township elects to administer and enforce the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and its regulations.

  “The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. §§ 7210.101 through 7210.1103, as amended from time to time, and its regulations.”

Rules another office applies inside Upper Gwynedd Township

Upper Gwynedd Township 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

  Every building or dwelling hereafter erected or used for a permitted purpose in the R-1 Residential District.

  • Lot width must be at least 200 feet at the building line or at the point of the proposed building closest to the street and extending the full depth of the building.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 square feet

  “A lot area of not less than 43,560 square feet and a lot width of not less than 200 feet at the building line or at the point of the proposed building closest to the street and extending the full depth of the building shall be provided for every building or dwelling hereafter erected or used for any purpose permitted in this district.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Each lot in the R-1 Residential District.

  maximum building coverage: <= 10 percent

  “Not more than 10% of the area of each lot may be occupied by buildings.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and structures in the BP Business Professional District.

  • Includes attached or freestanding towers.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “No building or structure, including any towers, whether attached or freestanding, shall exceed 35 feet.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  All lots developed in the R-1 Residential District inside Upper Gwynedd Township.

  • Applies to lots developed in R-1.

  “All lots developed in an R-1 Residential District shall be connected to public sewers and public water.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Upper Gwynedd Township or Montgomery County directly.

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Upper Gwynedd Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Upper Gwynedd Township.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Upper Gwynedd Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Upper Gwynedd Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Upper Gwynedd Township.

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 Upper Gwynedd Township 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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