Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Upper Merion Township adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Upper Merion Township’s rules apply, not the county’s. Septic permits inside Upper Merion Township come from Upper Merion Township. 6 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 24, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Montgomery County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Upper Merion Township
Upper Merion Township’s own rules
Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)
Construction governed by the Township municipal building code inside Upper Merion Township.
Subject to Township additions, insertions, deletions, changes, and preservations.
The referenced state UCC is as amended from time to time.
“the "Code," as the municipal building code of Upper Merion Township.”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
Land inside Upper Merion Township.
Land use remains subject to the Township zoning ordinance and its district-specific provisions.
“Chapter 165 Zoning (§ 165-1 – § 165-301)”
Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)
Zoning districts inside Upper Merion Township.
The retrieved ordinance index lists, among others, G Residential, HR Residential, R-3 Residential, and R-3A Residential districts.
“Article X G Residential Districts [...] Article XI HR Residential Districts”
A septic tank may be constructed or used only under the Township Septic Tank Ordinance referenced by § 133-12C.
“No septic tank shall be constructed or used in said Township except in accordance with the provisions of Ordinance No. 31, known as the "Septic Tank Ordinance," enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township on the sixth day of February 1956.”
Privies, privy vaults, and cesspools used for sewage disposal are unlawful.
A septic tank is allowed only in accordance with the Township Septic Tank Ordinance.
“unlawful to construct or maintain any privy”
Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)
Subdivision of land inside Upper Merion Township.
The code has plan-submission, review-and-approval, and recording provisions.
“Chapter 145 Subdivision of Land [...] [HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Upper Merion Township 9-30-1953 by Ord. No. 16. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Upper Merion Township or Montgomery County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Upper Merion Township.
Inspections — Residential construction inside Upper Merion Township.
Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Upper Merion 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.
Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Upper Merion Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montgomery County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Upper Merion Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
