Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Chartiers Township, Pennsylvania

Chartiers Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction subject to the Municipal Building Code inside Chartiers Township.

  • The incorporated Uniform Construction Code is amended from time to time.

  “The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the Municipal Building Code of the Township of Chartiers.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Chartiers Township, Pennsylvania.

  • The code identifies later zoning amendments; parcel-specific district and use requirements apply.

  “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Chartiers 3-18-1997 by Ord. No. 245. Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Township zoning applications and proceedings.

  • The fees, costs, charges, or expenses are adopted by the Supervisors and must be paid in full before an application is considered or Board action occurs.
  • The fee schedule may be revised by Supervisors' resolution.

  “No application for any Zoning permit, planned development, conditional use, special exception, variance, amendment or other matter shall be considered unless or until such fees, costs, charges or expenses adopted by the Supervisors have been paid in full”

Rules another office applies inside Chartiers Township

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  Dwellings in the Agricultural Residence District A-1.

  • Agricultural buildings, structures, and uses are additionally subject to § 350-41.
  • The ordinance permits qualifying Zoning Hearing Board variations under § 350-65.

  minimum building setback line: 50 feet or 1/2 the lot depth, whichever is less · minimum dwelling side yard: 15 feet one side; 35 feet total both sides · minimum dwelling rear yard: >= 60 feet

  “Minimum building setback line: 50 feet or 1/2 the lot depth, whichever is less. [...] Dwellings except: 15 feet one side; 35 feet total both sides. [...] Sixty feet minimum.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings in the R-1 Residence District.

    “Minimum building setback line: 35 feet or 1/2 the lot depth, whichever is less. [...] Dwellings: 15 feet each side. [...] Sixty feet minimum.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  A mobile home on a single lot in the Township's R-1 Residence District.

  • It must not be in a mobile-home park.
  • It must be placed on a permanent foundation.
  • The R-1 district's other area and bulk regulations apply.

  maximum mobile homes on a single lot: 1 mobile home (not in a mobile home park and placed on permanent foundation)

  “Mobile home on a single lot, not in a mobile home park, and placed on permanent foundation: one per lot.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Chartiers Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Chartiers Township.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Chartiers Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or changed residential occupancy inside Chartiers Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Chartiers 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 Chartiers 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.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.