Bolthole Index

Washington County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Cross Creek Township, Pennsylvania

Cross Creek Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania requires a building permit before you erect a new building or add to one, and the Township has its own zoning ordinance12. The Township also requires approval before you build or use a septic system, with perk tests handled through the Washington County Sewage Council34. Building and zoning permits are applied for at the Township office5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new buildings, additions and alterations, with inspections16
Zoning
Township zoning ordinance; a zoning permit is part of the application2
Building code
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, adopted by the Township7
Septic
Township approval required before construction or use; compliance letter after inspection89
Permit timing
Written decision within 30 days; permit invalid if work has not started in 180 days10
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a building is used or occupied11
RV, tiny home, minimum size
Not confirmed; ask the Zoning Officer2

Who to call

Building permits

Cross Creek Township (building permits and zoning)

Building permit and zoning permit applications; the Township's Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer, and a contracted building code officer, handle inspections

724-587-3442

cctceo@hky.com

28 Clark Ave, Avella, PA 15312

Also useful

Cross Creek Township fee schedule

Published building and zoning permit fees

724-587-3442

28 Clark Ave, Avella, PA 15312

Septic permits

Washington County Sewage Council

Perk tests, sewage planning modules, connections to existing systems and 10-acre exemptions for private sewage in the Township

724-223-0504

wcsc550@comcast.net

70 E. Beau St., Washington PA 15301

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

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Does Cross Creek Township have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. Cross Creek Township, Pennsylvania has its own zoning ordinance, adopted by the Township Board of Supervisors2. Washington County itself does not run zoning for the Township: the county directs zoning questions to the municipality where the property sits12. Your lot's rules therefore come from the Township, not the county.

A zoning permit application asks for a map of your lot showing existing and proposed structures, with measurements to each property line so the Township can check front, side and rear setbacks5. The Township also publishes a zoning map and a Zoning Hearing Board notice of appeal form5.

We could not confirm the Township's rules on long-term RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes on individual lots, minimum lot size or minimum house size, which vary by zoning district. Ask the Township's Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer at 724-587-3442 before you buy, and ask which district your parcel is in5.

Do you need a building permit in Cross Creek Township, and who issues it?

Yes. Cross Creek Township requires a permit to erect a new building and to make alterations or additions1. The Township has adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its Municipal Building Code7. The Township issues the permit itself, with a combined building and zoning application1.

Building permits require inspections, and no new building may be used or occupied until the Township representative issues a certificate of residential or commercial use and occupancy6. The Township's permit page says permits with inspections are required, and a residential application includes 3 sets of standard drawings, a sewer permit and a zoning permit5.

The Township decides a building permit application in writing within 30 days of receipt, and a permit is invalid if work does not start within 180 days10. The fee for a new home is $0.25 per square foot of living space, with inspection fees not included13. Owner-builder rules specific to the Township were not found; ask the Township office whether an owner may pull the permit14.

Who do you call about building and zoning permits in Cross Creek Township?

Call the Cross Creek Township office at 724-587-3442 or visit 28 Clark Ave, Avella, PA 153125. The Township's page lists a Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer, who works by appointment, and a separate building code officer from a contracted municipal consulting firm5. Zoning permit applications are written and filed with the Zoning Officer10.

The Township's own offices handle building permits and zoning for land inside Cross Creek Township. Washington County does not issue them; its Planning Commission reviews subdivision and land development plans for environmental concerns such as landslides, wetlands, flooding and mine subsidence, not for compliance with local zoning15. Subdivisions and land development inside the Township are separately regulated by the Township's own subdivision ordinance16.

The Board of Supervisors sets the permit fee schedule by resolution, and the Zoning Officer or Township Secretary can give you the current amounts17.

How do septic permits work in Cross Creek Township?

Septic approval is local. Cross Creek Township makes it unlawful to build or use a septic tank or other sewage disposal system without municipal approval, and the Township's permit covers both constructing and using the system8. No septic system may be used until the Township issues a compliance letter certifying it was inspected and approved9.

For private sewage, the Township's sewage page sends you to the Washington County Sewage Council for perk tests, sewage planning modules, connections to existing systems and 10-acre exemptions4. Call the Council at 724-223-05044. State rules say on-lot sewage permitting is largely run by local agencies, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection provides oversight18.

If your lot is served by the public sewer, the Township page names the Independence-Cross Creek Joint Sewer Authority and notes that dye tests are required for houses on the public sewer system4. Washington County's soils matter too: only about 0.2% of the county's soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system19.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Cross Creek Township?

We could not confirm the answer. The Township's zoning ordinance controls RV occupancy, tiny homes and accessory dwellings inside Cross Creek Township, and we could not confirm the operative text2. A statewide rule for state park campgrounds does not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land20.

Any dwelling that is built, moved or occupied still needs a certificate of occupancy before use11. Manufactured homes assembled and installed in Washington County remain subject to Uniform Construction Code building permits and certificates of occupancy for assembly and installation21.

Before you plan a temporary home on a parcel, ask the Zoning Officer at 724-587-3442 in writing whether your district allows it and for how long5.

Building a home in Cross Creek Township: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Township office and ask which zoning district your parcel is in and what setbacks apply5.
  2. Get septic testing started with the Washington County Sewage Council if the lot is not on public sewer, since the Township requires approval before construction48.
  3. Submit the building permit application with 3 sets of standard drawings, the sewer permit and the zoning permit, with a lot map showing setbacks5.
  4. Expect a written decision within 30 days and start work within 180 days10.
  5. Pass the Uniform Construction Code inspections6.
  6. Get the Township's septic compliance letter before using the system9.
  7. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in11.

What stays with Washington County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic is the main item that does not run through the building permit counter alone: it is a separate approval with its own inspection and compliance letter9. Washington County's rules for land outside the Township are on the Washington County page.

A driveway that connects to a state highway needs a PennDOT highway occupancy permit22. Development inside a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area needs a floodplain permit23, and Washington County also lists floodplain development as requiring a permit24.

Washington County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%, with a median bill of $2,445 a year2526.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Township rules on RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size or minimum house size; ask the Township Zoning Officer before you buy2.
  • Septic approval is a separate step from the building permit, and no septic system may be used until the Township issues a compliance letter9.
  • A building permit is invalid if work does not start within 180 days10.

Sources

  1. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 320: Zoning (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Washington County Sewage Council (crosscreektwp.org)
  5. Cross Creek Township (building permits and zoning) (crosscreektwp.org)
  6. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117: Building Construction (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 320, Article XVII: Administration and Enforcement (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Subdivision & Land Development Review, quoted and re-checked
  13. Cross Creek Township fee schedule (crosscreektwp.org)
  14. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  15. Subdivision and Land Development Procedures in Washington County, quoted and re-checked
  16. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 270: Subdivision and Land Development (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Township of Cross Creek, PA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 320, Article XVII: Administration and Enforcement (Cross Creek Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. Act 537 Sewage Facilities (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  20. RV and Tent Campsites (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
  22. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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 Cross Creek Township

Cross Creek Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New buildings, alterations, and additions inside Cross Creek Township.

    • A combined building/zoning permit is required before the listed construction actions.
    • The zoning ordinance also requires a building/zoning permit before erection, construction, reconstruction, structural alteration, razing, removal, use, occupancy, or a change of use.
    “The permit shall be required to erect a new building, to make alterations and/or additions, to construct a septic tank or other sewage disposal system, and to use a septic tank or other sewage disposal system.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated by Cross Creek Township's Municipal Building Code.

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

    adopted code: Uniform Construction Code, 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405 (As 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 this municipality.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New construction and alterations/additions for which a residential or commercial use-and-occupancy permit is needed inside Cross Creek Township.

    • The Township representative must inspect and approve according to submitted plans before use or occupancy.
    “No newly constructed building, alterations and/or additions of present structures shall hereafter be used and/or occupied until the Township representative shall have issued a certificate of residential or commercial use and occupancy permit certifying that it has been inspected and approved according to the plans submitted.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Any building, structure, or lot proposed to be used or occupied inside Cross Creek Township.

    • The certificate states that the proposed use conforms to Chapter 320.
    • For work under a building permit, the certificate is applied for with the building-permit application and acted on within five working days after inspection.
    • For a new or changed use with no building permit, it is part of the zoning-permit application and acted on within 15 days after a completed application.

    temporary certificate maximum period: <= 6 months (May permit partial occupancy while work is completed and may impose health-and-safety conditions and safeguards.)

    “It shall be unlawful to use or occupy or permit the use or occupancy of any building, structure or lot, or part thereof, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued therefor by the Zoning Officer.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Cross Creek Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

    • The ordinance was adopted by the Township Board of Supervisors; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Cross Creek 6-20-2006 by Ord. No. 4-06. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Construction and use of septic tanks and other sewage-disposal systems inside Cross Creek Township.

    • Municipal approval is required before construction or use.
    • The Township representative issues the compliance letter after inspection and approval.
    “It is hereby ordained and enacted by the Board of Supervisors of Cross Creek Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, that it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, or any agents thereof, to erect a building or to make alterations and additions to the same and/or to construct or use any septic tank or other sewage disposal system in said Township without first securing municipal approval therefor in accordance with the following rules and regulations.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction or use of a septic tank or other sewage-disposal system inside Cross Creek Township.

    • The permit covers both constructing and using the system.
    “The permit shall be required to erect a new building, to make alterations and/or additions, to construct a septic tank or other sewage disposal system, and to use a septic tank or other sewage disposal system.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Septic tanks and other sewage-disposal systems proposed for use inside Cross Creek Township.

    • The system may not be used until a Township compliance letter certifies inspection and approval.
    “No septic tank or other sewage disposal system shall hereafter be used until the Township representatives have issued a compliance letter certifying that it has been inspected and approved.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Use of a septic tank or other sewage-disposal system as sanitation inside Cross Creek Township.

    • A Township permit is required for construction and use.
    • The system cannot be used until Township inspection, approval, and a compliance letter.
    “The permit shall be required to erect a new building, to make alterations and/or additions, to construct a septic tank or other sewage disposal system, and to use a septic tank or other sewage disposal system.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Cross Creek Township.

    • Chapter 270 was adopted by the Township Board of Supervisors; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Cross Creek 7-15-2003 by Ord. No. 2-03. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Applications submitted under Cross Creek Township's zoning ordinance.

    • The Board of Supervisors establishes and may revise the fee schedule by resolution.
    • The current amount was not displayed in the opened ordinance page.
    • The schedule is available from the Zoning Officer or Township Secretary.
    “The Board of Supervisors shall establish and revise, from time to time, a schedule of fees by resolution, as well as a collection procedure, for all applications submitted under the provisions of this chapter. The schedule of fees shall be available to the public from the Zoning Officer or Township Secretary.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building and zoning permit applications inside Cross Creek Township.

    • Building permits are granted or refused in writing within 30 days after receipt of an application.
    • A permit is invalid if work does not commence within 180 days.
    • Permits are issued for six months and may be extended; renewal requests must be written and explain delay.
    • Zoning permit applications are written and filed with the Zoning Officer.

    building-permit decision period: <= 30 days after receipt · work commencement deadline: <= 180 days (Permit is invalid if work is not commenced.) · initial permit period: 6 months (May be extended; written renewal request must explain delay.)

    “Application for permit shall be made in writing to the Township or their representatives. Permits shall be granted or refused, in writing, within 30 days after receipt of application. Permits shall be invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days. The permits are issued for a six-month period, after which time they can be extended. Permit renewal requests must be made in writing and provide explanation of delay.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Cross Creek Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Cross Creek Township zoning districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Cross Creek Township zoning districts.
  • Setbacks — Structures inside Cross Creek Township zoning districts.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Cross Creek Township zoning districts.
12 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Cross Creek Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Washington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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