Bolthole Index

Washington County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic in Mount Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania

Building a home in Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania takes a building permit, because the township adopted the state Uniform Construction Code as its own building code1. The township also enforces its own zoning ordinance2, which Washington County does not do for it3. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency; we could not confirm which one covers the township, so ask the township office4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; the township adopted the state Uniform Construction Code15
Zoning
Township zoning ordinance with agricultural, residential, mixed-use, commercial and industrial districts26
Septic
Permit required from the local sewage agency; which agency covers the township is unconfirmed74
Floodplain
Floodplain permit required before construction anywhere in the township8
Subdivision
Regulated by the township and reviewed first by the county planning commission910
Wells
No state permit for a homeowner drilling their own private well; licensing applies to drilling companies11
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed; the township zoning ordinance decides, so ask the zoning officer2

Who to call

Building permits

Mount Pleasant Township office

Township zoning, building permit applications, sewage forms and subdivision applications

(724) 356-7974

info@mpt-pa.com

31 McCarrell Road, Hickory PA 15340

Planning & zoning

Washington County Planning Commission

County environmental review of subdivision and land development plans before the township can give final approval

(724) 228-6811

95 W Beau St, Washington, PA 15301

Septic permits

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Regional Office

State oversight of the Act 537 sewage program and local Sewage Enforcement Officers for Washington County

412-442-4000

400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

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

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Does Mount Pleasant Township, PA have zoning?

Yes. Mount Pleasant Township has its own zoning chapter, last amended in its entirety in 20182. Washington County has no countywide zoning, so the township is the office that decides land-use questions here3. The township publishes agricultural (A-1), suburban residential (R-L), neighborhood residential (R-H), mixed-use (MU), highway commercial (B-1) and light industrial (M-1) districts, and your parcel's district comes from the township zoning map6.

Dimensions depend on the district. In A-1, a single-family lot on public sewer needs at least 1 acre, with 30-foot front, 35-foot rear and 20-foot side setbacks1213. In R-H the minimum lot is 0.298 acre with a 25-foot front setback, and MU allows 0.25 acre1213. Lots without public sewer follow different A-1 and R-L figures than these12.

We could not confirm whether the ordinance allows living in an RV or tiny home on private land, or sets a minimum house size. Ask the township zoning officer at the township office before you buy14.

Do you need a building permit in Mount Pleasant Township, and who issues it?

Yes. Mount Pleasant Township adopted Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code, so a new home needs a UCC building permit before work starts115. A certificate of occupancy is required before the building can be used16.

Agricultural buildings are excluded from the UCC, but that exclusion does not exempt them from zoning, septic or floodplain rules17. Township fees are set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, so ask the office for the current schedule18.

The township website lists a residential building permit application and a UCC building permit application14. We could not confirm who serves as the township's building code official or exactly which projects trigger a permit; the township office can tell you.

How do septic permits work in Mount Pleasant Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local sewage agency before a building served by an on-lot system is built, occupied or used7. Local agencies, which may be a municipality, a group of municipalities or a health department, issue those permits, and Washington County has no county health department running the program419.

We could not confirm which agency or sewage enforcement officer serves Mount Pleasant Township. The township website lists sewage and holding-tank forms, so start with the township office14. The Pennsylvania DEP Southwest Regional Office oversees the program for Washington County20.

The soils matter: only about 0.2% of Washington County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system21. A permit exemption for tracts of at least 10 acres exists under narrow owner and date conditions, so confirm eligibility with the sewage agency before relying on it7.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Mount Pleasant Township?

We could not confirm a rule for living in an RV, camping on private land, or occupying a tiny home in Mount Pleasant Township. Because the township zones its own land, the answer comes from the zoning ordinance and your parcel's district, not from the county2. Ask the township zoning officer before placing any dwelling14.

Two statewide points apply either way. A manufactured home still needs a UCC building permit and certificate of occupancy for assembly and installation22. Any dwelling needs a sewage solution; composting and incinerating toilets still require an onlot system or other approved method for washwater23.

How do you build a home in Mount Pleasant Township? The steps, in order

  1. Ask the township office which zoning district your parcel sits in and what that district allows614.
  2. Check the floodplain: construction anywhere in the township needs a floodplain permit from the Floodplain Administrator8.
  3. Contact the local sewage agency for a site evaluation and septic permit, or confirm public sewer is available7.
  4. If you are dividing land, expect township subdivision review plus a county environmental review first910.
  5. If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is required24.
  6. Apply for the UCC building permit, schedule inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy116.

What should you check before you buy land in Mount Pleasant Township?

Confirm the zoning district, floodplain status and septic suitability first, because each is decided by a different office687. The state does not license homeowners to drill: homeowners may drill their own on their own land without a driller's license, and the state sets construction standards for public but not private water wells11.

For cost context, Washington County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%25, and the typical home is valued around $242,56326. County-level scores and figures describe Washington County, not this township alone.

For land outside the township, see the Washington County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which sewage enforcement officer or agency issues septic permits in Mount Pleasant Township; ask the township office before closing on a lot without public sewer4.
  • A floodplain permit is required for construction anywhere in the township, so check the parcel before you design the house8.
  • Zoning rules for RVs, tiny homes and minimum house size are not confirmed; ask the township zoning officer instead of assuming anything is allowed2.

Sources

  1. Chapter 78, Construction Codes, Uniform (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 200, Zoning (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Washington County PA - Planning / Subdivision & Land Development (2026 county census)
  4. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  5. PA Dept. of Labor & Industry — Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
  6. Chapter 200 Attachment 1, Land Use Table (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 97, Floodplain Management (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 178, Subdivision and Land Development (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Washington County Planning Commission (washingtoncopa.gov)
  11. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. ecode360.com (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. ecode360.com (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Mount Pleasant Township office (mpt-pa.com)
  15. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  16. Apply for a Uniform Construction Code Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, quoted and re-checked
  18. Chapter 78, Construction Codes, Uniform (Mount Pleasant Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. PA DEP - Sewage Enforcement Officers (Act 537) (2026 county census)
  20. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Regional Office (pa.gov)
  21. 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
  22. pa.gov, quoted and re-checked
  23. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Typical home value (Zillow): 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 Mount Pleasant Township

Mount Pleasant Township’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated inside Mount Pleasant Township.

    • The incorporated UCC 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 Mount Pleasant Township.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

    • The chapter was amended in its entirety on February 28, 2018; subsequent amendments are noted where applicable.
    “Chapter 200 Zoning [HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Mount Pleasant Township 10-25-2006 by Ord. No. 105; amended in its entirety 2-28-2018 by Ord. No. 143. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Township zoning districts.

    • The attached land-use table identifies the displayed district abbreviations; parcel applicability requires the Township zoning map.

    published districts: A-1; R-L; R-H; MU; B-1; M-1

    “The zoning districts shall be as follows: A-1 Agricultural District: [...] R-L Suburban Residential District: [...] R-H Neighborhood Residential District: [...] MU Mixed-Use District: [...] B-1 Highway Commercial District: [...] M-1 Light Industrial District”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development inside Mount Pleasant Township.

    • The chapter includes preliminary-plan submission and approval, final-plan submission and approval, recording, and improvement procedures.
    “Chapter 178 Subdivision and Land Development [HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Mount Pleasant Township 9-9-1998 by Ord. No. 71. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development subject to the Township floodplain-management ordinance inside Mount Pleasant Township.

    • The code contains floodplain-area identification, technical provisions, and special-permit provisions; parcel floodplain status must be determined under the chapter.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the Township of Mount Pleasant unless a floodplain permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Township fees for Uniform Construction Code administration and enforcement.

    • Fees are established by Board of Supervisors resolution from time to time.
    “Fees assessable by the Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this article and the code shall be established by the Township Board of Supervisors by resolution from time to time.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Subdivision and land-development approval inside Mount Pleasant Township.

    • This claim concerns subdivision and land-development process, not a complete residential building-permit process.
    “§ 178-17 Preliminary plan submission and approval. § 178-18 Preliminary plan form, coverage, content and supplementary information. § 178-19 Final plan submission and approval.”

Rules another office applies inside Mount Pleasant Township

Mount Pleasant 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 sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A-1, R-L, R-H, MU, and B-1 Township zoning districts.

    • A-1 and R-L single-family requirements differ depending on public-sewer availability; table exceptions and PRD provisions apply.

    A-1 minimum lot area with public sewer: 1 acre · R-H minimum lot area: 0.298 acre · MU minimum lot area: 0.25 acre · B-1 minimum lot area: 1 acre

    “R-H Single-family dwelling 40% 3, 45 — 0.298 75 25 25 15 20 [...] MU Single-family dwelling 50% 3, 45 — 0.25 75 25 25 15 20 [...] B-1 Single-family dwelling 50% 3, 45 — 1 100 35 40c/20 40c/15 —”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A-1, R-L, R-H, MU, and B-1 Township zoning districts.

    • For accessory structures under 150 square feet, the table permits a 10-foot minimum setback; specified adjoining-district exceptions apply.

    A-1 front-yard setback with public sewer: 30 feet · A-1 rear-yard setback with public sewer: 35 feet · A-1 side-yard setback with public sewer: 20 feet · R-H front-yard setback: 25 feet

    “A-1 Single-family dwelling, with public sewer 35% 2.5, 35 — 1 100 30 35 20 — [...] R-H Single-family dwelling 40% 3, 45 — 0.298 75 25 25 15 20”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A-1, R-L, R-H, MU, and B-1 Township zoning districts.

    • The table separately states a site-coverage maximum for PRD-only developments.

    A-1 maximum lot coverage with public sewer: 35 percent · R-L maximum lot coverage with public sewer: 50 percent · R-H maximum lot coverage: 40 percent · MU maximum lot coverage: 50 percent

    “R-L Single-family dwelling, with public sewer 50% 2.5, 35 — 1 85 30 20 20 — [...] R-H Single-family dwelling 40% 3, 45 — 0.298 75 25 25 15 20 [...] MU Single-family dwelling 50% 3, 45 — 0.25 75 25 25 15 20”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A-1, R-L, R-H, MU, and B-1 Township zoning districts.

    • Height exceptions specified in the ordinance are excluded from the table.

    A-1 and R-L maximum height: 35 feet (2.5 stories) · R-H, MU, and B-1 maximum height: 45 feet (3 stories)

    “A-1 Single-family dwelling, with public sewer 35% 2.5, 35 — 1 100 30 35 20 — [...] R-H Single-family dwelling 40% 3, 45 — 0.298 75 25 25 15 20”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside Mount Pleasant Township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Mount Pleasant Township.
  • Inspections — Building construction inside Mount Pleasant Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Mount Pleasant Township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residences inside Mount Pleasant Township.
11 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access

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 Mount Pleasant 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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