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

Hempfield Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, or razing of buildings or structures inside Hempfield Township.

  • Fences are excepted.
  • The rule applies when cost exceeds $100 or work enlarges capacity or affects bearing walls or roof.

  construction-cost threshold: > 100 USD (Fences are excepted; permit also required if work enlarges capacity or affects bearing walls or roof.)

  “without having first secured a permit therefor.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Hempfield Township.

  • The adopted code is the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, as amended and supplemented from time to time.

  “The Township of Hempfield hereby adopts the Uniform Construction Code [...] as the Township of Hempfield Building Code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work regulated by Township building-permit chapter inside Hempfield Township.

  • Inspections are those necessary for enforcement of Chapter 41.

  “The Building Inspector shall make or cause to be made such inspections as are necessary to see to the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hempfield Township.

  • Zoning chapter was adopted by Township Board of Supervisors; amendments are noted where applicable.

  “Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Hempfield”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Hempfield Township.

  • The Township zoning code identifies an Agricultural District and a Rural Residential District, among other district articles and overlay districts.

  “Article III Agricultural District [...] Article IV Rural Residential District”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural lease subdivisions inside Hempfield Township.

  • Applies only to parcels greater than 10 acres.
  • No new street or easement of access and no residential dwelling may be involved.

  parcel size: > 10 acres (Agricultural lease subdivision only; no new street, access easement, or residential dwelling.)

  “parcels of more than 10 acres [...] shall be exempt.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Hempfield Township.

  • An approved Township plat is required before sale, conveyance, construction, grading, or excavation in a subdivision or land development.
  • Subdivision by lease for agricultural purposes is exempt only where parcels exceed 10 acres and no new street, access easement, or residential dwelling is involved.

  “unless and until a subdivision or land development plat is approved”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Hempfield Township.

  • Fee is due at filing.
  • Amount is established by Township Board resolution.

  “Any person, partnership, corporation or any other type of entity filing an application for a building permit within the Township of Hempfield shall, at the time of said filing, pay to the Township of Hempfield a fee as set forth in a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Hempfield.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Hempfield Township.

  • Application goes to Township Secretary or designated agent.
  • Duplicate plans and specifications are required and must be verified by the owner, architect, or contractor.

  “Application for such permits shall be made to the Secretary of the Township or an agent designated by the Township Supervisors and shall be accompanied by plans and specifications in duplicate showing the work to be done; such plans shall be verified by the signature of either the owner of the premises or the architect or contractor in charge of the operations.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hempfield Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Hempfield Township.
• Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Hempfield Township.
• Setbacks — Residential districts inside Hempfield Township.
• Lot coverage — Residential districts inside Hempfield 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 Hempfield 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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