Code and Zoning

Chalfont Borough enforces the requirements of the 2009 International Code Council series of codes, as adopted by Act 45/The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code to ensure building specifications and materials used are in compliance through a process of plan reviews and scheduled building inspections.

All Pennsylvania jurisdictions follow the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (PA UCC).  The PA UCC is the administrative regulation which references the construction codes to be followed.  Chalfont Borough Code Enforcement and Zoning Department follows the 2009 ICC (International Codes Council) Code Series as adopted by ACT 45 (the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code).  The PA UCC is administered by the PA Department of Labor & Industry and you can access the full regulations by visiting their Uniform Construction Code homepage.

Either download the Building Permit Application from the Borough’s Forms Page or come to the Borough Office any weekday from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM for assistance and/or for paper forms.  Please be aware that your contractor must be registered to work in the Borough, and be properly insured.  The Contractor Registration Form is also available on our Forms Page or at the Borough Office.

All new home or commercial construction contractors are required to register with Chalfont Borough, provide a
Certificate of Insurance, and pay a fifty dollar ($50.00) application fee.
All other Contractors, including Home Improvement and Repair, must submit a copy of your certificate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a PA registered Home Improvement Contractor, and a Certificate of Insurance.
Failure to provide this information will result in a fifty dollar ($50.00) application fee payable to Chalfont Borough.  The Contractor Registration Form is also available for download from our Forms Page or hard copies are available at the Borough Office.

If you need assistance completing the application, the Building Inspector/Zoning Officer is available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM to answer your questions.  Please call, 215-822-7295.

The Permit Fee is set by a formula approved within the Chalfont Borough Fee Schedule.  The final cost will be made available when you are notified that the permit is ready for pick-up.  Additionally, all contractors must register with Chalfont Borough and provide proof of insurance.  The Contractor Registration Fee is $50.00 annually (Jan-Dec).  Home improvement contractors certified with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will not be charged.

Permits are assigned an identification number and are processed by the Building Inspector/Zoning Officer.  You will be contacted when the permit is ready and also told the fee you owe.  For residential properties, the permit should be ready within 15 business days; for commercial properties, allow 30 business days.

Your issued permit will include a list of inspections that must be completed during construction, and also when the job is finished.  Call the Borough office at 215-822-7295 to schedule your inspection appointment.  Please have your building permit number available when you call.  It is listed on your permit.

Yes.  You need to complete the Building and Zoning Permit Application.  It is a broad application, so please fill in the areas that pertain to your particular project.  You must also include a diagram indicating where the fence or shed will be installed in relation to your property line, house, street, etc.  You can include a plot plan, or you can indicate this information with a sketch in part 7 (on page 4) of the application packet.

A Residential Use and Occupancy inspection and subsequent Certificate is required whenever real estate in the Borough is sold or rented to a new tenant.  The application is available to download or may be picked up at the Borough office.  Included in the application is a check list of items included in the inspection.  The fee for the application is $75.00 and includes one additional inspection if necessary.  Non-Residential Use and Occupancy inspection is required for businesses opening or changing ownership within the Borough.

View the Chalfont Borough Fee Schedule.  Please note that all fees are subject to change by an act of Borough Council.

Please contact the Borough Office at 215-822-7295 to schedule an inspection.  If possible, please provide your permit number to the receptionist when scheduling.  It is located on the upper right-hand corner of your permit.

By law, the Building and Zoning office has 15 business days to review Residential Building Permits, 30 business days to review Commercial Building Permits, and 45 business days to review Zoning Permits.
Penalties can be assessed for beginning work without a permit.  You can find all permit forms on our Forms Page.

The Code for Chalfont Borough is now available online. You can view the E-Code by visiting:  http://www.ecode360.com/CH0570  or visit the General Code Publishers website:  http://www.generalcode.com/ecode360/PA .
General Code is a company we have used to codify our Borough Code.  This allows us to have our Borough Code online, as well as the Borough’s meeting minutes, resolutions, and special documents.  Having these items readily available online might be easier than flipping through hard copies.  You may also use the search field if you are looking for something specific.

When searching, here is a tip:  if you want to do a search on a phrase, put those words in quotes.  For example, if you type “street trees,” you will receive everything for the words street AND trees (about five results).  If you did not use quotes, you would receive over 200 results, capturing everything with the word street OR trees.