Hampton Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Hampton Township, the Department of Community Development takes applications at the Permitting Office, 3101 McCully Road, and issues building, zoning and other development permits, with Code.Sys Code Consulting doing the Uniform Construction Code plan review and inspections. A new house is $0.35 per square foot of gross floor area plus a $100 base fee and the $4.50 state fee, and the township reports that most reviews take 1 to 2 weeks.

What requires a building permit in Hampton Township?

Hampton’s rule is broad: the township’s answers say a permit is required to erect, modify, remove or repair any structure, and no new construction may start before an approved permit is issued. The Permits page groups the common jobs this way.

The zoning ordinance adopted on April 22, 2026 (Chapter 310) exempts open structures with no roof and no permanent footings, such as play sets, open gazebos, arbors, trellises and fountains. Its fence rules allow fences right on side and rear lines, cap them at 6 feet (8 feet for industrial uses), and allow front-yard fences only up to 4 feet and at least 8 feet back from the curb or pavement edge. Accessory buildings stay out of the front yard and cannot be built before the house, and the township’s accessory structure form limits them to 20 feet or one story. Pools must sit 10 feet from side and rear lines, and any in-ground or semi in-ground pool with a wall under 48 inches needs a fence meeting the residential code; an automatic cover does not replace it.

What Hampton decides and what the state holds

The building code is the state’s Uniform Construction Code; L&I’s election list shows Hampton as an opt-in municipality from July 1, 2004, with pre-1999 amendments noted. Hampton sets its own zoning ordinance and SALDO (both adopted April 22, 2026), the Stormwater Management Ordinance No. 815, the Floodplain Ordinance No. 769, the Grading Ordinance No. 584, the solar panel and rental ordinances, its sewer rules under Ordinance No. 70, and the fees printed on its applications.

Hampton Township building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Community Development processes and issues building, zoning and development permits and supports the Planning Commission, the UCC Board of Appeals and the Zoning Hearing Board. For the code work, the township’s application packet says it currently employs the third-party agency Code.sys for all UCC plan review and inspections, including electrical. The township’s own Permitting Office handles zoning inspections of accessory structures and stormwater and sump inspections.

Hampton permit types and applications

Every permit type has its own application PDF on the Permits page, and each one prints its fees and the documents it needs. Completed applications, filled out in blue or black ink, go to the Permitting Office; payment is due when the permit is issued, by cash or check made out to the Township of Hampton.

Residential permits

The new homes and additions packet (revised November 2024) asks for a stamped survey showing the structure, its setbacks, the sump and any septic system or stormwater controls, two sets of plans with front, rear and section views, proof of energy compliance (REScheck, Pennsylvania’s alternative residential energy provisions or the IECC route), the HVAC application and a workers’ compensation certificate or affidavit of exemption. A new house also needs an as-built survey after construction. Plans for a whole new house must be sealed by a Pennsylvania architect or engineer; prescriptive plans are fine for most smaller jobs, but decks that carry a hot tub, roof or kitchen, and retaining walls over 4 feet, need engineered drawings. Accessory structures need a stamped survey, and if one is placed within half of the required setback, the property line must be staked for the final inspection.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles home building permits, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

New commercial buildings and additions use the commercial packet, priced by use group, and the floor area must include every floor, basements, attached decks and garages. Code.sys sets the plan review fee by the building’s IBC occupancy classification and separately reviews sprinkler, fire alarm and other fire protection systems. Plans for a new commercial structure must be stamped by a Pennsylvania architect or engineer, and a commercial occupancy permit follows the UCC final inspection.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning and boards. Setbacks come from the zoning ordinance’s bulk and area table. Variances go to the Zoning Hearing Board, which must decide within 45 days of its last hearing; conditional uses go to Township Council, and land development to the Planning Commission and Council.
• Stormwater. New hard surface is counted cumulatively across every project since 2008; once the total passes 400 square feet, on-lot controls are required, either from the township’s pre-engineered small project packet or an engineer’s design, and the sump is inspected before the pit is backfilled.
• Streams and floodplain. Hampton requires a 50-foot setback from the top of any watercourse for construction or ground disturbance; floodway encroachments also need DEP permits, and work in a FEMA floodplain may need flood-proofing under Ordinance No. 769.
• Sewer. A new house connects to the township’s sanitary sewer system on a sewer connection application, with the fees paid when the building permit is issued.
• Driveways. A new or improved driveway onto a township road needs a Driveway Improvement Permit; a state road needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit. Excavation with machinery must be called in to PA One Call (811).

Hampton permit fees

The township’s answers say the basic fees are listed on each application, so the figures below come from the current forms and their revision dates. The forms print no fee resolution number, and the township’s permit pages link no adopted fee schedule; ask the Permitting Office if a fee is in doubt. Electrical and mechanical fees are worked out by the inspector and paid before the permit is released, and plumbing fees are paid to the county.

A new house with 2,800 square feet of gross floor area, counting the basement and garage, costs $980 at $0.35 per square foot, plus the $100 base fee, the $4.50 state fee and the $50 occupancy permit: $1,134.50. The sewer connection adds $5,400 for one EDU, paid by two separate checks when the permit is issued. Re-inspections beyond the number allotted on the permit cost extra, and no certificate of occupancy is issued until they are paid. Two forms disagree: the July 2022 renovation packet prices the occupancy permit at $100 against $50 on the residential occupancy form, and the 2007 sewer page still attached to the commercial packet shows $2,865, where the October 2024 sewer application sets $5,400.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: part of the township permit; Code.Sys calculates the electrical fee, collected when the permit is issued, and inspects. Solar applications add $20 for the warning sign.
• Mechanical: the HVAC/mechanical application inside each packet carries its own fee, paid by a separate check.
• Plumbing: inspected and permitted by the Allegheny County Health Department, which collects its own fee and licenses plumbers. The sewer lateral must meet both Hampton’s sewer ordinance and the Allegheny County plumbing code.
• Fire protection: sprinkler and alarm systems need separate submittals reviewed by Code.sys.

Hampton’s pages show no local contractor license; contractors list their workers’ compensation coverage on the application, and home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under HICPA.

How to apply for a Hampton permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

State law gives the township 15 business days for residential and 30 for commercial applications, and the township says reviews usually take 1 to 2 weeks; the more departments involved, the longer it runs. Status questions go to the Permit Clerk at extension 1304. Common causes of delay are a survey that is not the official stamped copy, missing stormwater controls once the cumulative hard-surface total passes 400 square feet, and plans that need an engineer’s seal. A permit expires if work has not started within 180 days of issue.

Inspections in Hampton Township

Building and electrical inspections are booked directly with the Code.Sys inspector; the township’s November 2024 packet asks for at least 48 hours’ notice and gives the inspector’s direct line as 412-491-6868, while the township’s FAQ still says 24 hours. Have the permit number, site address, contractor and owner names and numbers, and the type of inspection and construction ready, or the inspection cannot be booked. Final zoning inspections of sheds, fences and carports, and sump or stormwater inspections, are booked with the Permitting Office at extension 1304; a sump is inspected once the pit is dug and the framework is in, before it is filled. Plumbing inspections are arranged with the county.

After the UCC final inspection passes, the owner files the occupancy permit application with the township. A new house needs its as-built survey before occupancy, and no certificate of occupancy issues while extra inspection fees are unpaid.

Pennsylvania building code in Hampton Township

Hampton administers the Uniform Construction Code locally and has Code.Sys Code Consulting carry out the plan review and inspections on its behalf. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Hampton Township (community 420978) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with its current flood map effective September 26, 2014.

Pennsylvania has one Uniform Construction Code for the whole state, based on the 2021 International Codes since January 1, 2026. Most municipalities enforce it themselves or through a certified third-party agency; where a municipality has opted out, the Department of Labor and Industry handles commercial work and home owners hire a certified agency. Counties do not issue building permits. Pennsylvania rules

Hampton permit search and official resources

Hampton has no public online permit search; the Permit Clerk can confirm the status of a pending application. For copies of past permits, plans or occupancy certificates, the township asks for the Commonwealth’s uniform Right-to-Know form, sent to the Open Records Officer by email, mail, fax (412-486-5019) or hand delivery, with the record described in enough detail to find it; the township answers within five business days or extends by up to 30 calendar days.

• Hampton Township permits
• Land development and building inspection FAQs
• Residential new homes and additions application (Nov 2024)
• Residential renovations application
• Residential accessory structure permit
• Residential deck application
• Pool, spa and hot tub application
• Residential generator application (2026)
• Commercial new structures and additions application
• Commercial renovations application
• Sanitary sewer connection application
• Zoning, land development and other ordinances
• Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 310 (adopted April 22, 2026)
• Public records requests
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing program
• L&I municipal UCC election list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Hampton Township building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Hampton?

$0.35 per square foot of gross floor area, including the basement and garage, plus a $100 base fee, the $4.50 state fee and a $50 occupancy permit. Sewer connection is another $5,400 per EDU.

Who inspects my project?

Code.Sys Code Consulting, the township’s third-party agency, does the UCC building and electrical inspections; the township checks zoning and stormwater; the county Health Department inspects plumbing.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a shed?

Yes. Fences up to 6 feet, and sheds, carports and garages under 1,000 square feet, use the $35 accessory structure permit. Front-yard fences may be no taller than 4 feet.

Can a pool cover replace a fence?

No. Every in-ground or semi in-ground pool needs a fence; an above-ground pool with a wall of 48 inches or more can use a locking ladder if no deck or stairs lead to it.

When do I need stormwater controls?

Once new hard surface added since 2008 totals more than 400 square feet, whether in one project or several.

How long does a Hampton permit take?

Usually 1 to 2 weeks, within the state limits of 15 business days for residential and 30 for commercial applications.

Can I build near a creek?

Not within 50 feet of the top of the watercourse, and floodway work needs state permits too.

Simplify Hampton Township permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Pennsylvania. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hampton Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.