Lower Southampton Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Lower Southampton Township, Bucks County, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and zoning permits come from the township’s Zoning office, where Michael Italia serves as Zoning Officer and Building Code Official (Administration Building, 1500 Desire Avenue, Feasterville; 215-357-7300; permits@lstwp.org). Work is filed on the township’s PA UCC Construction Permit Application or its Zoning Permit Application, and every contractor must hold an annual township registration. Under the 2026 fee schedule, approved January 28, 2026, a new house starts at $1,500 for the first 2,000 square feet.

What requires a building permit in Lower Southampton Township?

The township uses two forms. The PA UCC Construction Permit Application covers building, demolition, accessibility, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work; the Zoning Permit Application covers anything that takes up space on the lot, such as sheds, fences and patios. The line between them is set at 30 inches and 150 square feet.

A zoning application for an addition, accessory structure, deck, driveway, patio or walkway needs a plot plan showing every structure and impervious surface, the distances to property lines, any septic system or well, and nearby water, and the applicant must mark the property lines and the structure’s location on site before applying.

What Lower Southampton decides and what the state holds

L&I’s list shows the township opted in to enforce the Uniform Construction Code on July 1, 2004, with no local amendments, so building standards are the state’s. The Board of Supervisors sets the fee schedule, contractor registration, deed registration, the sewer lateral program (Ordinance 598 of April 13, 2022) and the zoning ordinance.

Lower Southampton Township building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning office’s staff (the Zoning Officer and Building Code Official, a code enforcement officer and zoning clerks) review permit, land development, variance and special exception applications and inspect building permits. The Office of the Fire Marshal handles plan reviews for fire systems, use and occupancy fire inspections, tank installation and removal, and annual fire safety inspections of commercial businesses.

Lower Southampton permit types

The UCC application must list every cost (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical), the device, appliance and fixture counts, and a detailed narrative of the work, and it requires a copy of the signed contract. If no contractor is named, the township assumes the homeowner will do all the work. Two sets of detailed construction plans go with every application, plus a digital copy for large plans; commercial plans must be signed and sealed by a licensed design professional.

Residential permits

• New houses: priced by gross floor area, with a $150 plan review per submission; a lot grading plan review ($300 plus a $5,000 escrow) applies where the land development ordinance calls for it.
• Additions and alterations: priced as a percentage of cost with a $300 minimum and a $105 plan review.
• Accessory buildings: decks, pole barns, detached garages, patio roofs and greenhouses of 150 square feet or more go on the UCC form.
• Pools: the pool, hot tub and spa application covers the electrical bonding and, for in-ground pools, the fence enclosure.
• In-law suites and home businesses: each has its own permit application and an occupancy fee.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings pay $2,000 plus $1.50 per square foot, and commercial alterations $900 on costs up to $20,000 plus 3% above that, with plan review at $12.50 per 100 square feet ($360 minimum). Every new occupant, owner or tenant of commercial space needs a use and occupancy permit with zoning and Fire Marshal inspections ($175 and $105 for the first 3,000 square feet). Alterations to a primary function area must spend up to 20% of the cost on an accessible route when required.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Hearing Board. Appeals, special exceptions and variances; the board meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the Administration Building. A residential single-lot application costs $900.
• Earth disturbance and grading. An earth disturbance permit costs $300 plus a $1,000 engineering escrow.
• Floodplain. Both permit forms ask whether the property is in a floodplain and its market value; a floodplain or steep slope review costs $800 plus a $5,000 escrow.
• Sewer. The township runs the public sewer; a new residential connection pays a $3,768 tapping fee, and grinder pumps need township engineer approval.
• Road openings. Work in a township road right-of-way needs a road occupancy permit ($300 for the first 100 feet, plus a $2,000 escrow); state roads go to PennDOT.
• Land development. Subdivision and land development applications also go to the Bucks County Planning Commission through its Act 247 portal.

Lower Southampton permit costs and fees

The Board of Supervisors approved the current Schedule of Fees and Charges on January 28, 2026. Each permit adds the $4.50 state training fee, and trade permits carry a $30 residential or $55 commercial application fee.

Worked examples: a new house with 2,500 square feet of gross floor area pays $1,500 plus 5 × $45, or $1,725, plus the $150 plan review and $4.50; a 350-square-foot deck pays $75 plus 2 × $25, or $125, plus the $105 plan review and $4.50. The alteration percentages are printed as three bands without saying whether they combine, so ask the office for the figure on a remodel before budgeting.

Trade permits and who may pull them

All contractors must register with the township every year before working there. The registration packet needs a certificate of insurance with at least $1,000,000 of general liability naming the township as certificate holder, workers’ compensation proof or a notarized exemption, and, for residential contractors, the state HICPA registration card. The October 2025 form charges residential contractors nothing and commercial contractors $100 (sign erectors $150), while the adopted fee schedule lists a $100 annual registration for general, electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors. A copy of the workers’ compensation form goes with every permit application.

• Electrical: flat fees for most jobs, or a flexible scale for complex work ($1 per device plus service and feeder sizes); electrical-only jobs pay a $105 residential plan review.
• Plumbing: fixtures, exterior water and sewer lines, grinder pumps and wells; a failed sewer lateral pays $125 for the video review.
• Mechanical: heating and air conditioning installation, conversion or replacement, priced on cost.
• Fire systems: life-safety device contractors register with the Fire Marshal’s office ($100), and new or altered alarms and sprinklers need a Fire Marshal permit.

How to apply for a Lower Southampton building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The UCC form warns that an incomplete application may be delayed or rejected, and every section is marked mandatory, including costs, construction data and the electric service details. Plan review fees are charged per submission on houses, so complete drawings save money as well as time. State rules set 15 business days for a residential decision and 30 for commercial work once the application is complete.

Inspections and resale certificates in Lower Southampton

The application gives the inspector access to the work “upon coordination with the owner or his agents”, so inspections are arranged with the township office, and a no-show or failed inspection costs $105. No building may be occupied until known violations are corrected and the Building Code Official issues a certificate of occupancy.

A use and occupancy permit is required for every new occupancy and every change of owner or tenant. For a house sale or rental, file the $125 residential application at least 30 days before settlement or move-in (expedited processing is not offered). Under Ordinance 598, the sewer lateral must pass a camera inspection by a township-registered contractor before the certificate issues, then again every five years or at the next sale; the township needs at least five business days to review the video. If the lateral fails, a temporary certificate may let the buyer move in, but repairs and a $75 re-inspection must follow within 12 months. Unpermitted additions, sheds, pools or fences that break setbacks must also be corrected, and every new owner registers the deed with the township ($10). The Fire Marshal’s office also inspects commercial properties and residential rental units every year, and an approved in-law suite has a $25 yearly inspection.

Pennsylvania building code in Lower Southampton Township

Lower Southampton enforces the UCC with its own Building Code Official under its 2004 opt-in, without local amendments, and hears UCC appeals for $475 (residential) or $2,600 (commercial). FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the township (community 420192) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 21, 2017.

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

Lower Southampton permit search and official resources

Records held by the Zoning, Fire Marshal, Public Works and Finance offices are requested on the Administration Office Right to Know form, emailed to administration@lstwp.org or faxed to 215-357-0946; the Township Manager is the Open Records Officer, and police records use a separate form.

• Lower Southampton Zoning office
• Permits and forms
• 2026 Schedule of Fees and Charges (approved January 28, 2026)
• PA UCC construction permit application
• Zoning permit application with impervious surface sheet
• Contractor registration application
• Residential use and occupancy application (October 2026)
• Sewer lateral inspection report
• Notice of hearing on Ordinance 619 (new zoning ordinance)
• Zoning Hearing Board
• Office of the Fire Marshal
• Right to Know
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Lower Southampton building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Lower Southampton?

$1,500 for the first 2,000 square feet of gross floor area and $45 per additional 100 square feet, plus a $150 plan review and $4.50.

Do I need a permit for a deck or shed?

Yes. Under 150 square feet and below 30 inches it goes on a $125 zoning permit; anything larger or higher needs the UCC construction permit.

What do I need before selling my house?

A $125 residential use and occupancy permit, filed at least 30 days before settlement, with a passed sewer lateral camera inspection.

Do contractors have to register with the township?

Yes, every year, with $1,000,000 liability insurance naming the township, workers’ compensation proof and, for home improvement work, the state HICPA registration.

Can a homeowner pull the permit?

Yes. If the application names no contractor, the township treats the homeowner as doing all the work.

When does the Zoning Hearing Board meet?

On the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7 p.m. at 1500 Desire Avenue.

What does it cost to connect a new house to the sewer?

The residential tapping fee is $3,768, plus plumbing permit fees.

Simplify Lower Southampton 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 Lower Southampton Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.