Newtown Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Newtown Township, Delaware County, the Department of Building, Planning and Code Enforcement issues building, zoning, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits at the township building, 209 Bishop Hollow Road, Newtown Square (610-356-0200, ext. 110 for permit questions). Andy Reczek is Director of Codes, Building Code Official and Zoning Officer. Applications are filed on paper with two sets of plans and a $100 residential or $275 commercial review fee, which is credited against the final fee set by Resolution 2026-06. This is the Newtown Township around Newtown Square, not the Bucks County township of the same name.

What requires a building permit in Newtown Township?

The township’s own list of common permit jobs is short and practical, and it warns that it is not complete, so a call to 610-356-0200 is the way to settle anything not on it.

The jobs in the second panel are reviewed under the township zoning code rather than the UCC and cost $150 each. Once a fence passes 6 feet, a retaining wall 4 feet or a deck 30 inches, the job moves into the UCC accessory-structure fee line.

What Newtown decides and what the state holds

Newtown opted in to enforce the UCC on July 8, 2004, and L&I’s list records local amendments. Its own code adds rules the state code does not: Section 88-7 B requires an automatic sprinkler system in every heated building of 500 square feet or more (a sprinkler exemption request form is on the applications page), Chapter 127 governs rental housing permits and inspections, Chapters 138 and 143 cover soil erosion and stormwater, and Chapter 172 is the zoning ordinance. The Board of Supervisors sets fees by resolution and amends zoning by ordinance; in 2026 it created a Campus Boulevard Redevelopment District (Ordinance 2026-01, February 9) and added five properties to the Historic Resource Overlay District map (Ordinance 2026-03, October 12).

Newtown Township building department: who handles permitting

The township enforces the UCC directly through its Department of Building, Planning and Code Enforcement, renamed from the Code Enforcement Department in 2011. The same office handles plan review, UCC inspections, zoning review, land development review, rental inspections and the use and occupancy inspections required at a sale. For 2026 the Board of Supervisors also appointed Commonwealth Code as a building code official and assistant zoning officer, and the permit instructions ask electrical applicants to choose one of two electrical underwriters.

Newtown permit types

The applications page splits forms into a Building – Zoning permit, a combined Mechanical – Electrical – Plumbing permit (which also covers sewer lateral repairs), a Fire Alarm and Sprinkler permit, sign and banner, tent, and tree work permits. A single instruction sheet sets out what makes a package administratively complete, and incomplete packages are not processed.

Residential permits

• Package: the completed application, a copy of the Attorney General home improvement registration for every contractor including the general contractor, a liability certificate naming Newtown Township, and the signed contract.
• Drawings: two copies of a site plan showing the house, driveway, shed and measurements, plus two sets of construction plans; energy calculations for new buildings and additions; an electrical schematic and plumbing riser diagram where those trades are involved; equipment specifications and HVAC load calculations.
• Review fee: a $100 check to Newtown Township, credited against the permit fee. Small jobs can come in below it; the Board refunded the difference on permits that totaled $79.50 and $50 in September 2026.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial packages need two sealed plan sets covering architecture, structure, mechanical, plumbing and energy compliance, two separate copies of the electrical and low-voltage plans, two copies of fire suppression and alarm plans with their own permit application, insurance, the signed contract and a $275 review fee. Plans must come from a Pennsylvania registered design professional unless a UCC exception applies, and every contractor and subcontractor on a commercial job must hold the annual township registration.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Hearing Board. Variances, special exceptions, interpretations and validity challenges are heard on the third Thursday of each month; file by noon 30 days before the hearing with the deed, seven copies of the full submission and an electronic copy. The fee is $800 residential or $2,000 non-residential.
• Conditional use and land development. A conditional use costs $1,500 plus a $2,750 escrow. Subdivision and land development applications use the January 2026 planning application, and the Municipal Authority has its own land development review form.
• Soil erosion and stormwater. Any earth disturbance needs a Chapter 138 soil erosion permit. Under Chapter 143, new or replacement impervious cover under 500 square feet is voluntary compliance, 500 to 1,000 square feet uses the Simplified Approach, and more than 1,000 square feet needs full stormwater measures; totals count cumulatively since the 2005 ordinance.
• Sewer or septic. A public sewer tap-in requires a permit from the Newtown Township Municipal Authority. On-lot systems are tested and permitted through the township Sewage Enforcement Officer.
• Trees and historic resources. Tree removal tied to grading or demolition, heritage trees and annual tree work need a tree work permit, which goes to the township commission for approval. Properties on the Historic Resource Overlay District map carry extra zoning review.

Newtown permit costs and fees

The Board of Supervisors adopted the 2026 fee schedule as Resolution 2026-06 on January 5, 2026, by a 5 to 0 vote, effective the same day. Work started without a permit costs double, and the $4.50 state UCC fee is added to each permit.

Worked example: a $30,000 kitchen renovation is $125 plus 28 × $20 for the $28,000 above $2,000, or $685; the $100 paid at submission is credited, so $585 is due at issue, plus $4.50. A $10,000 in-ground pool is $100 plus 6 × $25, or $250, before its separate electrical permit.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Newtown’s pages show no local electrician or plumber license; what the township checks is registration and insurance. Residential contractors file a copy of their Attorney General home improvement registration with each application, and HICPA-registered firms do not also register with the township unless they build new homes (a demolished house being rebuilt counts as new). Contractors on commercial or new construction work hold the annual Newtown registration ($75), with insurance and workers’ compensation proof.

• Electrical: filed on the Mechanical – Electrical – Plumbing form with a schematic. Applicants pick an electrical underwriter; the form lists United Inspection and Commonwealth Code Enforcement, Inc.
• Plumbing and sewer laterals: same form with a riser diagram; lateral repairs are permitted here too.
• Mechanical and fuel gas: most HVAC work is on the township’s permit list, and residential packages include HVAC load calculations.
• Fire protection: separate Fire Alarm and Sprinkler permit; the township Fire Marshal also charges $65 an hour for fire safety inspections and issues tent permits.

How to apply for a Newtown building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township gives itself 15 business days to review a residential permit and 30 for non-residential work, counted once the package is complete. The most common delays it names are starting work before a permit, which brings a stop-work order and a doubled fee, and incomplete packages: a missing contractor registration or insurance certificate holds up processing. The review fee already paid comes off the final permit fee.

Inspections in Newtown Township

Instructions for booking appointments and inspections are printed on the second page of every issued permit. A residential new-construction fee covers up to 10 inspections, an alteration up to 5, a commercial job up to 12 and a trade permit up to 3; each extra or failed visit is $50. New buildings receive a temporary or final certificate of occupancy ($25).

Use and occupancy at sale or lease

Newtown requires a use and occupancy certificate when property is sold, and for commercial space also when it is leased to a new tenant. The January 2026 application asks for separate checks: $100 for a house or $125 for a commercial property to the township, and $75 for a sewer certificate to the Newtown Township Municipal Authority. Allow 10 business days. The inspector checks GFCI outlets, sump pumps and downspouts, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, curbs, sidewalks and aprons, and house numbers; commercial buildings also need a sanitary sewer inspection, exits and extinguishers checked, and a fire sprinkler report from the past year. Occupancy is prohibited without the inspection or township authorization, and a rental needs a separate housing permit under Chapter 127.

Pennsylvania building code in Newtown Township

The Permit Process page states that the 2021 International Building and Residential Codes adopted under the UCC are enforced; the residential instruction sheet still mentions design to the 2018 IRC. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Newtown Township, Delaware County (community 420991), as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective November 18, 2009; the tree work and stormwater forms ask whether the work is in a floodplain.

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

Newtown permit search and official resources

Newtown posts no online permit search. Ask the code department at ext. 110 about a permit’s status, or send a written Right-to-Know request to the township’s Right to Know Officer, the Township Manager under the January 2026 appointments. Copies cost 25 cents a letter-size page and $3 for a 24 × 36 sheet. Board of Supervisors agendas and minutes, including the 2026 fee and zoning votes, are in the township’s CivicWeb document center. The county picture is in the Delaware County permit guide.

• Newtown Building, Planning & Code Enforcement
• Permit process and review times
• Do I need a permit?
• Permits and applications
• Permit application instructions
• 2026 adopted fee schedule
• Use and occupancy for real estate transfer (January 2026)
• Annual contractor registration
• Stormwater and soil erosion requirements
• Zoning Hearing Board petition (December 2025)
• Sewage Enforcement Officer
• Board of Supervisors agendas and minutes
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Newtown Township building permit FAQs

Can I apply for a Newtown Township permit online or by email?

No. The instruction sheet says electronic and faxed submissions are not accepted; deliver or mail the paper package to 209 Bishop Hollow Road.

How much does a building permit cost in Newtown Township?

For a house alteration it is $125 for the first $2,000 of cost and $20 per $1,000 after that, so a $30,000 job is $685 plus $4.50. The $100 review fee paid at submission is credited.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes. A fence under 6 feet or an accessory structure under 1,000 square feet needs a $150 zoning permit; taller fences fall under the UCC accessory-structure fee.

Do I need a use and occupancy certificate to sell my house?

Yes. File the transfer application with $100 for the inspection and $75 for the sewer certificate, and allow 10 business days.

Does my contractor have to register with Newtown?

Only for commercial work or new construction ($75 a year). Home improvement contractors registered with the Attorney General file a copy of that registration instead.

Does a new building need fire sprinklers?

Township Code Section 88-7 B requires automatic sprinklers in heated buildings of 500 square feet or more, with exceptions; a sprinkler exemption request form is available.

Is this the same Newtown Township as the one in Bucks County?

No. Newtown Township in Delaware County is governed from Newtown Square; the Bucks County township of the same name has its own offices, fees and UCC election.

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