North Union Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

Building permits in North Union Township are handled by K2 Engineering, Inc., 234 Pittsburgh Street, Uniontown (724-439-3440), which the Board of Supervisors appointed as the township’s Uniform Construction Code agency when it began local enforcement in 2004. Zoning is administered by the Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, and a new building first needs a sewage permit from the township’s Sewage Office. Plan review fees are set by K2 for each project; the county’s zoning permit for a new house is $125 plus $1 per 100 square feet of living space.

What requires a building permit in North Union Township?

North Union enforces the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) locally, so work the UCC covers needs a building permit through K2 Engineering, and most construction also needs a county zoning permit. The county’s zoning fee schedule shows which projects it expects to see, and it reaches further than the building code does:

The county application warns that construction or use may not begin without the necessary zoning and building permits and tells applicants to check with the municipality for any others, so ask K2 before treating a small job as exempt from the UCC.

What North Union decides and what the state holds

The Board of Supervisors enacted a resolution on July 13, 2004 to enforce the UCC locally and appointed K2 Engineering by agreement; L&I’s municipal list records the opt-in as July 7, 2004, with no older local amendments kept. The township itself controls the sewer system and sewage permits, the floodplain and stormwater ordinances, the mandatory water tap-in ordinance and code enforcement. Zoning, subdivision and land development rules for North Union are the county’s: the Fayette County Zoning Ordinance (adopted November 1, 2006, as amended) and the county subdivision and land development ordinance.

North Union Township building department: who handles permitting

K2 Engineering administers the code for the township: it supplies the application, reviews the plans, issues the approved set, tells the applicant which inspections are required and carries out the inspections that lead to the certificate of occupancy. The same firm serves as township engineer. The township office handles sewage permits, floodplain matters and code enforcement complaints, and Fayette County’s office issues zoning permits for North Union, since the county administers zoning for 31 of Fayette’s 42 municipalities and North Union is not one of the 11 that run their own.

North Union Township permit types

There are three separate applications for most building projects, filed in a set order: the township sewage permit, the county zoning permit and K2’s UCC building permit. K2 provides its own application form on request; the township does not post it.

Residential permits

For a house, addition, garage or deck, the owner completes K2’s application with the contractor or design professional and submits it with three copies of the plans and specifications and the plan review fee. The county zoning application asks for the parcel ID, zoning district, present and proposed use, building size and heating, number of bathrooms, estimated cost, any earlier variance or special exception, the type of sewage service (public or on-lot, answered even for projects that make no sewage) and whether the lot is in the 100-year floodplain. It also asks whether the lot lies in the Mon/Fayette Expressway Overlay (section 1000-403 of the county ordinance). The county supplies the required setbacks when it issues the zoning permit, and building outside them voids the permit; false information on the form also voids the application, and no refunds are given.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects follow the same path with a larger county fee: a new commercial structure is $450 plus $10 per 1,000 square feet, an addition $250 plus $10 per 1,000 square feet, and a change of use in an existing building $200. Each structure or rental space needs its own township sewage permit, commercial sewer accounts are billed on water use, and commercial compost drop-off at the township site needs a written permit.

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

• Sewage permit. The township Sewage Office requires a sewage permit for each new structure or rental space, and it must be purchased before a zoning permit application can be made. On-lot systems go through the sewage enforcement officer the municipality appoints.
• County zoning. Issued within 7–10 business days of a complete, signed application with the fee; a denial can be appealed to the county Zoning Hearing Board within 30 days.
• Floodplain permit. Floodplain Ordinance 2-2017, effective February 14, 2017, requires a permit from the Floodplain Administrator, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, before any construction or development in the floodplain. New homes and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor at or above the regulatory flood elevation, which is the base flood elevation plus 1½ feet of freeboard; the freeboard also applies to utilities and ductwork. A small accessory building of up to 200 square feet may sit lower if it is used only for parking or storage, is anchored against flotation, has no sanitary facilities or fixed appliances, and has its wiring and outlets raised to the regulatory flood elevation.
• Rezoning and subdivision. A rezoning petition ($600) goes to the county Planning Commission and then a hearing before the Fayette County Commissioners; subdivision and land development plans are filed on the forms in the county ordinance’s appendix, starting at $75 for a simple subdivision.
• Stormwater. Plans under the township’s MS4 stormwater ordinance are reviewed by K2 once the township receives them.
• Driveways and water. The county application notes a driveway permit may be needed from PennDOT or the township, and the township has a mandatory water tap-in ordinance (1-2006).

North Union Township permit costs and fees

K2 Engineering sets the UCC plan review and permit fees for each project, so the township posts no building permit fee table; ask K2 for the figure before you file. The fees that are published are the county’s zoning fees, effective January 1, 2024, and the township’s sewer charges.

Worked example from the county schedule: the zoning permit for a new house with 2,000 square feet of living space is $145 ($125 plus 20 × $1). A deck or privacy fence is a flat $50, and a business sign is $150 on the premises, $250 off the premises or $125 for a temporary sign. Once connected, a home pays the township $39 a month in sewer charges for each equivalent dwelling unit of 3,500 gallons; commercial accounts pay $12 per 1,000 gallons above that.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work falls under the UCC permit that K2 administers, and K2 notifies the applicant of the inspections each project needs. Sewer connections are the township’s own business: the Sewage Office maintains the public lines and issues the sewage permit for each new structure, and a property owner must first make sure a backup is not in the private line before calling the office.

The township’s pages set no local license for electricians, plumbers or contractors. K2 asks that its application be completed with the contractor or design professional, and home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General under HICPA.

How to apply for a North Union Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

State rules give a residential application 15 business days and a commercial one 30 for a decision once complete, unless extended in writing. In North Union the approvals come in a set order: no zoning application can be made until the township sewage permit is bought, and the county zoning permit itself takes 7–10 business days. Floodplain lots need the township’s floodplain permit and elevation data as well.

Inspections in North Union Township

K2 Engineering inspects all UCC work. It tells the applicant which inspections the project needs when the plans are approved, and each inspection must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance by calling 724-439-3440. When every required inspection has passed, the certificate of occupancy is issued. In a floodplain, the Floodplain Administrator or an authorized official may also inspect during construction, and the township keeps the finished elevation and permit records for the life of the structure.

For property transfers, the Sewage Office provides a lien letter request form, and a vacancy affidavit is used for sewer accounts on empty properties.

Pennsylvania building code in North Union Township

North Union enforces the Uniform Construction Code locally through K2 Engineering, Inc. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists North Union Township (community 421633) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 18, 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

North Union Township permit search and official resources

There is no online permit search. For UCC permit records ask K2 Engineering; for zoning permits ask the Fayette County planning and zoning office; for sewage and township records file a Right-to-Know request with the township’s Right-to-Know officer (724-438-6330). The Supervisors meet on the second Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. and ask for three working days’ notice to put an item before them.

• North Union Township services: Uniform Construction Code and stormwater
• Township departments and engineer
• Sewage Office: sewage permits and billing
• Township ordinances
• Floodplain Ordinance 2-2017
• Fayette County zoning and planning
• Fayette County zoning fee schedule (January 1, 2024)
• Fayette County zoning permit application
• Fayette County Zoning Ordinance (2006)
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

North Union Township building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in North Union Township?

K2 Engineering, Inc. in Uniontown, the township’s appointed Uniform Construction Code agency. Call 724-439-3440 for the application.

Where do I get a zoning permit?

From the Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, which administers zoning for North Union (724-430-1210).

How much does a building permit cost?

K2 sets the plan review and permit fee for each project. The county zoning permit is separate: $125 plus $1 per 100 square feet of living space for a new house.

Do I need a permit for a deck or fence?

A deck or privacy fence needs the county’s $50 residential renovation zoning permit; check with K2 whether the deck also needs a UCC building permit.

Why do I need a sewage permit before zoning?

The township requires a sewage permit for every new structure or rental space, bought from the Sewage Office before a zoning permit application can be made.

What are the floodplain rules?

Any construction in the floodplain needs a township floodplain permit, and new homes must sit at least 1½ feet above the base flood elevation.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call K2 Engineering at least 24 hours in advance; K2 lists the required inspections when it approves the plans.

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