Skippack Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Skippack Township, permit applications go to the township office at 4089 Heckler Road (610-454-0909), and the township’s appointed agency, Keystone Municipal Services, Inc., handles building inspection services for houses and commercial buildings and acts as zoning officer. Fees follow the 2026 Fee Schedule, updated by Resolution 2026-05 on January 5, 2026: a new house is $400 plus $0.20 per gross square foot, fees double if work starts before approval, and payment is by cash or check when you apply.

What requires a building permit in Skippack Township?

Skippack’s fee schedule and forms show the work it permits. One combined application covers building, zoning and grading permits, and the township issues a building permit only after every other permit or approval tied to the project is in hand.

A shed under 200 square feet must sit 4 feet from the property lines, a larger one 10 feet, and every shed must be in the rear yard at least 10 feet behind the house. The roofing sheet says permits are required for roofing work, with a formal building permit reviewed by the Building Code Official when more than a quarter of the roof sheathing is rotted or will be replaced. A small job that still needs a permit can fall under the $75 de minimis alteration fee.

What Skippack decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are the statewide Uniform Construction Code. L&I’s list shows Skippack Township as opted in with no local amendments, with an election dated January 7, 2026. The Board of Supervisors appointed the inspection agency, zoning officer and engineer for 2026 and adopts the zoning, earth disturbance, sewer and fee rules. In 2026 it adopted a fire inspection ordinance (No. 369, June 10), a residential property inspection ordinance (No. 370, July 8) and data center rules (No. 374, September 9); an amendment to those rules, Ordinance 375, was on the October 14, 2026 agenda, and the minutes of that meeting are not yet posted.

Skippack Township building department: who handles permitting

The township office receives applications and issues the permits. At the January 5, 2026 reorganization meeting the supervisors appointed Keystone Municipal Services, Inc. for building inspection services, residential and commercial, and as zoning officer, and Resolution 2026-03 also named Keystone among the township’s code enforcement officials for 2026. Keystone’s inspector is reached through the township number.

Skippack Township permit types

The Building, Zoning & Grading Permit Application asks for the owner, applicant and contractor (with insurance details and PA ID number), the type of work, floor areas, utilities, impervious coverage, setbacks, flood-hazard status and estimated cost. All fees are due with the application, by cash or check payable to Skippack Township, and the owner signs it as well as the applicant.

Residential permits

Decks, patios, gazebos and sheds use a short form that asks for a plot plan with existing coverage, setbacks and easements, detailed construction drawings, and the contractor’s home improvement number. Larger projects use the combined application with a plot plan showing the improvement, existing buildings, the septic system and distances to the property lines. The township posts guidance sheets on finished basements, fire blocking, pool grading and pool barriers: a pool barrier must be at least 48 inches high with no opening that passes a 4-inch sphere. A lot in a flood hazard area also needs a Floodplain Development Application.

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential construction, additions and alterations are priced at $500 plus $0.35 a square foot, and a business moving into a building files a Use and Occupancy Permit Application naming the intended and previous uses ($200). Sprinkler and fire protection systems are permitted under the plumbing section. The township offers a $500 pre-application meeting with its consultants. Businesses discharging to public sewer should note Ordinance 373, adopted September 9, 2026, which changed the code’s requirements for contributions to the Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority’s collection and treatment system. In June 2026 the supervisors adopted Fire Inspection Ordinance 369, with fees set by Resolution 2026-21.

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. Keystone, as zoning officer, signs off the zoning permit. Variances, special exceptions and enforcement appeals go to the Zoning Hearing Board ($500 residential, $750 non-residential); conditional uses and rezonings go to the supervisors.
• Earth disturbance. Disturbing 1,000 square feet or more outside a land development needs an earth disturbance permit under Chapter 172 of the code, with four copies of a grading plan showing present and proposed contours, lot lines, setbacks, driveways, finished floor elevations, trees over 8 inches across and drainage facilities (or the application is denied), and an erosion and sedimentation plan: $500 up to half an acre, $1,200 to one acre, and $2,000 plus a $2,000 escrow above that.
• Sewer. A public sewer connection pays a township tapping fee of $2,448 and a separate $2,965 fee to the Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority, plus a $200 lateral connection permit. On-lot septic systems are shown on the plot plan, and the application tracks a septic administration fee.
• Driveways and roads. A residential driveway opening is $50, and work in a township road needs a road occupancy permit; a state road needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.
• Winter work. From December 15, if weather stops a lot from being graded, seeded and mulched or a driveway from being paved, a security deposit (for example $900 for binder and wearing course) is posted before the use and occupancy permit, and the work must be finished by May 15.

Skippack Township permit costs and fees

The supervisors updated the 2026 Fee Schedule by Resolution 2026-05 on January 5, 2026, replacing Resolution 2025-16; the posted copy is marked updated February 9, 2026. All permit fees are non-refundable, and the $4.50 state UCC fee is added to each permit.

Worked from the schedule: a 300-square-foot deck is $100 plus 300 × $0.10, or $130, and a $12,000 furnace replacement is $100 plus 11 × $25 = $375, each plus the $4.50 state fee; the schedule also lists a $25 residential plan review fee. The fee schedule says contractor registration has no fee beyond the application and proof of insurance, while the 2026 registration form still prints $50 plus $30 for each added trade; the adopted schedule governs.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: permits are issued by the township on the combined application. The township posts a list of 15 electrical underwriter agencies, updated June 2026, and states that it does not recommend any of them.
• Plumbing: priced by fixture, with a $200 fee for a sewer lateral connection; sprinkler systems are $450 for the first $1,000 and $25 per additional $1,000.
• Mechanical: heating, cooling and other mechanical work uses the same sliding scale as electrical.

Skippack registers contractors each calendar year. The 2026 form covers general contractors, electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, alarm installers and sprinkler contractors, lists the master plumber and journeymen, and requires a certificate of insurance naming the township, with workers’ compensation; registrations expire on December 31. The township’s pages set no separate trade license. Home improvement contractors also give their state registration number on the deck and shed form.

How to apply for a Skippack Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

State rules give the township 15 business days for a residential application and 30 for a commercial one. The application is not considered complete until every field that applies is filled in, and the permit waits for any other approval the project needs, such as a Zoning Hearing Board decision, an earth disturbance permit or a floodplain application. A permit lapses if work does not begin within 180 days or if more than 180 days pass between inspections; extensions of up to 180 days must be requested in writing.

Inspections in Skippack Township

Keystone Municipal Services carries out the township’s building inspections. Call the township office at least 24 hours before each one. For decks, patios and gazebos the form lists three stages: footing after excavation and before concrete, framing before the decking goes on, and a final when the work is complete; the township’s deck note also bans wood screws in joist hangers.

A new house needs a $100 use and occupancy permit, and a non-residential use and occupancy permit is $200. Each re-inspection costs $65. If the lot cannot be graded and seeded or the driveway paved because of winter weather, the security deposit must be posted before the use and occupancy permit issues.

In July 2026 the supervisors adopted Residential Property Inspection Ordinance 370 and set its fees by Resolution 2026-23; the township office can say which properties and transactions it covers.

Pennsylvania building code in Skippack Township

Skippack enforces the Uniform Construction Code through its appointed agency, Keystone Municipal Services, Inc.; L&I’s municipal list records the township as opted in, dated January 7, 2026. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Skippack Township (community 421149) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 2, 2016.

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

Skippack Township permit search and official resources

There is no online permit search. Permit records are requested on the township’s Record Request Form, sent to the agency open records officer by email, mail, fax or in person; a requester has 15 business days to appeal a denial. Copies are $0.25 a black-and-white page. Board agendas and minutes, including each January’s appointments, are on the Meetings page.

• Building Codes and Permits
• 2026 Fee Schedule (PDF)
• Building, zoning and grading permit application (PDF)
• Shed, patio, deck and gazebo permit (PDF)
• Zoning permit for sheds (PDF)
• Roofing permit requirements (PDF)
• Permit expiration (PDF)
• Swimming pool guidelines (PDF)
• Electrical underwriters list, June 2026 (PDF)
• Contractor registration form 2026 (PDF)
• Earth disturbance permit application (PDF)
• Use and occupancy permit application (PDF)
• Record request form (PDF)
• Sewer and water
• Reorganization minutes, January 5, 2026 (PDF)
• Supervisors’ minutes, September 9, 2026 (PDF)
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Skippack Township building permit FAQs

Who inspects construction in Skippack Township?

Keystone Municipal Services, Inc., which the supervisors appointed for 2026 to provide building inspection services and serve as zoning officer.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$400 plus $0.20 per gross square foot, with below-grade or unfinished space at $0.15 a square foot, plus the $4.50 state fee.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes. A zoning permit costs $50 under 200 square feet and $100 above; the shed must be in the rear yard, 10 feet behind the house.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. Re-roofing is $100 for shingles only and $250 if sheathing is replaced; more than 25% sheathing replacement needs a formal building permit review.

What does it cost to connect to public sewer?

A $2,448 township tapping fee, a $2,965 fee paid to the Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority and a $200 lateral connection permit.

How do I pay?

By cash or check payable to Skippack Township, with the application.

How long is a permit valid?

Work must start within 180 days, and no more than 180 days may pass between inspections; written extensions are possible.

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