Somerset Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Somerset Township, Somerset County, a permit is required for any construction, and building permits are issued by the township’s code agency, PA Municipal Code Alliance (PMCA), through its Somerset office (814-444-6112) or its online application system. The township office at 2209 North Center Avenue (814-445-4675) issues the permits that stay local: on-lot sewage permits, public sewer connections, township road occupancy and stormwater approvals under the ordinance adopted April 9, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Somerset Township?

The township’s permit page is short and direct: any construction in Somerset Township needs a permit, and the permit comes from PMCA. The township then lists its own permits that may be needed for the same project.

PMCA’s packets spell out when some common house jobs need a building permit. A deck needs one when it is attached to an existing building or is more than 30 inches high at any point around its edge, measured from the ground to the top of the finished floor. A residential re-roof needs a building permit when there is structural repair; the re-roof packet then asks for framing plans and a narrative of the existing and proposed materials. The minimal commercial re-roof packet may be used only where there are minimal structural repairs, no roof line changes and no change in material. Both packets, like the others, ask for the land use permit signed by the municipality, a site plan and proof of workers’ compensation coverage.

A stormwater exemption only removes the plan requirement; it does not relieve an owner of other permits, of protections for high quality and exceptional value streams, or of controls where the township knows of a drainage problem downstream.

What the township decides and what the state holds

Somerset Township opted in to enforce the Uniform Construction Code on May 8, 2004, with no local amendments, so the state code applies here as written; the township names PMCA as the agency that issues its building permits. The three supervisors control what remains local: the 2026 stormwater ordinance, sewage permits through the township’s sewage enforcement officer, the abolition of the 10-acre exemption, the holding tank ordinance, township road occupancy, and ordinances on outdoor furnaces, property maintenance and solar decommissioning. Zoning is not township-wide: certain areas are regulated by the Somerset County Zoning Commission.

Somerset Township building department: who handles permitting

PMCA is a code agency with offices in Chambersburg, Gettysburg, Bedford, Somerset and McConnellsburg; since July 2023 it has been partnered with SAFEbuilt. The township page lists PMCA’s Somerset office at 318 Georgian Place, while PMCA’s own locations page gives 510 Georgian Place; both list the same phone and email. L&I’s municipal list gives PMCA’s Chambersburg number as the township’s UCC contact.

The township lists the EADS Group as its sewage officer and engineer; its January 5, 2026 reorganization agenda included the appointments of a sewage enforcement officer, an alternate, building inspectors and an engineer.

Somerset Township permit types

PMCA takes applications online through its Community Core system: register with an email address, choose Somerset Township from the list of PMCA municipalities, then pick the permit type. Paper packets are also posted on PMCA’s site, but the agency encourages online filing.

Residential permits

PMCA posts packets for a single-family dwelling, additions, renovations and accessory structures, decks, porch roofs, residential re-roofing, solar, swimming pools, pole buildings, demolition and new or relocated manufactured homes. Its new-house checklist asks for the two-page application in two copies, a land use permit signed by the municipality, a site plan with distances to every lot line, two sets of building plans no smaller than 11 by 17 inches, the state residential energy worksheet, a deck plan if a deck is attached or over 30 inches high, the contractor’s workers’ compensation certificate or the owner’s waiver, and driving directions. PMCA notes that its land use form is generic, so ask the township office what it signs for your lot. Residential electrical service inspections are registered under PMCA’s separate “Electrical Service Inspections” listing, choosing the county from a menu.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses PMCA’s commercial packet, with separate packets for accessible ramps, tents and canopies, day care occupancies and certificates of occupancy. An annual permit covers routine repair and maintenance of existing plumbing, electrical, mechanical and gas systems; replacements and alterations need a full commercial application. PMCA also posts a floodplain development application.

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

• Sewage. Ordinance 16-02, enacted March 10, 2016, ended the state’s 10-acre exemption in the township: every landowner must obtain a sewage disposal permit from the township, through its sewage enforcement officer, before building or installing any improvement. Holding tanks fall under Ordinance 90-A-1.
• Public sewer and water. Connections need a permit; the Somerset Township Municipal Authority runs the Wells Creek, Lavansville and SCI-Somerset sewer systems and the Oakridge, Friedens, Listie and Reading Mines/Stoystown water systems.
• Stormwater. Development with 500 to 10,000 square feet of regulated impervious area follows the simplified method in Section 3.4(B)(2) and Appendix D of Ordinance 2026-0409; larger projects follow the ordinance’s full plan requirements.
• Road occupancy. Township roads need the township’s highway occupancy permit; state highways need a PennDOT permit.
• Zoning and subdivision. County zoning applies only in the areas the county regulates, and minor subdivisions are defined by the Somerset County subdivision and land development ordinance.

Somerset Township permit costs and fees

The township does not post a building permit fee schedule. PMCA assesses its administrative and inspection charges when it approves the application, and its checklist requires every charge to be paid before the building permit is released, with more fees possible for failed or missed inspections. For its own permits, the township furnishes the road occupancy fee schedule on request, and stormwater fees are set by resolution.

No worked example is possible because neither the township nor PMCA posts the township’s building fee figures. Ask PMCA’s Somerset office for the charge on a specific project before filing, and the township office for the road, sewage and stormwater fees.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is reviewed and inspected by PMCA as part of the UCC permit. A new electrical service has its own inspection request: the form asks for the electric company, the utility work-order number, the service size (100, 200 or 400 amps), whether the entrance is overhead or underground, and whether the building is residential or commercial.

• Who may apply. PMCA lets both contractors and community members register in Community Core, so an owner can file for his or her own house.
• Insurance. A contractor must give the certificate of workers’ compensation insurance; an owner doing the work submits PMCA’s workers’ compensation waiver.
• On-lot sewage. On-lot systems are permitted and inspected through the township’s sewage enforcement officer.

The township’s pages list no local license for contractors, electricians or plumbers; home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General under HICPA.

How to apply for a Somerset Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under the state UCC rules, PMCA has 15 business days to decide a residential application and 30 for a commercial one unless the applicant agrees to more time. The township’s stormwater ordinance gives the township 30 calendar days to respond in writing to a stormwater plan. Delays usually come from the local layers: a missing sewage permit, a land use form the township has not signed, or a stormwater plan still under the engineer’s review. If a permit is about to expire, PMCA posts a permit extension request form.

Inspections in Somerset Township

PMCA inspects the UCC work. Requests go through its online form with the permit number, the address, the date wanted and a contact; requests received before 3:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day where possible, and later ones two business days out. The form also asks when the work will be ready, the pour time for concrete and any gate or lock-box code.

For stormwater, the township must be told one week before work covered by the stormwater ordinance begins so that it can arrange inspections, and within 30 days after the stormwater facilities are finished, with an as-built file of the constructed facilities. On-lot sewage systems are inspected through the township’s sewage enforcement officer. PMCA’s certificate of occupancy packet closes out a finished project; the township’s pages show no inspection at the resale of an existing home.

Pennsylvania building code in Somerset Township

Somerset Township enforces the Uniform Construction Code through PMCA under its May 8, 2004 opt-in, with no local amendments. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Somerset Township, Somerset County (community 422055) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 19, 2012.

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

Somerset Township permit search and official resources

There is no public permit search. Building permit and inspection records sit with PMCA’s Somerset office; sewage, road occupancy and stormwater records sit with the township. Formal requests for township records use the standard right-to-know request form posted on the township site, which can be submitted by email, mail, fax or in person. Supervisors’ agendas are posted for each monthly meeting, held the second Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

• Somerset Township permit requirements
• Stormwater Management Ordinance 2026-0409
• Ordinance 16-02: sewage permits, 10-acre exemption
• Township highway occupancy permit application
• Supervisors’ meetings and agendas
• Township officials and sewage officer
• Right-to-know request form
• Somerset Township Municipal Authority
• PMCA online permits and application packets
• PMCA office locations
• PMCA inspection requests
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Somerset Township building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Somerset Township?

PA Municipal Code Alliance, the township’s code agency, through its Somerset office (814-444-6112) or its online system. The township itself issues sewage, road and stormwater approvals.

Do I need a septic permit on 10 acres or more?

Yes. Ordinance 16-02 of March 10, 2016 ended the 10-acre exemption, so an on-lot sewage system on a tract of any size needs a township sewage disposal permit before construction.

Does Somerset Township have zoning?

Not throughout the township. Certain areas are regulated by the Somerset County Zoning Commission; call it at 814-445-1544 for a zoning question.

When is a stormwater plan required?

When land development involves 500 square feet or more of regulated impervious area, new or redeveloped; projects of 500 to 10,000 square feet use the ordinance’s simplified method.

How much is a building permit in Somerset Township?

PMCA sets the administrative and inspection charges for each project and collects them before the permit is released; the township posts no building fee schedule.

Do I need a permit for a deck or a new roof?

A deck needs a PMCA building permit if it is attached to the house or more than 30 inches above the ground at any point. A house re-roof needs one when the job includes structural repair.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Use PMCA’s online inspection request. Requests in before 3 p.m. are aimed at the next business day; later requests go two business days out.

Do I need a permit to run a utility line in a township road?

Yes. Work in a township road right-of-way needs the township’s highway occupancy permit, filed in duplicate with a sketch.

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