South Union Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

South Union Township handles its own zoning and land development: file a zoning certificate with the township office at 151 Township Drive, Uniontown (724-438-5480), by email or by mail. The township has enforced the Uniform Construction Code locally since its June 2, 2004 opt-in, and L&I lists the building code official at 724-439-3440. Selling a property? Ordinance 1-21 requires a stormwater inspection by an approved plumber before the transfer, and the township will not release lien information until it passes.

What requires a permit in South Union Township?

South Union is one of the 11 Fayette County municipalities that administer their own zoning and planning, so the zoning certificate comes from the township, not from the county office in Uniontown. Building, alteration and other work the Uniform Construction Code covers also needs a UCC permit, which the township has enforced locally since 2004.

The township’s zoning districts include R-1 Medium Density Residential and B-1 General Business, as the November 2026 rezoning agenda shows; the district decides what may be built and which setbacks apply. Outdoor burning, including brush from clearing a lot, is allowed only on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and never within 25 feet of a building or a property line.

What South Union decides and what the state holds

South Union opted in to enforce the UCC on June 2, 2004 and kept no older local building-code amendments, according to L&I’s municipal list. The township’s ordinance list, posted by year, shows the local rules a builder meets. Ordinance 2-04 was adopted to conform to the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and L&I’s regulations under it, and the township’s building permit ordinance, last amended by Ordinance 2-20, requires a building permit to construct, reconstruct, enlarge, alter or relocate any building or structure. Ordinance 2-17 sets minimum standards for construction and development in flood-prone areas and requires a permit there. Other land-use rules are the Manufactured Home and Manufactured Home Park Ordinance of 2018, the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Ordinance 5-2021), wireless facility standards (Ordinance 6-2021) and solar rules added to the zoning ordinance by Ordinance 7-2021 and amended by Ordinance 02-2025 to cover primary and accessory solar and battery energy storage systems. Sewer ordinances cover connections, tapping fees, the stormwater inspection at transfer and grease trap maintenance. The three-member Board of Supervisors, under the Second Class Township Code, adopts those ordinances.

South Union Township building department: who handles permitting

Zoning certificates and Zoning Hearing Board applications are handled at the township office; the township’s contact form has a Zoning Office contact, and the Code Enforcement Officer enforces the zoning and property rules (appeals of the officer’s decisions go to the Zoning Hearing Board). For the UCC building permit itself, L&I’s municipal list gives the township’s building code official at 724-439-3440; call that number for the application, plan requirements and fee.

South Union Township permit types

The township posts its land-use forms as fillable PDFs: the Zoning Certificate Application with instructions and a plot sample, the Zoning Hearing Board application with variance and special exception checklists, the rezoning application and the Planning Commission application, along with the subdivision and land development ordinance. Paper copies of the hearing applications are also available at the township office.

Residential permits

A homeowner building a house, garage, addition or similar structure starts with the zoning certificate, drawn on a plot plan of the lot in the style of the township’s sample, then takes the project through the UCC permit with the building code official. If the plan needs relief from the zoning rules, the Zoning Hearing Board decides it after an application, the $450 fee and a public hearing. A new home in a new lot first needs the subdivision approved by the Planning Commission.

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

Commercial permits

New commercial development goes through land development review: plans must reach the township at least two weeks before the Planning Commission meeting, which is held on Mondays at 4 p.m. (the November 2, 2026 agenda carried four subdivision and land development plans). A business that needs a different district asks the Board of Supervisors to rezone, at a $400 petition fee and a public hearing. Properties with grease traps must keep them cleaned under Ordinance 1-22 and report each cleaning on the township’s online form, and businesses file the mandatory annual recycling report.

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

• Zoning certificate. Required first; email the fillable form or mail it to 151 Township Drive.
• Zoning Hearing Board. Five members, meeting on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. unless another date is advertised in the Herald-Standard; the hearing is scheduled once the application and fee are in.
• Planning Commission. Approves subdivisions and land development; submit plans at least two weeks before the meeting.
• Sewer. The township’s Sewage Department runs the public sanitary sewer. Ordinance 04-2023 requires every occupied building on premises accessible to a public sewer to connect to it, bars new privy vaults, cesspools and septic tanks on those premises, and provides for connection permits, inspection of the connection and tap charges; Ordinance 2-2022 sets the rules for tapping fees. Stormwater must not enter the sanitary system, which is what the transfer inspection checks.
• State road access. Driveways onto state highways need a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

South Union Township permit costs and fees

The township publishes its hearing fees on the Zoning Hearing Board page. The UCC building permit fee is set at application by the building code official; ask the township office for the zoning certificate fee when you file.

The stormwater inspection itself is booked and paid privately with one of the approved plumbing firms the township lists, so its cost depends on the firm. Sewer service is billed by the township’s Sewage Department, which accepts payment in person, by mail, by direct debit, online or by phone; card and e-check payments carry a processing charge.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is part of the UCC permit that the township enforces through its building code official; ask the official at 724-439-3440 which trade forms and inspections a project needs. Plumbers have a separate township role at a property sale: the stormwater inspection under Ordinance 1-21 must be done by one of the certified plumbing or drain firms on the township’s list, which files the township’s online certification form stating whether any stormwater is directly connected to the sanitary sewer.

The township’s pages set no local license for electricians, plumbers or general contractors beyond that approved-plumber list for transfer inspections. Home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General under HICPA.

How to apply for a South Union Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

State rules give the building code official 15 business days to decide a complete residential application and 30 for commercial work, unless extended in writing. Local steps add time: hearing dates follow the Zoning Hearing Board’s monthly schedule and legal notice, and land development plans must be in two weeks before a Planning Commission meeting.

Inspections in South Union Township

UCC inspections are carried out by the township’s building code official; book them through 724-439-3440. Zoning compliance and property maintenance are checked by the township’s Code Enforcement Officer (724-438-5644).

Stormwater inspection before a property transfer

Ordinance 1-21, which by its title covers occupied buildings connected to the township’s public sanitary sewer, requires a stormwater inspection before the property is sold or transferred, and the township will not release lien information to a buyer or closing agent until the inspection is complete and compliant. The owner hires one of the approved firms on the township’s list; the plumber checks that no stormwater is connected to the township’s sanitary sewer and certifies the result on the township’s online form. A non-compliant property has 60 days to make the repairs. After that the owner receives a summary citation and, if convicted, a $50 fine, with a new citation for each further day, and non-compliant properties must provide CCTV documentation of the lines. Owners of empty properties file an affidavit of vacancy with the Sewage Department.

Pennsylvania building code in South Union Township

South Union enforces the Uniform Construction Code locally under its June 2, 2004 opt-in. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists South Union Township (community 421637) 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

South Union Township permit search and official resources

There is no online permit search. Permit, zoning and hearing records are township records: send a Right-to-Know request on the state Office of Open Records form to the township’s Open Records Officer, by mail or in person at 151 Township Drive (724-438-5480). Board of Supervisors meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m., and agendas are posted on the township’s news page; the November 4, 2026 agenda included a public hearing on rezoning one parcel from R-1 to B-1 and adoption of the 2027 budget.

• South Union Township zoning certificate forms
• Zoning Hearing Board: fees and schedule
• Planning Commission and SALDO
• Stormwater inspection before property transfer
• Stormwater inspection form for approved plumbers
• Grease trap maintenance report
• Sewage Department
• Township ordinances by year
• Right-to-Know Law information
• Contact the township
• Fayette County zoning: municipalities with their own zoning
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

South Union Township building permit FAQs

Does Fayette County handle zoning in South Union Township?

No. South Union is one of 11 Fayette County municipalities that administer their own zoning and planning. File the zoning certificate with the township at 151 Township Drive.

Who issues the building permit?

The township enforces the Uniform Construction Code locally; L&I’s list gives its building code official at 724-439-3440.

Can I email a zoning application?

Yes. The township’s zoning forms are fillable PDFs that can be emailed from the Zoning page or printed and mailed to the township office.

How much does a zoning hearing cost?

$450 for a special exception, variance or appeal before the Zoning Hearing Board, and $400 for a rezoning petition to the Supervisors.

Do I need an inspection to sell my house?

Yes. Ordinance 1-21 requires a stormwater inspection by an approved plumber before a home on the public sewer is transferred, and lien information is held until it passes.

What happens if the stormwater inspection fails?

The owner has 60 days to fix the connection. After that, summary citations carry a $50 fine for each day, and CCTV documentation is required.

When are the township offices open?

Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for both the Supervisors’ office and the Sewage Office.

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