Westtown Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

Westtown Township issues building, trade, zoning and stormwater permits through its Building, Zoning and Code Enforcement Department at 1039 Wilmington Pike, West Chester (610-692-1930), headed by Mila Carter, Director of Planning and Zoning and Township Manager. Applications may be emailed, mailed to P.O. Box 79 or dropped off, and applications and occupancy permits are reviewed and inspected by the township or its third-party agency, Code Inspections, Inc. Resolution 2026-01 prices new homes and additions at $350 plus 40 cents a square foot, payable when the permit is issued, and home sales go through a $100 resale use and occupancy inspection.

What requires a building permit in Westtown Township?

Westtown requires permits for most residential and all commercial additions and alterations, and for electrical, HVAC, plumbing, decks, pools, sheds and fences. Its “Do I Need A Permit For That?” flyer spells out the common cases.

Accessory structures over 250 square feet, 12 feet tall or more, or with utilities need a building permit, as do walls over 4 feet. A driveway that changes the width of its apron may also need a road permit.

What Westtown decides and what the state holds

Westtown opted in to enforce the UCC on July 6, 2004, and L&I’s list records local amendments. The Board of Supervisors consolidated all township fees in one resolution (Resolution 2026-01, adopted January 5, 2026) and keeps local rules the UCC leaves alone: the zoning ordinance (Chapter 170), stormwater and grading rules, the 2009 International Property Maintenance Code, plumber licensing under Ordinances 91-10 and 96-8, rental inspections and the on-lot sewage management program. UCC appeals go to the West Chester Area Council of Governments Joint Appeals Board.

Westtown Township building department: who handles permitting

The township issues the permits; the Township or its third-party inspection agency, Code Inspections, Inc., reviews and inspects all residential and commercial building permit applications and occupancy permits. The Zoning Officer handles zoning, grading permits and home occupations, and installation inspections of required stormwater facilities go to the township’s stormwater engineer, Cedarville Engineering.

Westtown permit types

Structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work all go on the general Building Permit Application, with separate residential and commercial versions. Other forms cover sheds and fences, signs, solar panels, demolition, stormwater and grading, road occupancy, contractor registration, plumber licenses and resale use and occupancy. The current forms took effect in September 2022, and applications on older forms are refused. Dumpsters, portable storage containers and storage trailers need a $50 zoning permit, and a building permit too if they have utilities; signs cost $50 each on a residential lot or $100 elsewhere, plus building permit fees; a minor home occupation review is $100.

Residential permits

• Required with every application: the completed building and, where needed, stormwater and grading forms; a license and certificate of insurance for every contractor and subcontractor; and two copies of the plans.
• Sealed plans: projects of two stories or more must be signed and sealed by a registered engineer or architect.
• Stormwater: any project adding new impervious cover also files the Stormwater, Erosion Control and Grading application.
• Completeness: incomplete applications are not reviewed until every item arrives.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial applications must be signed and sealed by a registered engineer or architect, and a non-residential permit fee responsibility form goes with the application. Commercial fees follow Attachment B of the resolution, with accessibility and fire plan review each at $150 plus 10 cents a square foot. A new tenant needs a $50 zoning review, a change in use $100, and a sale of a non-residential building a resale inspection starting at $200.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning review. Every residential or non-residential addition, alteration or deck carries a $100 zoning review; fences are $100, and floodplain review ($100) and steep slope review ($75) add the Township Engineer’s costs.
• Zoning Hearing Board. The board meets as needed when applications arrive; variances, special exceptions and appeals of the Zoning Officer cost $1,000 each. Conditional uses cost $2,500 plus a $10,000 escrow.
• Stormwater and grading. New impervious cover under 1,000 square feet (cumulative) costs $40; 1,000 to under 2,000 square feet, or any Simplified Approach review, $160 plus a $3,000 escrow; 2,000 square feet or more $160 plus a $5,000 escrow.
• Sewer. About half the township is on public sewer through the West Goshen Sewer Authority plant or the Westtown Chester Creek plant, and the township has no plans to extend the system. A tap-in is possible only where a gravity main exists; tapping fees are $3,164 to the West Goshen plant or $2,929.76 to Westtown Chester Creek, and the sewer page calls for a $2,500 engineering escrow with every connection application.
• Septic and wells. The rest of the township uses on-lot systems, permitted by the Chester County Health Department and tracked through Westtown’s on-lot sewage management program.
• Roads. Work in a township road needs Westtown’s highway occupancy permit, priced on its fee calculation sheet.

Westtown permit costs and fees

The Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 2026-01 on January 5, 2026, consolidating all township fees; Attachment A sets residential building fees and Attachment B non-residential ones. The resolution also lists the $4.50 state fee and a township certificate of occupancy fee ($15 residential, $60 non-residential) under building permit fees. Fees are paid when the permit is issued; card payments add 2.65%, at least $3.

Worked example: a 300-square-foot uncovered deck is $130 plus 300 × $0.30, or $220, plus the $100 zoning review and $4.50. For new construction and alterations, Attachment A then divides the calculated total into building (65%), plumbing (23%), mechanical (12%) and energy (10%) permit fees; as printed those shares add up to 110%, so ask the department how a whole-house job is billed before budgeting.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Westtown licenses plumbers. Its building page says all plumbers must be registered with the township, and the township’s plumbing license application, made under Ordinances 91-10 and 96-8, covers master and journeyman plumbers carrying on the business of plumbing in Westtown. Every master plumber application, company or individual, must include a current registration in the individual’s name from a first or second class township or a third class city; the form lists fees of $75 for a company registration, $35 for an individual master plumber and $25 for the yearly renewal. Other contractors supply a license and insurance certificate with every application. The building page says contractors with a valid Pennsylvania license need not register separately, while Resolution 2026-01 sets a $50 annual registration per company for new homes and all non-residential projects, not required of home improvement contractors registered with the Attorney General.

• Electrical: priced by inspection and fixture count, services, panels, generators ($45 up to 10 kW, $150 to 50 kW) and solar panels.
• Plumbing: $60 per fixture altered; sewer and water laterals $130.
• Mechanical: $125 per replaced HVAC unit.

How to apply for a Westtown building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township asks applicants to allow 15 business days for review, and incomplete applications wait until every required item has been received. Older forms are rejected outright. The building page still says new buildings and major renovations are reviewed under the 2018 I-codes; the state note below gives the current UCC basis.

Inspections in Westtown Township

Call the Township Building Inspector directly at 610-476-6156 for building permit inspections; grading permit inspections go to the Zoning Officer at 610-692-1930. Installation of a stormwater facility required by the ordinance must be booked with the township’s stormwater engineer at least five business days ahead. Failed residential inspections cost $75 each to repeat, and each permitted stormwater facility carries a $250 operation and maintenance inspection fee.

Resale use and occupancy

Sellers apply for a resale use and occupancy certificate on the township’s January 2025 form. The $100 fee must be paid before the inspection can be booked, and both inspection and any re-inspection must be scheduled at least two weeks before settlement with the Building Inspector. A certificate will not issue while permits are open, and work done without permits may have to be permitted retroactively by the seller. A certificate is valid for 60 days; re-inspections and missed inspections cost $82.50, a conditional certificate $150, and a conditional extension of up to 90 days another $150. Rentals are inspected under the township’s rental program at $60 per unit for one- and two-unit properties.

Pennsylvania building code in Westtown Township

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Westtown Township (community 420294) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 29, 2017; Westtown charges a $100 floodplain zoning review plus engineering costs.

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

Westtown permit search and official resources

Westtown posts a monthly report of permits issued on its Building, Zoning and Codes page, with 2026 reports from May through October. For copies of permit files, email the township’s Right-to-Know request form to its Appointed Open Records Officer; copies cost 25 cents a page. Appeals of a records decision go to the state Office of Open Records. The Chester County permit guide covers county health, planning and conservation district offices.

• Westtown Building, Zoning and Code Enforcement
• Permits, applications and forms
• Resolution 2026-01 fee schedule
• Residential building permit fees 2026
• Nonresidential building permit fees 2026
• Do I need a permit for that?
• Residential building permit application
• Stormwater, erosion control and grading permit
• Plumber’s license application
• Residential resale U&O application
• Sewer information and tap-in rules
• Monthly permit report, October 2026
• Right-to-Know request form
• Chester County Health Department sewage and wells
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Westtown building permit FAQs

Can I email my Westtown permit application?

Yes. Completed applications can be emailed to the township, mailed to P.O. Box 79, Westtown, PA 19395, or dropped off at 1039 Wilmington Pike.

When do I pay for the permit?

When the permit is issued, not when you apply. Card payments carry a 2.65% charge with a $3 minimum.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Fences over 40 feet long and all pool fences need a permit ($100 zoning review). A shed of 250 square feet or less needs a zoning permit; a larger one, or one with utilities, needs a building permit.

Do I need a permit for a new roof?

Yes if the work affects 25% or more of the roof; residential re-roofing is $125 per building.

Is a resale inspection required in Westtown?

Yes. Pay the $100 fee and schedule the inspection at least two weeks before settlement; the certificate is valid for 60 days.

Do plumbers need a Westtown license?

Yes. All plumbers must be registered with the township, using the plumbing license application under Ordinances 91-10 and 96-8.

Can I connect to public sewer?

Only where a gravity sewer main already exists. Tapping fees are $3,164 for the West Goshen plant area or $2,929.76 for the Westtown Chester Creek plant area.

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