Delaware County building department

Delaware County government does not issue building permits. Construction permits, inspections, and certificates of occupancy in “Delco” come from whichever of the county’s 49 municipalities (27 boroughs, 21 townships, and the City of Chester) contains the property. What the county does run is the advisory Act 247 review of subdivisions and land developments through the Delaware County Planning Department in Media, plus on-lot septic and well permits through the Delaware County Health Department. This page covers how those county steps fit around the municipal permit.

Finding the right municipal code office

The county’s municipal directory lists each borough, township, and city with its office address, phone number, and website. For example, Upper Darby Township is at 100 Garrett Road, Room 206 (610-352-4100), Haverford Township is at 1014 Darby Road, Havertown (610-446-1000), and the City of Chester is at 1 Fourth Street (610-447-7700). A Media or Springfield mailing address does not necessarily mean the property is in Media Borough or Springfield Township, so confirm the municipality on the county’s parcel lookup before you apply. Our guide on whether the city or county issues your permit explains this split.

Pennsylvania lets each municipality decide whether to enforce the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) itself. Municipalities that “opt in” hire certified code officials or a third-party agency. In municipalities that “opt out,” owners hire a certified third-party agency for residential work, and the state Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) handles commercial work. When L&I is the permit authority, its UCC application asks you to name both the municipality and the county, because without that it cannot confirm it has jurisdiction.

Statewide UCC rules that apply in every Delco municipality

All 49 municipalities follow the state UCC regulations (34 Pa. Code Chapter 403). A municipal ordinance can be stricter. For one- and two-family dwellings, section 403.62(c) says no UCC permit is needed for:

Work	State UCC exemption
Fences	No more than 6 feet high
Uncovered decks	Floor no more than 30 inches above grade
Retaining walls	Not over 4 feet, unless supporting a surcharge
Prefabricated pools	Less than 24 inches deep
Sidewalks and driveways	30 inches or less above grade, not over a basement
Carports, detached garages, greenhouses, sheds	Under 1,000 sq ft and accessory to a detached single-family home (403.1(b))

Under section 403.63, a code official must grant or deny a residential permit application within 15 business days, or within 5 business days when a licensed design professional certifies that the plans comply. Otherwise the application is deemed approved. Commercial applications get 30 business days under section 403.43. Many Delco boroughs and townships also require zoning permits for fences, sheds, and decks that are exempt from the UCC, so check the municipal zoning ordinance as well.

County Act 247 subdivision and land development review

The Municipalities Planning Code requires every subdivision and land-development plan in the county to go to the Delaware County Planning Commission before the municipality acts on it. The county’s review is advisory only, and the borough council or township board makes the final decision. The commission has nine members appointed by County Council. It meets on the third Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. in the first-floor Council Meeting Room of the Government Center in Media, and the county publishes an annual Act 247 review application schedule with submission deadlines for each meeting.

How to submit

• Use the Application for Act 247 Review with original signatures from the applicant and/or the designated municipal official.
• Submit online through the county’s DocuWare form (online filings need a signed Municipal Confirmation Form), by mail as a PDF, or in person. Paper submissions need three plan sets.
• Under the county fee schedule, the fee check or money order is payable to the Treasurer of Delaware County. It is normally submitted through the municipality and kept separate from the municipal fee. The review period starts once the department has every required item and the fee.

County review fees (Ordinance 02-04)

Application type	General fee	Additional fee
Residential subdivision or land development	$150 per plan	$10 per lot or unit
Nonresidential subdivision	$200 per plan	$50 per lot
Nonresidential land development	$200 per plan	$25 per 1,000 sq ft of gross floor area

Fees are waived only for applications filed by federal or Commonwealth government units, including school districts and authorities. Nonprofits do not qualify. A refined plan submitted within 180 days of the commission’s review is not charged again unless it has been substantially changed.

County SALDO

The county’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, adopted August 3, 2016, replaced the 1981 version. It governs the 21 municipalities that have no SALDO of their own. Approved plans must be signed by the municipality before they are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds. Recorded sheets must be at least 18 by 30 inches and no larger than 36 by 46 inches.

Septic systems and wells

The Delaware County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division issues permits for new, repaired, or modified on-lot sewage systems and for private water wells, geothermal wells, and monitoring wells. It also licenses well drillers, pump installers, and liquid waste haulers. A septic application requires at least one acceptable percolation test and two acceptable soil test pits. Contact: Rosetree 1, 1400 N. Providence Road, Suite 212, Media; (484) 276-2100; [email protected]; Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Planning Department contact

Delaware County Planning Department, 2 W. Baltimore Avenue, Suite 202, Media, PA 19063. Phone (610) 891-5200, email [email protected]. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The department also publishes interactive maps of proposed subdivisions and land developments and of countywide zoning.