North Penn township project guides
Permit requirements, setbacks, and how to apply — for each municipality and project we cover, with official citations. More projects and townships are on the way.
Fences
Hatfield Township fence guide
Hatfield Township requires a Fence/Shed Zoning Permit for all new fences, renovations, alterations, and replacements.
Read the guide →Lansdale Borough fence guide
Lansdale Borough requires a Fence Permit for new fence installations, replacements, repairs, and additions to existing fences.
Read the guide →Montgomery Township fence guide
Montgomery Township requires a permit for new fence installations and for replacements that differ from the original fence or were not previously permitted.
Read the guide →Towamencin Township fence guide
Towamencin Township requires a Zoning Review for all fences (as well as sheds, retaining walls, driveway expansions, patios, and sidewalks). No work may start until the permit is issued.
Read the guide →Upper Gwynedd Township fence guide
Upper Gwynedd Township requires a permit for fences, applied for via the Consolidated Construction Permit Application, with plot plans showing the proposed fence and existing property features including easements.
Read the guide →Decks
Hatfield Township deck guide
Hatfield Township requires a permit for all new decks and deck replacements. Architect/engineer-stamped plans are required unless the Building Department waives them, and inspections are required.
Read the guide →Lansdale Borough deck guide
Lansdale Borough requires a Building Permit before a deck is erected, added to, or structurally altered. Applications must include a scaled plot plan showing the lot and the exact size and location of the deck.
Read the guide →Montgomery Township deck guide
Montgomery Township requires a Building Permit for decks. Low decks can use relaxed setback standards; taller or larger decks must sit within the building envelope for the zoning district.
Read the guide →Towamencin Township deck guide
Towamencin Township requires a Building Permit for decks — and no work may start until the permit is issued. (A patio, by contrast, needs only a Zoning Review; a deck needs the full Building Permit.)
Read the guide →Upper Gwynedd Township deck guide
Upper Gwynedd Township requires a Construction Permit for residential decks, applied for on the Consolidated Construction Permit Application with two sets of drawings and specifications.
Read the guide →Patios
Hatfield Township patio guide
Hatfield Township requires a zoning permit for a new or replacement patio. A flat, at-grade patio does not need a building permit for structure, but it must meet property-line setbacks and the district's impervious-coverage limit.
Read the guide →Lansdale Borough patio guide
Lansdale Borough reviews patios through Code Enforcement and publishes a Patio Submittal Guide. A patio must meet your zoning district's setbacks and impervious-coverage limit; submit a scaled plot plan with the application.
Read the guide →Montgomery Township patio guide
Montgomery Township requires a permit with a site plan for a patio. Setbacks depend on your zoning district, a patio counts toward your lot's impervious-surface ratio (30% for single-family detached lots), and a patio that doesn't meet accessory standards must sit within the building envelope.
Read the guide →Towamencin Township patio guide
Towamencin Township requires a Zoning Review for a patio — the lighter path compared with the Building Permit a deck needs. The review checks setbacks, impervious coverage, and stormwater for the added paved area.
Read the guide →Upper Gwynedd Township patio guide
Upper Gwynedd Township reviews a patio for zoning setbacks and, because a patio adds impervious surface, for grading and stormwater. Earthwork over 500 sq ft or more than 1,000 sq ft of new impervious cover brings in the grading permit and a stormwater plan.
Read the guide →Pools
Hatfield Township pool guide
Hatfield Township requires a permit for all new swimming pools and pool replacements. A pool is an accessory use to a single-family home, must be fenced, and no work may start until the permit is issued.
Read the guide →Lansdale Borough pool guide
Lansdale Borough requires a Building Permit for any swimming pool more than 24 inches deep or greater than 250 square feet in surface area. Every pool must be enclosed by a fence at least four feet high.
Read the guide →Montgomery Township pool guide
Montgomery Township treats any body of water 24 inches or more deep — including spas and hot tubs — as a swimming pool that needs a permit, a barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing/self-latching gates, and a site plan. A pool may not go in the front yard.
Read the guide →Towamencin Township pool guide
Towamencin Township prohibits starting any swimming pool until a permit has been obtained from the Zoning Officer; a building permit is also required for new pool construction. Above-ground pools need a 48-inch barrier around the entire perimeter.
Read the guide →Upper Gwynedd Township pool guide
Upper Gwynedd Township requires a construction/building permit for a swimming pool, applied for on the Consolidated Construction Permit Application. Earthwork over 500 sq ft, or more than 1,000 sq ft of new impervious cover, also brings in the Township's grading and stormwater rules.
Read the guide →