Bristol Township, PA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 205-171 of the Bristol Township zoning chapter sets the trigger. No use listed in § 205-15 or 205-16 can be established or changed, no structure can be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, added to, razed or removed, and no building can be used, occupied or changed in use, until all necessary permits have been secured from the Zoning Officer. When the work is done, the applicant must notify the Zoning Officer, and no permit is complete or permanently effective until the Zoning Officer notes that the work or occupancy has been inspected and approved as conforming to the chapter. Only one single principal use per building is allowed. Signs greater than two square feet need a building permit under § 205-169, and every accessory home occupation needs one under § 205-16.

Applications under § 205-172 are made in writing by the owner, tenant, vendee under contract of sale or authorized agent, on a Township form filed with the Zoning Officer. The Zoning Officer can require a statement of proposed use, a scaled site layout showing buildings and property lines, open spaces and buffer yards, tree protection, parking and loading, sidewalks, sewage and water provisions, and an erosion and sedimentation plan. New on-site sewage disposal needs Bucks County Department of Health approval before a permit issues, and all buildings must comply with the Township Building Codes. The permit fee follows the schedule adopted by resolution of Council under § 205-175.

Under § 205-173, work must commence within six months of issuance or the permit is null and void, though construction can be extended annually without additional fees for an aggregate of not more than three years if it commenced in the first one-year period. Under § 205-174, a certificate of occupancy is required before a new or changed building is used. It carries no fee and becomes void 90 days from issuance unless occupancy begins. Chapter 84 adds that the Township elects to administer and enforce the Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, adopts the Construction Code by reference as the Township Construction Code, and sets fees through Township Council. Under § 84-3, enforcement can run through a Township employee, third-party agencies or an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for structures other than one-family or two-family dwelling units.