Delaware County, PA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Maximum building height in Delaware County is a municipal zoning matter, not a county one. The PA Municipalities Planning Code authorizes it at Section 603(b)(2): zoning ordinances may regulate the "Size, height, bulk, location, erection, construction... and use of structures." Each borough and township then sets height limits per zoning district, usually in feet, sometimes in stories. As a representative example, Upper Darby Township's R-2 Residence District caps the maximum building height at 35 feet; the township separately provides that no accessory building shall exceed 15 feet in height. Height is generally measured from average grade to the mean or peak roofline as defined in each ordinance, and rooftop mechanical, chimneys and antennas often have their own exceptions.