Bristol, PA Property Maintenance: Garage Sale Rules (2026)

Property maintenance standards for garage sales in Bucks County derive from each municipality's adopted property maintenance code, most commonly the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) 2018 or 2021 edition adopted under the PA Uniform Construction Code framework. Key IPMC provisions applied to garage sales: §302.1 (premises in clean, safe, sanitary condition); §302.4 (weeds/plant growth — tables and merchandise cannot block regular landscape maintenance); §302.8 (no accumulation of materials creating blighted conditions); §304.1 (exterior of structures in good repair). Applied to garage sales: merchandise must be displayed in an organized fashion (on tables, racks, or organized ground layouts), not scattered randomly across the yard; at the end of each sale day, all merchandise, tables, clothing racks, and display items must be stored indoors, in garages, under tarps away from street view, or otherwise screened from public view; unsold items cannot remain at the curb or prominently in the front yard between multi-day sale periods; at the end of the sale, the property must be returned to normal residential appearance with no visible clutter. Signs directing to the sale must be removed within 24 hours of the sale ending from utility poles, traffic signs, public rights-of-way, and other unauthorized locations (utility pole signs violate PA Code and federal highway beautification laws). Patterns of leaving items out between sales or failing to clean up promptly can trigger broader property blight investigations and potentially escalate to home business zoning review if the pattern suggests ongoing commercial activity. HOAs in planned communities commonly add stricter appearance standards enforceable through HOA covenants.