Frequently Asked Questions

Examples of the type of work require a permit are as follows: Please note these are the most common and not a full list. If you are unsure if the work you are doing requires a permit, please contact the Codes Department.

• Additions/Alterations/Repairs 
• Building demolition - commercial and residential
• Decks   **(include zoning and drainage fee)
• Fences
• Finished basements
• Hardscape (patio, walkway, steps)
• Heater/Air Conditioner/Generator - install or replacements
• Kitchen and bath renovations
• New buildings
• New electrical or plumbing services
• New sewer or water service
• Photovoltaic installations (roof or ground mounted solar panels)
• Pools (Inground/Above Ground)
• Re-roofs
• Sewer line repair or replacement
• Sheds
• Signs
• Solar panels
• Stand-by generators
• Tenant fit-outs
• Underground and above ground tank removal or installation
• Water line repair/replacement
• Wood burning stoves

See the Township fee schedule. Fees for inspections and permits are under the following headings:

• Construction Permits
• Rental Inspection Fees
• Fire/Life Safety Inspections
• Inter-Municipal Transfer of Liquor License

Residential permit applications can take up to 15 days, depending on volume of permits received.

Commercial permit applications can take up to 30 days with possible extension to 60 days, depending on the complexity and the completeness of the submitted application.

Please Note: you may NOT proceed with work until an approved permit has been issued.

24-hour notice is required for all inspection requests. Please email permits@westwhiteland.org to schedule.

Required inspection schedule will be listed on approved permit when issued.

Completed permit application (complete all trade sections that apply such as building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, etc.) 

Identify all contractors and include a certificate of worker’s compensation and liability insurance for each contractor. West Whiteland Township must be listed as a certificate holder on each certificate.

Plot (Site) plan- show all existing structures and impervious coverage on the property. Include lot size in square feet if known. Include dimensions for all existing structures. Show proposed improvements with dimensions and set back measurements to each property line (front, rear and both sides) 

Completed REScheck (Energy audit showing building envelope performance, energy use, loss, etc.) Free software program can be downloaded from the Department of Energy’s website. 

Construction drawings - Submit one electronic set with the application. Drawings must include footer/foundation, floor system, wall system, ceiling/roof system, plumbing, electrical and mechanical details. 

NOTE: Structural drawings for proposed structures more that one story above grade must be sealed by a PA registered architect or engineer. 

West Whiteland Township does not require a use and occupancy permit for buying or selling a single-family dwelling.

West Whiteland Township adopted and enforces the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC) and the codes and standards referenced therein. Currently PA mandates that we use the 2021 International Codes. Handicap Accessibility regulations are taken from the 2021 International Building Code and referenced standards. These codes may have additions, deletions, and changes; please contact the Codes Department or see our Code of Ordinances for a complete list of adopting ordinances containing changes to the stock language of the above code editions. 

In a residential district, customary household pets (cats, dogs, birds, guinea pigs, etc.) are allowable. 

For non customary household pets (including but not limited to chickens and goats), the keeping of animals is limited to properties that qualify for agricultural use. To qualify for agricultural use the following conditions apply:

• Property must be at least five acres
• A property of five acres or more allows for the keeping of two farm animals.
• A property of ten acres or more allows for the keeping of more than 2 farm animals and not more than 4 horses.

A permit is NOT required for repaving of a residential driveway if you are not changing the size or location/access. 

A permit IS required for new driveways or if you are modifying the size or location of an existing driveway and/or making additional cut outs at the street's entrance.  

Remember to check the existing impervious coverage of your lot as you plan the proposed project.

Open Burning 

Open burning is the burning of materials wherein the products of combustion are emitted directly to the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. 

Open burning of any waste material, yard waste, construction or trade waste or other non-approved material or fuel is PROHIBITED. The burning of leaves, sticks, construction debris, trash, etc. is strictly prohibited. 

Township officials are authorized to order the immediate extinguishment of any fire if at any time such fire is deemed a public nuisance or hazard to life and/or property. For more details, please refer to our open burning ordinance. 

Portable Fire Pits

Portable fire pits are those that are professionally manufactured. They are permitted when used at any single-family dwelling in strict compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions. These units can be fueled by solid (wood, coal, etc.), liquid or gaseous fuel. 

The Township has the authority to order the extinguishing of ANY portable fire pit if it is determined that such use presents a hazard to life and/or property.

Site Constructed Fire Pits/Outdoor Fireplaces

Site constructed fire pits and fireplaces are those that are built on site, usually in conjunction with hard scaping or deck projects. These types of units can be fueled by solid, liquid or gaseous fuel. These projects require permits issued by the Township prior to construction. 

Makeshift firepits such as burn barrels, drums, stacked stones, etc, are NOT approved and shall not be used. The Township has the authority to order the extinguishing of ANY site constructed outdoor fireplace or fire pit if it is determined that such use presents a hazard to life and/or property. 

Outdoor Cooking Appliances

Outdoor cooking appliances can be solid, liquid or gaseous fuel burning and must be professionally manufactured and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and specifications. Portable cooking appliances such as grills or smokers do not require permits. 

Stationary cooking appliances such as pizza ovens, outdoor stoves or ovens shall not be installed or constructed until a permit is issued. 

Please refer to the Township zoning map. 

Please email sewerbills@westwhiteland.org with the address for service and the new billing address.

You receive a combined bill for sewer usage and trash/recycling. For residential customers, if you have both sewer and trash/recycling, your bill should be $374. If you just use the sewer, your bill should be $285. If you just have trash/recycling, your bill should be $89. If you think there is an error in your bill, please email sewerbills@westwhiteland.org or call us at 484-875-6025.

No, this is not a tax. It is a service provided. Please pay the bill directly via the methods noted on the bill and noted here in the FAQ.

Make checks payable to West Whiteland Township. Mail to P.O. Box 8379, Lancaster, PA 17604. Detach and include the bottom portion of the bill and include your account number on your check.

Yes. Click Pay Online on our homepage, or click here.  You will need the account and PIN numbers on your bill.  If you lose the bill, you can contact the Township to retrieve your PIN.  You will be able to make a payment with NO FEES via credit card or Automated Clearing House (ACH). You can also view and/or print your bill or current balance at any time.

If you are a non-residential customer and have a consolidated bill for multiple accounts, you cannot pay online via this site. You can set-up recurring ACH or pay in person by credit card.

We would prefer that you pay online so that credit card information is entered securely. We can also take credit cards in person at the Finance window in the Township building. It is helpful if you have your payment coupon but not required.

Yes. For your convenience, there is a drop box in front of our building at 101 Commerce Drive, Exton, PA 19341. Pull up to the circle (between the orange balls) and you will see a grey box that says “DROP BOX. TOWNSHIP PAYMENTS ONLY” with a slit above the text. Please put the payment stub and check with account number in an envelope. A stamp is not required and you don’t even have to park.

Residential and non-residential customers can request a duplicate bill via sewerbills@westwhiteland.org or 484-875-6025.

Because West Whiteland Township did not have any regulatory authority over the repurposing of Mariner East 1 and has not had any regulatory authority over Sunoco’s proposed construction of Mariner East 2. West Whiteland Township does not have enforcement or regulatory authority over the location of underground transmission pipelines, or whether a pipeline is constructed by horizontal directional drilling or open trench construction, or the type of product that will flow through the new pipelines or any of the existing pipelines.  To the extent there are regulations for underground transmission pipeline siting, methods of construction or use, they are enforced by federal and state agencies.  

The Board of Supervisors has supported and advocated for pipeline safety.  The Board funded a report to obtain recommendations for amendments to pipeline safety regulations, which was incorporated into comments by the Chester County Association of Township Officials submitted to the PA PUC.  The Board endorsed those comments in their own letter to the PUC as part of a rulemaking process.  In addition, the Board has intervened in three complaints before the PUC having to do with Sunoco's Mariner East pipelines.

It depends on the incident.  There is no one size fits all response to a pipeline accident, or any other kind of accident or emergency. In some cases, emergency responders will want people to stay in place because they already are safe. In others, they will want people within a certain vicinity of the incident to evacuate. The extent and direction of an evacuation would depend on the nature of the accident, weather conditions at that time and any other factors affecting conditions on the ground.

If there were a major pipeline emergency, many fire, ambulance and police departments would respond. There would be numerous first responders on the scene working to get people to safety. As a result, people near the emergency would find out quickly what they should do.

They already have.  Every year, first responders from the West Whiteland Fire Company, along with other local fire companies, receive training on how to respond to incidents involving natural gas, natural gas liquids and many other types of hazards.  Chester County’s Hazardous Materials Response Team receives even more extensive training on responding to hazmat incidents.  They are trained and prepared to respond to a pipeline emergency and will direct people where to go (or stay) to be safe.

This scenario is all but impossible.  There has not yet been an actual incident (as opposed to an online legend) of a cell phone accidentally igniting anything anywhere.  Apparently the warnings about cell phones as an ignition source are a carryover from decades-old warnings about the potential for sparks from old landline phones. There were a few instances of explosions many years ago that supposedly were triggered by cellphones; stories about cell phones causing those explosions went viral but the fact that the stories were debunked did not.  Take a look at new gas pumps now – they no longer have a warning against using cell phones near them.

Of course, if you smell or hear gas outside that you think may come from a leak, for your own safety walk away before doing anything else, including calling 911. 

The Mariner East 2 pipeline will be at least 4 feet underground.  The portions of the pipeline installed by horizontal directional drilling will be anywhere from 20 to 220 feet underground.  If there is a leak deep underground, you will not see it.  The first likely sign will be a decrease in pressure detected by the pipeline system, which would trigger shut off.  Required inspections also can detect issues that may arise inside the pipe or with the protective coating.

For leaks closer to the surface, here is guidance:    

• Because pipelines transporting NGLs are pressurized to keep the product in a liquid form, you would hear a hissing sound from a leak, like air coming out of a balloon.
• Similarly, if the leak occurred in water or even a puddle, the pressure would cause bubbling.
• NGLs that leak into the atmosphere typically would form a visible vapor cloud, like white mist or smoke, as water molecules in the air condense when mixing with the cold gas.  Because the vapors from the NGLs are heavier than air, they would tend to hang low to the ground.
• If the leak is underground but close enough to the surface to impact vegetation, you may see dead grass or a brown spot in otherwise healthy vegetation, or an isolated area of frost on the ground.

Companies transporting natural gas to end users, such as PECO, often add odorant to add in detection.  Sunoco cannot add odorant to the NGLs in the Mariner East system because of the potential end uses of the products, such as textiles and plastics.

Because legally we can’t. Property owners decide if and when to sell, develop or renovate their properties, although changes must meet applicable regulations.  

No, there are limits. While the Township can’t prohibit a property owner from developing their property, we can regulate how the property is developed. The property owner will not receive permission to construct until they demonstrate that the development will comply with all applicable regulations.  

The Township has zoning and development regulations that specify

• the way a property may be used (e.g. houses or apartments or office…),  
• how big buildings can be (e.g. no taller than x feet high), both height and floor area,
• how much buffer, green space and landscaping there must be on a property,
• requirements for the provision of or funding for open space,  
• the need for traffic impact assessment and funding,
• requirements for managing stormwater runoff on the property,
• protections for historic structures and  
• many other features that address the scale of development on a property.   

The regulations also list information that developers must submit to demonstrate compliance. 

Township staff and consultants review and comment on proposed plans.The reviews are provided to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to inform their discussions with developers about the proposed plans at public meetings.  Areas of review include: 

• Zoning  
• Stormwater management
• Traffic
• Landscaping
• Lighting
• Historic preservation
• Community safety (police and fire)
• Construction codes/building safety 

Yes, for commercial development or redevelopment or plans for new residential developments that must receive land development approval from the Board of Supervisors before building permits can be issued or construction can start. Those plans are discussed at the Planning Commission’s and Board of Supervisors’ public meetings at the Township Building. Their meeting schedules for the year are on the website. On the Friday before each of their meetings, the agenda and meeting packet also is posted on the website.   

Neighboring property owners are mailed a notice before the first public meeting when a proposed plan is on a Planning Commission agenda. Residents can receive notifications about subsequent meetings for developments they are interested in by emailing the Township at jweller@westwhiteland.org.  

Construction of or renovations to a single-family home only requires building permits, not public land development review, and therefore there is not an accompanying public input process.   

For any type of construction project, if the project does not comply with all zoning regulations, the property owner can seek a variance from the Township’s Zoning Hearing Board to permit the requested regulatory relief.  Neighboring property owners are mailed a notice prior to the first public meeting when a project is on the Zoning Hearing Board agenda.