Applicable Codes
The City of Philadelphia adopted the State of Pennsylvania's Act 45, the
Uniform Construction Code (UCC) on July 8, 2004. The UCC includes very specific regulations regarding the administration and enforcement of construction codes.
As part of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC), the Commonwealth has adopted the International Code Council's (ICC)
family of codes which are available for free online.
The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code contains the local modifications to the ICC codes. Please be aware that for plumbing related items, Philadelphia exclusively uses the Philadelphia Plumbing Code and does not use the ICC plumbing codes.
Applications filed on or after January 1, 2013 must comply with the 2010 Philadelphia Code, incorporating 2009 ICC codes with local modifications, and Chapter 11/ Appendix E of the 2012 International Building Code. If a design or construction contract for proposed work was signed between December 31, 2009 and December 30,2012, the application must comply with the 2010 Philadelphia Building Code without reference to Chapter 11/ Appendix E of the 2012 International Building Code.
In addition, the complete 2010 Philadelphia Fire Code that merges Philadelphia amendments with 2009 International Fire Code text is available for purchase at the
ICC on-line store.
The Philadelphia Administrative Code identifies provisions for administrative, enforcement and appeals regulations for the technical codes which regulate the site, construction, alteration, addition, repair, abatement, removal, demolition, location, occupancy and maintenance of all buildings, structures and building service equipment within the City of Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia
Property Maintenance Code exists to protect public health, safety and welfare through the regulations on the maintenance of existing structures and properties.
The
Philadelphia Zoning Code exists to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of the City of Philadelphia's citizens and visitors. It was updated in December, 2011 for the first time in 50 years and the new code became effective on August 22, 2012.
Complete Listing of Applicable Codes