WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY PERMIT APPLICATION?

You will be notified by a plans examiner if there are any questions about or changes required on your plans. You will be notified in writing when your permit is ready and the balance due. You may call 215-686-2467 for a status report on your project or for additional information.

WHAT ARE THE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS?

• Inspections are performed out of the L & I District field office. As stated on the building permit, you must notify the appropriate District office 24 hours prior to beginning work.
• When a Certificate of Occupancy is required, the Certificate is held in the District office pending compliance to applicable codes verified by the responsible inspectors.
• The District office must be notified upon completion of work so that a final inspection can be made and the Certificate of Occupancy issued, if applicable. This final inspection will result in approval by the building inspector and the District supervisor if all work is in compliance with the applicable codes.
• The permit must be displayed on the construction site and the set of approved plans returned to you must be available at the construction site.

WHEN DOES A BUILDING PERMIT EXPIRE?

Work covered by the building permit must begin within six (6) months of the issued date and the permit will remain in force until completion of the work, provided there is no stoppage of work for a period exceeding six (6) months.

ARE THERE PENALTIES FOR STARTING WORK WITHOUT A PERMIT?

Administrative Code Section A-902.8 requires that for work performed without a permit or for work that exceeds that approved by a building permit, an inspection fee equal to the permit fee shall be imposed.

OTHER SERVICES

WHAT IS A "FOUNDATION ONLY" PERMIT?

Administrative Code Section A-302.6 describes an optional permit that may be obtained to construct the foundation of a building only. It is useful for situations where construction must commence but building plans for the structure have not been completed. The fee is $100 for this permit and an approved zoning permit is required. In addition, the building owner must sign and submit a letter stating that the owner assumes full responsibility for removing or altering the foundations should this be necessary after the full set of plans are reviewed.

WHAT IS AN "ACCELERATED" PLAN REVIEW?

This is an optional service that is available for applicants who need complex plans reviewed immediately. Review time for a set of complex plans is typically three (3) weeks. Accelerated plan reviews can be accomplished in three (3) days or less. The cost for an accelerated review is $300 for up to four (4) hours of review time and $75 per hour for each additional hour. These fees are in addition to the permit fees.

WHAT IS A "PRELIMINARY PLAN REVIEW"?

This is an optional service whereby the Department of Licenses & Inspections will formally review a set of preliminary plans and render a decision on code compliance. This service is valuable at any stage of a project design should a design professional need a formal approval prior to completing the design documents. Building Code refusals and appeals can be made to the Accessibility Advisory Board and/or the Board of Building Standards based upon a preliminary review. The fee for this review is $300 for up to three (3) floors and $50 per floor thereafter. Only two (2) sets of plans are required to be submitted and prerequisite approval of other agencies is not required.

WHAT IS THE "FAST TRACK" PROGRAM?

This is a program available to quasi-governmental agencies such as PHDC, PHA, and Community Development Corporations. The advantage of using this program is that plans and prerequisite approvals are not required to rebuild a single family dwelling in its existing footprint. The only submission requirement is a datasheet sealed by a design professional.

General Permit Info | Detailed Permit Info | Fees | Services |  Permit Prerequisites