What we do
The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) helps people comply with building safety standards and other code requirements. Contractors, business and property owners, landlords, and tenants are all served by L&I.
As part of our mission, we:
- Inspect construction projects so they meet construction and fire codes.
- Inspect higher-risk properties for compliance with fire codes.
- Respond to complaints regarding many code violations.
- Inspect, monitor, seal, and demolish vacant and/or dangerous buildings.
- Review plans and issue permits according to building, zoning, plumbing, and electrical codes.
- Issue trade and business licenses.
- Help landlords and tenants understand their responsibilities.
Connect
| Address |
1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
11th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
|---|---|
|
Phone:
311
|
Announcements
Tax abatement deadline is soon approaching
Modifications to tax abatements administered by the Office of Property Assessment (OPA) will take effect on January 1, 2022.
Customers who want to obtain the current tax abatement for their projects must submit their issued building permit and abatement application to OPA on or before December 31, 2021.
To receive your building permit in time to do this, you must file your building permit applications with all pre-requisite approvals by October 1, 2021, to allow adequate time for processing.
For more information about the tax abatement and modifications, review Bill #200653 for commercial construction; Bill # 200366 for residential construction; and the OPA website.
New uploading requirements for online permit amendments now in effect
When changes to your permitted project are within the scope of the original permit, you may be able to get L&I approval for the changes through the online permit amendment process. You must complete and upload the new online permit amendment form to
- Apply for an amendment
- Demonstrate that your proposed changes meet the requirements for a permit amendment.
If the changes go beyond what can be approved by amending the existing permit, you will likely need to apply for a new permit.
Review the Zoning and Building Amended Permit Process Information Sheets for more information about when you can amend a permit and when you must apply for a new permit.
New Tire Dealer License Coming Soon
Any business that purchases or sells tires, whether they are new or used, will need to have a Tire Dealer License by December 31, 2021. The license application will become available through eCLIPSE on August 1, 2021.
Refer to the website for additional information.
Update on façade inspection requirements
Under a regulation, when an engineer’s inspection finds that a façade is generally safe but in need of repairs, the repairs must be completed within six months. After receiving extensive feedback and in light of the pandemic, L&I is deferring enforcement of the six month limit with respect to façade inspections until January 1, 2022.
This means, until January 1, 2022, the required façade inspections must still be performed, but the results should be submitted to L&I on this earlier version of the Summary Report Form and in accordance with the instructions on the form.
Refer to the letter that was sent out to Philadelphia homeowners for more details. For step by step instructions on submitting façade inspection reports through our online portal, refer to the how-to guide.
If you have questions, please contact facadereports@phila.gov.
