Pennsylvania has one of the most geographically diverse permit markets in the northeastern United States. From dense urban centers like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to small townships with minimal permit infrastructure, requirements vary significantly across the state’s 67 counties and 2,560+ municipalities.
I’m Engineer Wasim of Site Plans Online USA. We serve Pennsylvania homeowners, contractors, and developers across the entire state. This guide explains what Pennsylvania building departments typically need.
Pennsylvania Building Code Structure
Pennsylvania operates under the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. Key aspects:
- Municipalities can opt in to enforce the UCC locally or have the state enforcer handle it
- Philadelphia has its own comprehensive building code system entirely separate from the UCC
- Pittsburgh follows Allegheny County with city-specific additions
- Some small townships still operate under pre-UCC local codes
- Pennsylvania has no single statewide digital permit portal; submission methods vary by municipality
What a Pennsylvania Permit Site Plan Requires
For most residential permits across Pennsylvania:
Universal elements:
- Property boundaries with dimensions
- Tax parcel number (Pennsylvania’s property identifier, visible on PA county tax assessment websites)
- Legal description matching assessment records
- Property address and adjacent street names
- North arrow
- Scale and graphic scale bar (1″=20′ standard)
- All existing structures with dimensions
- Proposed project labeled and dimensioned
- All setback dimensions from property lines
- Impervious surface calculation for most project types
- Easements if recorded on the property
- Title block with owner, preparer, APN, date, scale
Pennsylvania Residential Setbacks — General Standards
Pennsylvania setbacks are set at the township/borough level, not statewide. Typical residential standards across PA:
- Front setback: 25–30 ft (most municipalities)
- Rear setback: 15–25 ft
- Side setback: 5–10 ft
- Accessory structures (sheds, garages): typically 5–10 ft rear and side
- Pool to property lines: typically 5–10 ft, depending on municipality
Always verify your specific municipality. We research the applicable code for every order.
Major Pennsylvania Markets
Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s L&I (Department of Licenses and Inspections) handles all permits through the eCLIPSE portal.
- Plans must be uploaded as PDFs with specific file naming
- Philadelphia has strict documentation requirements compared to suburban PA
- FEMA flood zones: significant portions of Philadelphia are in AE flood zones along the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers
Allegheny County / Pittsburgh
- City of Pittsburgh: Bureau of Building Inspection (separate from county)
- Allegheny County unincorporated: County Building Inspection
- Pittsburgh has many historic districts with additional overlay requirements
Philadelphia Suburbs (Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware Counties)
- These are PA’s fastest-growing residential permit markets
- Each of the 100+ municipalities in these counties has independent zoning codes
- Requirements vary township by township, and we research each individually
Central PA — York, Lancaster, Harrisburg Area
- Generally follows standard UCC requirements
- Lancaster County: particularly active residential construction market
- Many rural townships have minimal permit requirements
Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton)
- Active residential and commercial market
- Two-county area (Lehigh and Northampton) with independent municipal codes
Pennsylvania Commercial Site Plans
For commercial permits in Pennsylvania:
- Parking layout with ADA spaces required
- PE stamp required for most commercial construction
- Drainage plan may require separate engineering
- Philadelphia: additional review for ADA compliance and historic properties
See: Commercial Site Plans | PE Stamp Services
Related articles:
- Site Plan for Permit — Complete Guide
- How to Get a Site Plan for a Permit in the USA
- Are There Site Plan Companies for All 50 States?
- Site Plan Drawing Requirements
Free tools:
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