PERMITTING, LICENSING, CODE & OTHER UPDATES
February 2019
GENERAL
L&I North District Building Unit Has Temporarily Moved
 
Effective January 2, 2019, the North District Office's Building Unit, located at 217 E. Rittenhouse St., will be under renovation and temporarily closed for six (6) to eight (8) weeks. 
 
During this time, the Building staff will be working out of the North Central Office at 1514 Cecil B. Moore Ave., and can be reached at 215-683-0580, -0584.
 
Contractor Lookup Tool
 
Now you can search by contractor name and find all active associated permits with that contractor using the Contractor Lookup Tool .
 
Resources Page
 
Did you know? L&I’s Resources page features quick access to L&I code, permit, and license updates, plus other helpful information and tools—all in one convenient location.
eCLIPSE 
Professional Registration

Online permitting via L&I’s eCLIPSE platform is coming in Summer 2019. Attorneys and Design Professionals need to complete a free, one-time registration ( that never expires ) to file permit applications in their name. Beat the rush by registering early — registration opens February 2019!

Get the top 5 reasons why professionals should register early or access the quick guide to registering .

Electronic Plan Submissions

L&I is developing standards for electronic plan submissions and would like your feedback. Please review the proposal and complete a short survey .
PERMITS
Mandatory Floodplain Scoping Meeting

Effective March 15, 2019, a Floodplain Scoping Meeting is required for all projects in the Special Flood Hazard Area with an associated cost of work of $50,000 or more. The meeting will provide early direction on floodplain requirements to avoid delays in the project. Review the Floodplain Scoping Meeting Information Sheet for more details.
 
Preliminary Review for Construction Projects
 
Effective March 1, 2019, L&I will offer a preliminary review meeting option for applicants who want early answers to design questions before starting a construction project. Currently, L&I has two other preliminary review service options—email and plan review. Use the Preliminary Review Information Sheet to determine which option is right for your project. 

Updates to the Zoning Administrative Adjustment Process
 
Changes to the Zoning Administrative Adjustment Review Process were put into place with the passing of Bill No. 180489-AAA on October 18, 2018.
 
Review the   Guide   for an outline of the requirements and steps of the revised review process* before submitting the   Zoning Administrative Adjustment Application . 

*For complete requirements, please refer to Section 14-303(16)   of the Philadelphia Zoning Code .
 
Certificate of Occupancy

A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is required as a condition of a change in the use and occupancy of a space in accordance with the International Building Code. COs are also required for all new construction and building additions.

Refer to the Certificate of Occupancy Information Sheet or the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy Information Sheet for additional details and requirements before starting the application process.
 CODES
Automatic Sprinkler Systems in Buildings 45 feet or more in Height

An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in the following areas of buildings that have one or more stories located 45 feet (13 716mm) or more above the lowest level of Fire Department vehicle access:
  • Basements.
  • The level of exit discharge.

The owner of every building of five (5) stories or more in height shall submit the required compliance document—COMING SOON—to the Department by July 1, 2019*.

Refer to Bill #180745 for full ordinance details.

*Additional information will be posted on www.phila.gov/li as the implementation procedure is finalized. The Department will mail out notification letters to building owners affected by this ordinance with information about how to submit questions and/or upload the compliance documentation.

Pier Inspections 

Bill #180746 was enacted on January 3, 2019. It revises the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code as it relates to the periodic inspection of piers. The Property Maintenance Code has required periodic underwater pier inspections by a PA licensed engineer since 2002, after the tragic collapse of the Pier 34 nightclub.  
  
The primary purpose of Bill #180746 is to revise the pier inspection requirements to align with other periodic inspections by simplifying the rating system and establishing a requirement to submit a summary report, similar to the forms used for building facades and fire escapes. 
 
Review Section 314 of the Property Maintenance Code for full details of the bill, and look for the new forms on www.phila.gov/li in the coming weeks.

Code Changes Reminder

New construction codes went into effect throughout Pennsylvania on October 1, 2018. For Philadelphia, the 2018 International Codes apply to all non-residential construction. (The 2015 International Residential Code with state-modifications will apply for residential construction.)

Along with the new codes, the process for applying the previous code to design and construction contracts for permit applications was revised by the state, limiting this period to six (6) months. Beginning Monday, April 1, 2019 , all permit applications submitted for new buildings or renovations to existing buildings must be reviewed under the new codes.

Refer to the Code Bulletin for additional information about the implementation of the new codes.
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