Change in Office Locations
Two of our Construction Inspection offices have recently relocated:
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Central West (formerly at 2401 Walnut St.) is now located in the Municipal Services Building, 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd., 11th Floor.
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North Central (formerly at 1512 Cecil B. Moore Ave. ) is now located at 667 N. Broad St., 3rd Floor, the same building as the Central East office.
Three of our Code Enforcement Offices have also changed:
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South (formerly at 1100 Wharton St.) is now located at 2401 Walnut St., 5th Floor, with the Central West Office.
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Central East (formerly at 667 N. Broad St.) is now located at 1521 Cecil B. Moore Ave., the same building as North.
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East is now located in a completely new building at 9359 Krewstown Rd.
All contact phone numbers remain the same.
Please visit the Contact Us section of our website for the most up-to-date location information.
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Annual L&I Report Card Summary
We recently completed our 8th annual report card evaluation, an important initiative that gathers feedback from seasoned industry professionals on L&I’s performance and identifies opportunities for process improvement. Your insights play a critical role in shaping more efficient, transparent, and responsive services.
We invite you to review this year’s report card summary, including the Department’s planned improvements based on the feedback received.
Thank you to all partner organizations who contributed their time and expertise—your collaboration helps us continue building a safer, stronger Philadelphia.
If your professional organization would like to participate in future sessions, please contact christine.quinn@phila.gov.
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Preservation Alliance is Seeking Qualified Contractors
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia (PAGP) is launching a program this fall to help pay for exterior home repairs on historic homes in the East Parkside neighborhood. They’re looking for qualified contractors to maintain a call list when work in specific trades is needed. Learn more about the program here:
https://preservationalliance.com/resource-library/hhrp/
The program offers a 5-year forgivable loan, up to $25,000, for project work. The homeowner must contribute 10% of the costs of the scope of work before project start and pay for all project costs such as recording and release of mortgage, title search, and three inspections by a licensed home inspector of the work with the Alliance staff, the contractor, and homeowner to assure it meets code and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
PAGP is looking for contractors with experience working on historic homes to provide services such as roofing, gutter and downspout repairs, masonry repairs, window restoration, carpentry, and painting. Contractors will be hired by the Preservation Alliance’s Historic Home Repair Program to conduct work within a specified scope that is agreed upon in advance between you, the homeowner, and the Alliance staff. We are especially interested in recruiting minority and women contractors to our list of qualified contractors for this program. We expect to make five to eight forgivable loans in 2025, with work to start in the spring of 2026.
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Intro to eCLIPSE Permitting Basics Webinar
L&I is conducting a 2-hour public training session on the basics of filing permit applications through the online eCLIPSE system. This webinar is an introductory session intended for new users.
This session will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.
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Fire and Draft Stopping Webinar
This session will provide a comprehensive examination of fire and smoke stopping requirements in both new construction and renovation projects. This course will cover accepted materials and methods used to maintain or restore the integrity of rated assemblies.
This session will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.
**Attendees can receive 1.0 hour of continuing education credits for this course. Attendees must sign on individually to be eligible for CEUs.**
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Future Sessions
Do you have any recommendations for additional webinar topics, general process clarification or general code interpretation? Complete and submit this online form to provide your feedback.
Note: This form is for general process clarification and/or general code interpretations and no direct response will be provided by the Department. Any project-specific questions requiring a direct response must be submitted through the online help form.
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Industrialized/Modular Housing Webinar Slides
Michael Moglia, Chief of Housing and Building Standards Divisions, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, presented a webinar on November 12th on information related to the installation of new and relocated manufactured homes, the industrialized housing program, and the newly implemented industrialized commercial buildings program. The slides used during this webinar are posted to the website.
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Partners in Good Housing Update
The Partners in Good Housing brochure has been updated and is available on L&I’s website in multiple languages. The updates offer two main benefits:
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Compliance with Bill No. 250774 – This recently enacted bill requires landlords to provide tenants with voter registration information. The updated brochure now includes this information, allowing landlords to meet the new requirement without any additional effort.
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Improved Accessibility – The brochure includes links to a variety of helpful resources. Each resource now features a clickable link, a written URL, and a QR code, making it easy for readers to access the information whether they’re viewing the document digitally or on paper.
Reminder: The City of Philadelphia requires all landlords to provide the Partners in Good Housing brochure to their tenants.
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Amusement and Scales & Scanner Licenses Eliminated by New Law
In an effort to promote ease of business and remove unnecessary barriers to compliance, Bill #250572 was recently enacted to eliminate the Amusement and Scales/ Scanners license.
Amusement License Elimination
The Amusement License was required if your business operated as a special assembly or collected admission for events such as concerts, movies, or circuses.
- Effective immediately, these businesses are no longer required to obtain or renew a license.
- These businesses must still pay the associated Amusement Tax imposed by the City.
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For more information on tax requirements, please refer to the Amusement Tax page on Revenue’s website.
Scales and Scanner License Elimination
The Scales and Scanners License was required for businesses that used a scale or load rack meter to measure or weigh products, electric scanners, or similar tools.
- Effective immediately, these businesses are no longer required to obtain or renew a license.
- These businesses must still comply with all regulations set forth by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
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For more information on required compliance, please refer to the Pennsylvania Division of Weights and Measures page.
We encourage all business owners to review their operations and procedures to ensure compliance with these updates.
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Enforcement Priorities
The Audit and Investigations Unit (AIU) wants to call your attention to the following enforcement priorities:
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Contractors and Subcontractors Information - In accordance with the Philadelphia Code Title 9-1004, contractors who hire a subcontractor to perform work authorized by their permit must list the subcontractor on the permit in eCLIPSE within three (3) days of the commencement of any work authorized by that permit, unless that permit is for a residential building of two dwelling units or less. If the Department establishes that a contractor has failed to do this, the contractor will be cited with a violation of 9-1004(8). That citation is accompanied by a $2,000 fine.
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Subcontracting - Subcontractors must always be licensed and carry a valid contractor or trade license (for trade work) whenever they work. A subcontractor is any person or business hired to perform work authorized by a permit who is not identified on that permit’s application as the prime (or responsible) contractor.
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Worker Certification - Every worker at a Philadelphia construction site must have OSHA 10 training and carry their card with them when they’re on the job. If a building more than three stories or 40 feet tall is being constructed or demolished, an OSHA 30-trained site safety supervisor must be on site whenever the site is active.
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Violation Data Report
AIU issued $143,250 in license violation fines, reinspection fees, and judgments between 10/17/25 and 11/21/25.
The following violations and citations were issued:
- Contractor Hired Unlicensed Subcontractor: $12,000
- Failure to Add All Subcontractors to Permit: $16,000
- Failure to Comply with Philadelphia Code: $4,000
- Failure to Cooperate with Audit/Investigation: $22,000
- Failure to Maintain Insurance: $15,000
- Owner/Developer Hired Unlicensed Subcontractor: $1,000
- Providing False Information on a Permit/License Application: $3,000
- Work on a Major Building Without an OSHA 30 Holder Onsite: $4,000
- Worker Without OSHA 10 Certification: $31,000
- Working Without the Required Permit: $9,000
- Working Without a Valid License: $21,000
- Required Conduct Contractor: $3,000
- Required Conduct Inspection Agency: $300
- Building Certification Reinspection Fees: $1950
AIU will continue to follow up and monitor contractors' activities.
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Regulation to Implement 2021 International Codes Approved
We are pleased to announce that the regulation to adopt the 2021 International Codes has been approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC). The official publication of the regulation appeared in the November 8th issue of the Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin.
In preparation for the anticipated implementation date of January 1, 2026, the Department has issued Code Bulletin B-2501: Implementation of the 2021 International Codes. This bulletin provides important guidance on how the adoption of the 2021 Codes will impact the permitting process in Philadelphia.
We encourage all stakeholders to review the bulletin to understand how these upcoming changes may affect project planning and code compliance.
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Neighborhood City Halls
Each month, the Department of Licenses & Inspections joins the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Engagement’s Neighborhood Community Action Centers - also known as Neighborhood City Halls - to bring City services directly to you.
Our goal is simple: be a part of a government that residents can see, touch and feel in every neighborhood.
When you stop by your local session, you can:
- Get help with property maintenance or construction concerns.
- Report unsafe buildings or illegal work.
- Learn about required permits and licensing.
- Ask questions about inspections or enforcement.
- Connect with other City agencies for quality-of-life matters.
At every visit, our team will listen, document your concern, set a clear deadline and follow up until the issue is resolved.
These monthly events are your chance to meet L&I in person, address issues on the spot, and learn how we can work together to keep our neighborhoods safe and thriving. To find out what day L&I will be in your neighborhood, call your local Action Center.
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