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As a general rule, the UCC
requires that a property owner or the owner's authorized agent obtain a UCC
construction or building permit before commencing any work and that the work
be inspected in the following cases:
 | Construction, enlargement,
alteration, repair, movement, demolition or change in the occupancy of a
commercial building, structure or facility; |
 | Construction, enlargement,
alteration, repair, movement, demolition or change in the occupancy of a
residential building; |
 | Erection, installation, enlargement,
alteration, repair, removal, replacement or conversion of any electrical,
gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the UCC; |
 | Construction or installation of a
swimming pool, hot tub or spa; |
 | Site preparation, foundation
construction, utility connections, alterations, additions, repairs and
changes of occupancy of manufactured and industrialized housing.
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Under the UCC, a building,
structure or facility cannot be used or occupied without a UCC certificate
of occupancy first being issued.
Emergency repairs or
replacement of equipment may be made without first applying for a permit
so long as a permit application is submitted to the building code
official within 3 business days after the repair or replacement.
Certain work is excluded
and exempted from the UCC's requirements of permits and inspections. A
general summary of exempted items follows, commercial construction
exempted items follow the general summary and the exempted items residential construction
follows the commercial construction. A
property owner should not assume that work is exempt without first making
appropriate inquiry, as performance of work for which a UCC permit is
required without first obtaining a permit will subject the owner to
enforcement proceedings and possibly additional costs. See 34 Pa. Code
Section
403.42 for commercial and industrial buildings and 34 Pa. Code Section 403.62 for
residential dwellings.
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General
Exclusions from permit requirements include -
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New buildings or
renovations to existing buildings for which an application for a building
permit was made to the municipality prior to the effective date of the
regulations promulgated under this act. |
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New buildings or renovations to
existing buildings on which a contract for design or construction has been
signed prior to the effective date of the regulations promulgated under
this act on projects requiring department approval. |
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Utility and miscellaneous use
structures that are accessory to detached one-family dwellings. |
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An agricultural building. |
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Alterations to residential
buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of
egress, except might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to
Section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to Section 503. For purposes of
this paragraph, a structural change does not include a minor framing
change needed to replace existing windows or doors. |
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Repairs to residential buildings,
except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to Section
303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to Section 503. |
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Installation of aluminum or vinyl
siding onto an existing residential or an existing commercial building,
except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to Section
301 or adopted pursuant to Section 503. |
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Any recreational cabin if:
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The cabin is equipped with at least one smoke detector, one fire
extinguisher and one carbon monoxide detector in both the kitchen and
sleeping quarters. |
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The
owner of the cabin files with the municipality either:
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An affidavit on a form
prescribed by the department attesting to the fact that the cabin
meets the definition of a “recreational cabin” in Section 103; or
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A valid proof of insurance
for the recreational cabin, written and issued by an insurer
authorized to do business in this Commonwealth, stating that the
structure meets the definition of a “recreational cabin” as defined in
Section 103. |
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Temporary structures which are:
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- Erected
for the purpose of participation in a fair, flea market, arts and crafts
festival or other public celebration. |
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- Less
than 1,600 square feet in size. |
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- Erected
for a period of less than 30 days. |
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- Not
a swimming pool, spa or hot tub. |
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- Subject
to Section 503(a)(2). |
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Exemptions from permit
requirements as to Commercial and
Industrial
construction include -
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Building construction for fences not
over 6' high, oil derricks, certain retaining walls, certain water tanks,
sidewalks and driveways not more than 30" above grade and that are not
located over a basement or story below it, painting, papering, tiling,
carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finishing work, temporary
motion picture, television and theater stage sets and scenery, certain
prefabricated swimming pools, shade cloth structures constructed for
nursery or agricultural purposes that do not include service systems,
swings and other playground equipment accessory to 1- or 2-family homes,
certain window awnings, movable cases, counters and partitions that are
not over 5 feet 9 inches in height, window replacement without structural
change; |
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Electrical work for minor repair and
maintenance work including replacement of lamps or connection of approved
portable equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles,
electrical equipment used for radio and television transmissions and
installation of a temporary system for the testing or servicing of
electrical equipment or apparatus; |
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Gas work including a portable
heating appliance or replacement of a minor part that does not alter
approval of equipment or make the equipment unsafe; |
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Mechanical work involving a portable
heating appliance, portable ventilation equipment, portable cooling unit,
portable evaporative cooler, steam, hot or chilled water piping within any
heating or cooling equipment governed under the UCC, replacement of a part
that does not alter its approval or make it unsafe and a self-contained
refrigeration system containing 10 pounds or less of refrigerant and
placed into action by motors that are not more than 1 hp; |
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Plumbing repairs including stopping
leaks in a drain and a water, soil, waste or vent pipe (this not including
defective pipe to be removed and replaced with new material) and cleaning
stoppages or repairing leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures and removal and
installation of water closets, faucets and lavatories if the valves or
pipes are not replaced or rearranged; |
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An ordinary repair (ordinary repair
does not include cutting away a wall, partition or portion of a wall,
removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support, removal
or change of any required means of egress, rearrangement of parts of a
structure affecting the egress requirements and addition to or alteration,
replacement or relocation of any standpipe, water supply, sewer, drainage,
drain leader, gas, soil, waste, vent or similar piping, electric wiring or
mechanical). |
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Temporary structures which are:
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Erected for the purpose of
participation in a fair, flea market, arts and crafts festival or other
public celebration |
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Less than 1,600 square feet in
size |
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Erected for a period of less than
30 days. |
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Exemptions from permit
requirements as to Residential construction
include -
Ordinary repairs, but
ordinary repairs do not include:
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Cutting away a wall, partition or
portion of a wall |
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Removal or cutting of any
structural beam or load-bearing support |
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Removal or change of any required
means of egress |
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Rearrangement of parts of a
structure affecting the egress requirements |
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Adding to, altering, replacing or
relocating piping, sewer, wiring, etc. |
Building construction,
replacement or repairs for
| Minor electrical work for
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Minor gas work for
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More exemptions from
permit requirements as to residential construction include -
Mechanical work or
equipment for
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Plumbing work for
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Heating, ventilation and
air conditioning work for
 | Replacement of motors, pumps and
fans of the same capacity |
 | Repair and replacement of heating,
supply and return piping and radiation elements which do not require
rearrangement of the piping system |
 | Repair and replacement of duct
work |
 | Repair and replacement of air
conditioning equipment and systems |
 | Repair and replacement of control
devices for heating and air conditioning equipment |
 | Replacement of kitchen range hoods
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 | Replacement of clothes dryers if
there is no change in fuel type, location or electrical requirements
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 | Replacement of stoves and ovens if
there is no change in fuel type, location or electrical characteristics
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