Announcement / Engagement

Informational training sessions

The following informational webinars and training courses are being offered to the public to assist stakeholders in navigating city processes and keeping them informed of code changes. Some training courses, as noted below, are being offered with continuing education credits. Customers can also sign-up for this and future webinars under the “Events” section of the L&I homepage (www.phila.gov/li).

• L&I eCLIPSE Permitting Basics webinar – L&I will be 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. The session will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• Expediter License webinar– L&I and Law will review City regulations on permit and license applicants, expediter license application, required and prohibited expediter conduct, and tips on submitting applications as an expediter. This session will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session. 

• Contractor Compliance webinar – L&I will be conducting a 90-min webinar on the Department of Licenses and Inspections contracting requirements. The session will cover subcontractor usage, worker certification requirements, and an overview of the Department’s License Violation program and current enforcement priorities.  This session will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2024, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session. **Attendees can receive 1.5 hours of continuing education credits for this course. **

• Future Sessions – Thank you for your recommendations on additional webinar topics thus far. We want to know additional topics you would like us to cover in the future. If you have a suggestion, please complete this online form. 

Note: Capacity is limited and to accommodate all stakeholders, we ask that you only register if you plan on attending the session and, if your circumstances change, please cancel your registration.



Landlord gateway educational series training

The Landlord Gateway Program centralizes resources to help both current and prospective landlords navigate the City’s processes, requirements, and guidance through a single location. To help educate landlords and renters through these processes, the city is providing a landlord gateway education training series each month.

On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the Department of L&I, and the Office of IT Smart Cities will conduct a joint session on permit requirements for residential alterations and will provide a demonstration of the Permit Navigator tool. For more information and to register for one or more of these sessions, click here.

Free OSHA safety consultation

Employers can receive no-cost safety, health, and industrial hygiene evaluations by signing up for a program run by IUP’s Safety Sciences Department.

Through the PA OSHA Consultation Program, IUP consultants conduct occupational safety and health evaluations, and work with business owners to address issues. The on-site visits are confidential since the program operates independently from OSHA's regulation enforcement.

L&I job announcement

The Department of Licenses and Inspections is looking for qualified candidates to fill the following vacancies:

• Building Plan Engineers - The City is hiring Graduate Civil Engineers, which is the entry level position for L&I Building Plan Engineers. Employees in this position examine plans for the construction, reconstruction or renovation of building structures to ensure conformance with sound engineering principles and with existing ordinances and regulations. Employees may progress to the full performance position of Building Plans Examiner Engineer 1 within four years, through the Department’s training and mentoring program. For more information or to submit an application, click here.

New videos posted to L&I’s YouTube Channel 

We’ve recently created and posted the following video to our L&I YouTube Channel: 

• Backflow Prevention – This video provides guidance in understanding why backflow prevention is required, types of backflow prevention, and installation requirements for the backflow permits issued by L&I. 

Please check back as we continue to build-out the page and add new content. 

Permitting

New plumbing code changes go into effect on April 1

Plumbing Code changes adopted under Bill No. 230653 shall apply to all plumbing permit applications filed on or after April 1, 2024. Please refer to the 2024 Plumbing Code Changes FAQ for a summary of changes and explanation of each change. As a reminder, the following resources are also available to help better understand the Philadelphia Plumbing Code:

• Video providing an overview of the 2018 Philadelphia Plumbing Code and common deficiencies.

• Slides from our January 2024 information session explaining Philadelphia amendments to the International Plumbing Code.

Please note that the digital version of the Philadelphia Plumbing Code will be updated to reflect the upcoming changes; however, paper copies ordered through the ICC will not reflect recent changes.

The following permit resources were recently updated/added to the website (www.phila.gov/li): 

• FAQ on codes applicable to electrical work - This document outlines Building Codes governing electrical work and explains the interaction between these codes and NFPA 70 (NEC).

• Notice of required chimney/vent modification form - This form is now available in multiple languages.

• Construction next door FAQ page has been updated to include clarification on chimney extension requirements, specifically for applications that were filed before January 1, 2024.

Retired code bulletins

The website has been updated to show retired code bulletins, code solutions, and code interpretations. 

Zoning legislation updates

Did you know that our website includes an unofficial summary of new and pending changes to the Zoning Code? A list of the legislative changes affecting the Philadelphia Zoning Code is available on the website and used as an additional resource in understanding changes that may impact your projects. 



Licensing

Rental license renewal webinar slides

The department conducted a webinar on January 31 providing an overview of the rental license renewal process. The slides used during this webinar can be found on the L&I website on the "Resources" page.

We need your help in improving the business license application

If you have used the online eCLIPSE portal to obtain a business license (rental, food, daycare, vending, high-rise, etc.), we’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can improve the application. You can help us better serve you by completing this short survey.



Inspections

Pre-construction site requirements training course slides

The department conducted a training course on February 15, 2024, about the administrative code requirements for construction sites, including the minimum site safety requirements, protection of adjacent property, and the basics of OSHA requirements.  The slides used during this training course can be found on the L&I website on the “Resources” page.



Audits & Investigation

Enforcement priorities

AIU would like to call your attention to the following enforcement priorities: 

• 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 3 days of the commencement of any work authorized by that permit, unless that permit 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.

• Subcontracting - Subcontractors must always be licensed. They must carry a valid contractor or trade license (for trade work) whenever they are working. 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.

• 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 3 stories or 40 feet is being constructed or demolished, an OSHA-30 trained site safety supervisor must be on site whenever the site is active.

Violation data report

The Department issued $87,000 in license violation fines in January of 2024. Of that total, $24,000 in fines were issued for the use of unlicensed subcontractors or failure to adequately disclose subcontractor usage and $13,000 in fines were issued to contractors for using workers without the required OSHA training. 



Reminders

Unpaid LVNs and SVNs

Unpaid fines imposed under License and Site Violations Notices have been referred to a third-party agency for recovery. Violators will be contacted by the agency, Revenue Collection Bureau, Inc, starting in February. The Department will begin the automatic withholding of licenses and permits for unpaid fines later this year.

2021 international code adoption

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is currently evaluating the 2021 International Codes in preparation for state-wide adoption in July 2025. The technical advisory committees have submitted recommendations on specific code sections to the PA UCC Review & Advisory Council for deliberation.

The public has the opportunity to voice their opinions on recommendations before the Council deliberates.  Virtual public hearings will be conducted on February 29, and March 28, 2024.

You can learn more about the code adoption process and track progress through the Council’s website.



Building certification update

Certain life safety systems, building components and structures are subject to periodic testing and inspection requirements, as outline in Code Bulletin A-2204 and on our website.

Beginning April 1, 2023, all certifications were to be submitted to the City by the licensed inspector through http://eclipse.phila.gov. Building owners and licensed inspectors may be subject to enforcement action if required certifications are not submitted by May 31, 2024.

You may verify that certifications have been successfully submitted to the City through atlas.phila.gov. Search for your property address and click on the “Licenses and Inspections” tab to find all Building Certifications submitted for the property.

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