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).

• Zoning 101 webinar - L&I will be conducting a webinar series focused on zoning. The series will be broken down into six parts. You can choose to register for one or more sessions. In this webinar (Part 1), L&I will provide an overview of zoning in the City and will cover zoning requirements including types of zoning permits and approvals, navigating the zoning code, the process of filing a zoning permit, pre-requisite approval processes, and the process of zoning expiration and extensions. This session will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this training course. **Attendees can receive 1.5 hours of continuing education credits for this course.**

• Pre-Construction Site Requirements webinar – L&I will be conducting a 2.5-hour training course of the administrative code requirements for construction sites. The course will also cover the regulations on obstructions and closures of streets and sidewalks, the minimum site safety requirements, the requirements for posting of permits, demolition and excavation, protection of adjacent property, overhead protection, and an overview of the basic OSHA requirements. This course will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, 2024, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this training course. **Attendees can receive 2.5 hours of continuing education credits for this course.**

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.

Last call for building envelope protections workshop

This is the last opportunity to attend live sessions with PSD Building Science Experts. This is a four (4) part virtual training workshop on the science of building envelope protections and will cover various aspects of building durability, including condensation control and water management. The course is intended for licensed contractors and design professionals. A course completion certificate will be issued after each session. The certificate provides proof of continuing education credit, including UCC/ICC CEUs and AIA-HSW contact hours.

Part 1: We have a Moisture Problem

(Identify a problem with the housing stock; Why it is a problem; How to fix the problem)

• Tuesday, February 13, 2024 @ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. – To register, click here.

Part 2: Moisture in Buildings

(Types of moisture; How moisture moves; Steps to controlling moisture in buildings)

• Tuesday, February 13, 2024 @ 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. – To register, click here.

Part 3: Construction Assemblies

(Below grade construction; Above grade construction; Roofs, Parapets, and Penetrations)

• Thursday, February 15, 2024 @ 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. – To register, click here.

Part 4: Water management Strategies

(Grading; WRB; Flashing; Cladding)

• Thursday, February 15, 2024 @ 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – To register, click here.



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.

For more information and to register for one or more of these sessions, click here.

eCLIPSE changes

Changes were recently made to eCLIPSE that may impact the public experience. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to strive to improve your experience.

• Hold Permit Status and Response – Applicants can now view the status of any permit issuance hold or permit completion hold on their permit application and will receive notification via email when resolving a permit hold submission is rejected. Additionally, a new “Permit Amendment Issuance Hold” has been added to eCLIPSE. Please refer to the updated information sheet for step-by-step instructions on resolving a hold.

• Permit Expirations - Improvements have been made to synchronize the expiration and update of trade permits with the parent building. This will eliminate the need to provide updates on individual trade permits when work under the building permit is ongoing. Please review Code Bulletin A-2001 for rules surrounding permit expiration and request and eligible extension BEFORE the permit expires to keep your permits active.

• Building Object Creation - A ‘building’ will now automatically be created upon completion of a new construction permit. This will provide immediate access to submit periodic inspection and testing certifications without waiting for other updates in City records. This does not apply to permits completed before December 15, 2023. If you are unable to submit a certification because the building does not appear in the listing for the parcel, please submit a help request through www.phila.gov/li/get-help and select the "Structural Maintenance & Fire Protection Certifications" category.

• License Application Look-Up – eCLIPSE users can now search for their Business and Trade License Applications that have not yet been submitted or approved using the Search button on their homepage.

Permitting

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 1, February 29, and March 28, 2024.

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

EZ bathroom and kitchen renovation standard

This new EZ plumbing permit standard is designed to allow a registered master plumber to obtain approval of incidental alteration to a bathroom or kitchen in an existing single-family dwelling without a separate building permit. Effective February 1, 2024, the “EZ Bathroom and Kitchen Remodel” work-type may be selected when submitting the plumbing permit application, as shown below, and can be performed through a virtual inspection.

Philadelphia plumbing code training summary

The department provided a plumbing training course earlier this month, reviewing the local modifications to the 2018 International Plumbing Code, including materials, venting, protections, and administrative provisions. The slides used during the training course can be found under the “webinars” section of the L&I website.

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

• Top 10 Building Permit Application Deficiencies - this document identifies the top 10 items that are missed or misunderstood when filing building permit applications. Please review this document before submitting your permit application to avoid common pitfalls.

• L&I Pre-construction Plan Review Checklist – this checklist was recently updated to incorporate chimney/vent extension requirements.

• Notification to adjacent owner information sheet - this information sheet was updated to include the chimney/vent extension requirements.

• Retired Code Bulletins - the following code bulletins, code solutions, and code interpretations have been retired and temporarily removed from the L&I website. Check back soon as we reorganize the page and repost the retired documents for reference. The following bulletins are superseded by the 2018 Philadelphia Plumbing Code:  

• Code Solution: Cast Iron Hubless Couplings
• Code Solution: Sinks installed on roof decks or other exterior locations
• Code Interpretation P-0001: Hydronic Boiler Connections
• Code Interpretation P-9701: Replacement of existing plumbing fixtures
• Variance of General Application P-0320-01: Traps on storm drains that discharge to retention basins

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 $102,000 in license violation fines in December of 2023. Of that total, $52,000 in fines were issued for the use of unlicensed subcontractors or failure to adequately disclose subcontractor usage and $22,000 in fines were issued to contractors for using workers without the required OSHA training. 

License discipline 

The following license suspensions were issued in January 2024:

• William Baker – Intentionally and knowingly deceiving the client by providing a falsified Licenses and Inspections document. The suspension is for 1 month through January 25, 2024.

• Ayelet Farage – Intentionally and knowingly engaging in a scheme to repeatedly undercut requirements of the Philadelphia Code by creating and submitting falsified insurance documents. The suspension is for 6 months through June 24, 2024.

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 April 1, 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.

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.

Reminders

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.



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