Permit guides
Search the published guide library. Check the conditions, confirm the jurisdiction, then follow the official application path.
Philadelphia does not provide a universal ADU exemption; an accessory unit is evaluated as a use, zoning, building, and trade project for the address. The city's current Landlord Gateway also points owners to Permit Navigator for renovation permit and license planning.
Philadelphia offers a no-plans EZ permit for qualifying residential decks up to 216 square feet, while an on-grade patio and a deck no more than 12 inches above grade can be exempt from zoning review.
An electrical panel or service upgrade is electrical work that should be filed through Philadelphia eCLIPSE before construction.
Philadelphia generally requires a Building Permit for non-masonry fences over six feet or masonry fences over two feet. Zoning limits and property-specific exceptions must be checked separately.
Philadelphia classifies HVAC, ductwork, appliances, and related equipment under the mechanical/fuel-gas trade permit path when the work is limited to that trade.
Philadelphia allows an EZ permit for qualifying nonstructural interior alterations in a single-family residence; structural, occupancy, egress or broader work requires plans and related permits.
Philadelphia lists stand-alone re-roofing as an EZ permit path, subject to the property's conditions and exact scope.
A building-connected solar installation uses Philadelphia's general building and electrical permit paths with possible historic review.
A water-heater replacement is usually a plumbing, mechanical/fuel-gas, electrical, or combined permit scope in Philadelphia.
A one- or two-family dwelling usually does not need a building permit for non-fire-rated window or door replacement in the same opening without structural change, unless the property is historic.