City permit hub

Philadelphia home permit guides

Plain-language guidance for common repairs and upgrades handled by Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.

5 detailed cited rules5 of 20 project types reviewed

City permit tools

Move from the first question to a closed permit.

These tools keep the same Philadelphia context while you verify the authority, find the official record, check the contractor and save final proof.

01 / PLANBuild a Philadelphia Permit BriefStart with the property and complete scope 02 / APPLYOpen official portal routesApplication, fees and inspection links 03 / VERIFYFind the official permit recordMatch scope, permit holder and status 04 / HIRECheck the contractor handoffLicense, insurance, permit and contract proof 05 / CLOSEFinish the permit fileTrack inspections and final status

Common projects

What are you planning?

Open a cited local decision or continue through the official routing workflow.

Window replacement

Philadelphia distinguishes ordinary repair from regulated opening, façade and historic work in its construction-permit system. Confirm same-opening scope, structure, egress and Philadelphia Historical Commission review.

Rule citedRead finding

Kitchen remodel

Philadelphia publishes building and repair permit routes for regulated residential alterations. Separate finish work from structural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical changes.

Rule citedRead finding

Fence installation

Philadelphia publishes a building-permit exemption for a qualifying fence at or below six feet. Zoning, historic, retaining and pool-barrier rules remain separate.

Rule citedRead finding

Shed or accessory structure

Philadelphia publishes a building-permit exemption for a qualifying one-story detached structure at or below 200 square feet. Zoning, location, utilities and larger structures remain separate.

Rule citedRead finding

Swimming pool or spa

Philadelphia publishes a narrow building-permit exemption for qualifying shallow prefabricated pools or spas below the stated depth and volume limits. Electrical, plumbing, barrier, zoning and larger-pool requirements remain separate.

Rule citedRead finding

15 project types remain in research. They do not receive standalone pages or local yes-or-no claims until project-specific official evidence is reviewed. You can still build a research brief and take the complete scope to the issuing authority.