Administrative overview · FIPS 42003
Allegheny County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Allegheny County Economic Development and Office of Property Assessments; building permits and zoning are administered by the municipality where the project is located
For a project in or near Allegheny County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Allegheny County general information: 412-350-4636 or 800-581-9145; county planning: 412-350-1030; local building/code official varies by municipality
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Allegheny County: 436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Economic Development Planning Division: 436 Seventh Avenue, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Operating hours
N/A for a countywide permitting counter; county and municipal office hours vary
Review expectation
N/A; review and inspection timelines are set by the municipality or its third-party UCC agency. Pennsylvania state expedited plan review is available within 7 days when requested with the applicable fee.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Allegheny County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Allegheny County general information: 412-350-4636 or 800-581-9145; county planning: 412-350-1030; local building/code official varies by municipality.
How long might review take?
N/A; review and inspection timelines are set by the municipality or its third-party UCC agency. Pennsylvania state expedited plan review is available within 7 days when requested with the applicable fee.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact the municipality or its certified UCC code official where the work is located; Allegheny County does not schedule general building inspections countywide. Municipal inspection procedures, contacts, and appointment requirements vary.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC), 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405 and referenced current ICC codes as adopted by Pennsylvania, enforced by the applicable municipality or its certified third-party code agency. Allegheny County separately administers county health and housing standards and certain subdivision/land-development reviews. Exemptions are controlled by the applicable municipality and Pennsylvania UCC. Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may proceed without a prior permit only when the UCC application is submitted to the building code official within three business days; other minor-work exemptions must be confirmed locally. Zoning, floodplain, sewer/septic, and other approvals may still apply.