Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
N/A countywide; Pennsylvania UCC generally requires a code official to grant or deny a complete application within 30 business days, while municipal or MCRCOG/code-agency timing varies. Land-development review timing depends on the applicable ordinance and completeness of the submission.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call Mercer County Government: 724-662-3800; Mercer County Regional Planning Commission: N/A on county site; Mercer County Regional Council of Governments UCC: 724-981-1561 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
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
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Mercer County Government: 724-662-3800; Mercer County Regional Planning Commission: N/A on county site; Mercer County Regional Council of Governments UCC: 724-981-1561.
N/A countywide; Pennsylvania UCC generally requires a code official to grant or deny a complete application within 30 business days, while municipal or MCRCOG/code-agency timing varies. Land-development review timing depends on the applicable ordinance and completeness of the submission.
Contact the municipality where the work is located or the designated code agency. For municipalities using the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments program, contact MCRCOG at 724-981-1561 and follow its UCC application and inspection process; MCRCOG identifies Middle Department Inspection Agency as the inspection partner. The county planning commission or Mercer County Regional Planning Commission handles subdivision and land-development review, while UCC inspections remain local or contracted.
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC), 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405 and referenced current ICC codes as adopted by Pennsylvania, including applicable 2021 ICC editions for 2026 permits. Mercer County's official hazard mitigation plan states that county municipalities adhere to the UCC and all but one had opted in to local building-code enforcement. The Mercer County Regional Council of Governments operates a joint multi-municipal UCC enforcement program, and the county planning commission administers or supports countywide subdivision and land-development planning rather than issuing countywide building permits. UCC exemptions are controlled by Pennsylvania law and the responsible municipality or Building Code Official. Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may proceed without a permit only when the application is submitted to the BCO within three business days. Agricultural buildings and certain utility or miscellaneous buildings may be outside portions of UCC coverage, but zoning, stormwater, sewage, floodplain, occupancy, and local accessory-structure requirements can still apply. MCRCOG publishes project-specific requirement guides for participating municipalities.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.