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
Standard review timing varies by permit type and completeness. Philadelphia offers optional accelerated plan review for eligible new-construction applications, reviewed within 5 business days for a $2,000 fee; contractor-license applications are generally reviewed within 5 business days. Permit review timelines should be confirmed in eCLIPSE or with L&I.
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 311 within Philadelphia; 215-686-8686 from outside Philadelphia; inspection scheduling: 215-255-4040 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
City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area 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 311 within Philadelphia; 215-686-8686 from outside Philadelphia; inspection scheduling: 215-255-4040.
Standard review timing varies by permit type and completeness. Philadelphia offers optional accelerated plan review for eligible new-construction applications, reviewed within 5 business days for a $2,000 fee; contractor-license applications are generally reviewed within 5 business days. Permit review timelines should be confirmed in eCLIPSE or with L&I.
The contractor must schedule inspections after permit issuance through eCLIPSE or by calling 215-255-4040 with the two-letter, 10-digit permit number and applicable inspection code. L&I inspectors do not submit requests for the contractor. After-hours inspections require a District Office request at least two business days in advance and additional fees.
Beginning July 1, 2026, Philadelphia adopts the 2021 ICC family with local amendments: 2021 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Existing Building, Performance, Energy Conservation, Fuel Gas, and Plumbing Codes; 2020 National Electrical Code; and the Philadelphia Fire Code based on the 2018 International Fire Code, with 2021 IFC provisions where referenced. Philadelphia's official applicable-codes page lists the locally codified versions and notes that 2018 accessibility provisions continue to apply. Philadelphia requires permits for new construction, enlargements/additions, interior or exterior changes, partial or complete demolition, occupancy changes, occupant-load increases, major repairs, and earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more. Eligible minor work may use EZ Permits without plan submission; regular maintenance and certain listed minor alterations may be permit-exempt or covered by specific EZ permit rules. Emergency repairs may proceed immediately only for sudden conditions threatening life or property, with required notification, documentation, and a permit application filed within three business days.
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.