Lancaster building department

The City of Lancaster’s Bureau of Building Code Administration, part of the Department of Community Planning & Economic Development, issues residential, commercial, mechanical-electrical-plumbing (MEP), and fire-system permits for property inside city limits. It enforces the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code plus city ordinances. The city’s local permit trigger is stricter than the state’s, and much of the city is under historic review. Properties in the townships and boroughs around the city are outside this office’s jurisdiction. The city’s application tells you to check the Lancaster County property tax site (lancasterpa.devnetwedge.com) if you are not sure a parcel is inside the city.

When Lancaster requires a permit

Under note 5 of the city’s fee schedule, any work with a fair market value over $300 requires a permit. The only exceptions are interior floor coverings and painting, papering, or tiling done without other renovations. That makes the city’s rule stricter than the statewide UCC exemptions, so in the city, window, door, re-roofing, and gutter jobs over $300 all need permits. Starting work without a permit triples the permit fee and can lead to legal action.

The permit category depends on how the parcel is classified on the county tax site:

• Residential building permit: one- and two-family dwellings.
• Commercial building permit: buildings with three or more dwelling units, and any commercial or commercial-retail property.

How to apply

• Residential: Apply in person or by mail at City Hall, 120 N. Duke Street, or by email to [email protected]. Plans larger than 11 by 17 inches must be uploaded through PlansDrop, the city’s plan-upload site.
• Commercial: Submit through PlansDrop only.
• Don’t send a check with the application. Fees are set when the permit is approved, and the owner or authorized agent then gets an email with the balance due. You can pay in person or by phone by credit card (American Express is not accepted), or by mailing a check or money order. Payment hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The October 2025 residential application (form CPED-0003) requires a detailed scope narrative and a signed copy of the contractor’s estimate, proposal, or contract showing the full fair-market cost of labor and materials. It also asks for the contractor’s Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration number, which you can look up at hicsearch.attorneygeneral.gov. Contractors must provide a workers’ compensation certificate naming the City of Lancaster as certificate holder, or a notarized exemption form. Other submittals, depending on the job, include a site plan, product specifications for HVAC, windows, and doors, footing and framing details for additions, any Zoning Hearing Board or land-development decision letter, and a local floodplain elevation certificate for properties in a floodplain.

The city allows up to 15 business days to review a residential application and 30 business days for a commercial one. Engineering, stormwater, historic, or zoning reviews can add time.

2023 fee schedule highlights

These fees come from Administrative Resolution No. 77-2022, effective January 1, 2023.

Work	Fee
Residential new construction, additions, decks, porches, garages, accessory structures over 200 sq ft	$0.45 per sq ft, $150 minimum
Residential renovation or alteration, $300–$4,999	$75
Residential renovation or alteration, $5,000–$9,999	$150
Residential renovation or alteration, $10,000 and up	$225 plus $15 per additional $1,000
Single-trade job (windows and doors, spouting, or re-roofing), $300–$4,999	$50
Electrical service or fire detection system	$130
Demolition of a building	$250
Re-inspection for uncorrected deficiencies (city inspector)	$55
State education fee (all permits)	$4.50

Commercial alterations over $10,000 are charged in three tiers. Tier I, where a third-party agency does the plan review and inspections, is project value × 0.0015 ($200 minimum) plus the agency’s fees. Tier II, with city plan review and third-party inspections, is value × 0.002 ($400 minimum). Tier III, where city staff do everything, is value × 0.006 ($600 minimum). Third-party agency invoices must be paid when the permit is issued. Permits are valid for one year.

Inspections

When the permit is issued, the city returns a permit placard listing the inspections your project requires. To schedule inspections, contact the permit clerks at (717) 291-4724 or [email protected]. The city is also moving licensing and permitting onto CityView (cityview.cityoflancasterpa.gov), where account holders can submit applications, pay fees, track status, and book inspections. See building inspection stages for the usual sequence.

Historic districts, zoning, and right-of-way

The Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) reviews exterior changes in the city’s Historic District, and the Historical Commission reviews work in the Heritage Conservation District. In these areas, window and storm-window changes, doors, shutters, sheds, fences, and repairs that alter the exterior appearance need staff or board approval. The city’s Historic Resources Inventory map shows which properties are covered. Zoning, Engineering (curb, sidewalk, driveway, dumpster, and street-opening permits), and Stormwater (impervious-area and earth-disturbance applications) each have separate forms. Plumbing work requires a City of Lancaster Master Plumber license unless the homeowner is doing the work in an owner-occupied home. The Fire Marshal’s office (717-291-4869) issues fire permits, including for tents larger than 20 by 20 feet.

Contact

Bureau of Building Code Administration, City Hall, 120 N. Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17602 (mailing address P.O. Box 1599, Lancaster, PA 17608). Phone (717) 291-4724, fax (717) 291-4721. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.