Announcement / Engagement

L&I information sessions

The Department of Licenses and Inspections is offering regular information sessions to assist stakeholders in navigating L&I processes and keeping abreast of code changes. A list of current offerings is provided below. Customers can also sign-up for this and future webinars under the “Events” section of the L&I homepage (www.phila.gov/li).

• Excavation Permit and Protection of Adjacent Property webinar - L&I will provide a 90-min. webinar on the new requirements relating to the excavation permit and protection of adjacent property. During this session we will review the specific requirements for the excavation permit and plans, as well as the property protection provisions that will apply to all projects that may directly impact an adjacent building. It is recommended that all involved in new construction, demolition, or structural alteration projects join this session if they not attended a prior session. This session will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• L&I eCLIPSE Q&A session - L&I will be hosting a 90-minute open Q&A session to address specific permit application questions for users with some experience using eCLIPSE. This session will be held from 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• L&I eCLIPSE Permitting Basics webinar - L&I will be hosting a 2-hour public training session on the basics of filing permit applications through the online eCLIPSE system. This webinar is an introductory session intended for new users. The session will be held from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• Special Inspections webinar - This 1-hour session will provide an overview of the City of Philadelphia’s Special Inspections program. This program provides for a specialized third-party inspection of selected materials, equipment, building components, or projects, as required by the Philadelphia Building Code. The session will be held from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

Note: Capacity is limited and, in order to accommodate all stakeholders, we ask that you only register if you plan on attending the session and, if your circumstances change, please cancel your registration.

L&I job announcement

The Department of Licenses and Inspections is looking for qualified candidates to fill the following vacancies:

• Building Plan Engineers - The City is hiring Graduate Civil Engineers, which is the entry level position for L&I Building Plan Engineers. Employees in this position examine plans for the construction, reconstruction or renovation of building structures to ensure conformance with sound engineering principles and with existing ordinances and regulations. Employees may progress to the full performance position of Building Plans Examiner Engineer 1 within four years, through the Department’s training and mentoring program. For more information or to submit an application, click here.

• Business Process Manager - This position manages a portfolio of critical cross-departmental improvement initiatives and evaluates performance across the Department through data analysis and customer outreach. This self-directed position serves as a liaison among all stakeholders to identify and implement necessary process improvements across operations within the Department and beyond. This is an exciting opportunity to affect change within City government. For more information or to submit an application, click here.

• L&I Building Inspector - An L&I Building Inspector performs building site inspections for conformance with permits, construction and zoning codes, and applicable ordinances.  Employees will expand their knowledge of construction codes as they progress through the Department’s training and mentoring program. For more information or to submit an application, click here.

• L&I Code Enforcement Inspector - An L&I Code Enforcement Inspector performs inspections of existing properties, which may include homes, business establishments, commercial / industrial establishments, residential buildings, day care facilities, residential and commercial high rise buildings, mixed use properties and buildings with commercial uses. Inspections are performed to ensure conformance with property maintenance, zoning and fire prevention codes as well as ordinances and regulations governing commercial and business activity.  For more information or to submit an application, click here.

Permitting

Protection of property laws

The excavation permit and protection of property laws are now in effect. This will directly impact your project if it includes any of the following:

1. Work includes an excavation more than 5 feet below grade and is within 10 feet of your building.
2. You share a party wall with the adjoining building and work includes complete demolition or other structural alteration that directly impacts that wall.
3. Your property is on the Philadelphia Historic Registry and your building is within 90 feet of excavation, new construction, or demolition on the adjacent lot. 
4. Work includes modification to a common building component, such as a shared porch, balcony, or façade.

Please review the Excavation Permit page, the Construction or Demolition Impacting Adjacent Property page, and all related documents posted to our website. Ensure that your permit application is completed and all required documents are provided to avoid downstream delay.

For more information, join us for the Excavation Permit and Protection of Adjacent Property webinar on Wednesday, January 25th. 

Development in the mixed income neighborhood overlay istrict

Section 14-533 of the Philadelphia Zoning Code includes provisions for Residential Housing Projects located within the Mixed Income Neighborhood (/MIN) Overlay District. L&I has created a new supplemental form that is intended to clarify if the application is required to comply with the requirements of the /MIN Overlay. Effective February 1, 2023, this supplemental form will be required to be submitted with all zoning permit applications for development in the /MIN Overlay. 

Domestic and fire service diagram

The Philadelphia Water Department published a Residential Water Service Pipe Arrangement Diagram to provide guidance on allowable domestic and fire services connection configuration, based on building type. This diagram can also be found in PWD’s Resources Guide.



Licensing

Upcoming OSHA 3015 training for excavation contractor license

The Excavation Contractor License requires the identification of at least one site safety manager that has completed the OSHA 3015 Excavation, Trenching, and Soil Mechanics Course or an approved alternative.

The Mid-Atlantic OSHA Training Institute Education Center is offering OSHA 3015 in-person courses at the following locations:

• Baltimore, MD: February 27th – March 1st
• Norristown, PA: March 20th - March 22nd
• Baltimore, MD: April 3rd - April 5th

The TEEX OSHA Training Institute Education Center is offering OSHA 3015 online courses on the following dates:

• January 31st – February 2nd
• February 28th – March 2nd
• April 3rd - April 5th

As a reminder, this license will be required to perform excavations more than 5 feet below adjacent grade (excluding utility trenches and exploratory investigation) under an excavation permit filed on or after January 1, 2023. A licensed excavation contractor must be identified to obtain an excavation permit.

Audits & Investigations

Enforcement priorities

AIU would like to call your attention to the following enforcement priorities:

• Worker Certification - Every worker at a Philadelphia construction site must have OSHA-10 training and carry their card with them when they’re on the job. If a building more than 3 stories or 40 feet tall is being constructed or demolished, an OSHA-30 trained site safety supervisor must be on site whenever the site is active. OSHA training requirements are a crucial part of keeping Philadelphia’s contractors and workers safe on the job. Violations result in major fines. Make sure that everyone on your jobsite has OSHA-10 training!

• Excavation Practices - Any excavation more than 5 feet deep requires support in accordance with OSHA standards and all excavations must comply with the Philadelphia Building Code. Review your plans and soils investigation report carefully to ensure that your excavation is safe. Be sure to educate yourself on the new excavation requirements that affect permits submitted to the Department in 2023.  If your permit is subject to the new excavation requirements, an OSHA 3015 certificate holder must be on site at all times during the excavation. For more information on the new excavation requirements, please review Code Bulletin B-0503-R3: Excavations and the Protection of Adjacent Property and the slideshow from the Department’s Excavation Contractor License Requirements and Enforcement and Excavation Permit and Adjacent Property Protection webinars.

• Fire Suppression Contracting - To install or work on a Fire Suppression System in the City of Philadelphia, an individual must be either a Fire Suppression systems certificate holder or a registered apprentice supervised by a certificate holder. Violations of these requirements will result in fines, Stop Work Orders, and further investigation.

• Property Maintenance and Fire Protection Certifications- Property maintenance certifications (i.e. façade, fire escape, private bridge, and pier) and fire protection certifications (i.e. fire suppression, fire alarm, damper, etc.) must be submitted through eCLIPSE. Starting April 1, 2023, the Department will begin issuing Code Violation Notices and fines to contractors that fail to upload fire protection system certifications. 

Violation data report

The Department issued $123,000 in license violation fines in December 2022. Of that total, $28,000 in fines were issued for the use of unlicensed subcontractors or failure to adequately disclose subcontractor usage and $61,000 were issued to contractors for using workers without the required OSHA training.

Reminders

Increase in permit and license fees

Fee increases for most permits, business licenses, and trade licenses are now in effect for applications filed on or after January 1, 2023. For more information on permit fee increase, please review the regulation.

Rodent control management

In accordance with Section 4-A-1101 of the Philadelphia Code and associated regulations, a Rodent Control Management Plan shall be developed and implemented at least 15 days prior to the start of a complete demolition or new construction project. The Rodent Control Management Plan, inspection reports, and abatement records shall be kept on site for the duration of demolition or construction and furnished to the Department upon request. L&I will enforce these requirements on all projects beginning construction after January 1, 2023.

Periodic testing and inspection reports

Beginning April 1, 2023, periodic testing and inspection reports must be uploaded through the online eCLIPSE portal by the individual or company performing the inspection. Review Code Bulletin A-2204: Periodic Inspection Report for submission requirements.

A contractor or design professional must be licensed or registered with the Department to submit certifications through the online portal. Visit eCLIPSE Help for instructions on associating or

registering a license.

Manufacturer’s representatives who perform testing of emergency standby power systems will be

required to register their manufacturer approval in eCLIPSE. Look out for more information on the

registration in our February newsletter.

Information on certifications received for a specific property will become available through Atlas in 2023. This will make the status of critical life safety and building inspections available to the public and enable an owner to verify that the contracted inspector submitted results to the Department.

Public comment on 2021 International Code changes now open

The Pa Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Committee (RAC) is reviewing changes to the 2021 International Codes for incorporation into the Pa Uniform Construction Code in accordance with the Pa Construction Code Act.  

The RAC will accept public comment on modified and additional sections of code through March 12, 2023. You may submit comment and find information on adoption schedule and opportunities for participation through the RAC’s website.