L&I NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2020
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Leadership Transition at L&I |
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On October 14, 2020, David Perri stepped down from his position as L&I Commissioner and retired from government service after a 39-year career with the City.
Mayor Jim Kenney has appointed Ralph DiPietro, L&I Deputy Commissioner since 2014, as Acting L&I Commissioner. Acting Commissioner DiPietro worked in construction for several years before joining L&I as an inspector in 1998 and has held a number of leadership positions within the Department. DiPietro holds Master Code Professional (MCP) status, the highest level of certification awarded in the field of code enforcement, and in 2018 was recognized by the City’s Inspector General for his leadership as L&I’s Integrity Officer. Melvin Carrasquillo, who joined L&I in 2004 and has led L&I’s Code Enforcement Unit since 2018, was named Acting Deputy Commissioner.
Mayor Kenney said, “While I hate to see Dave go, I wish him many, many happy and healthy years enjoying his well-deserved retirement. I am confident that Ralph DiPietro and Melvin Carrasquillo will continue to move L&I forward.” Perri, DiPietro, and L&I’s leadership team are credited with restoring the Department’s focus on building safety and spearheading the modernization of Philadelphia’s building, plumbing, and fire codes.
Due to the launch of online permitting through the eCLIPSE system and its extensive preparations for remote work earlier this year, L&I was able to continue issuing permits and conducting inspections throughout the pandemic.
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Register for L&I eCLIPSE Webinars
Sign up today! L&I is continuing to offer bi-monthly public webinars about the online permitting system (eCLIPSE), electronic plans (e-Plans) and zoning. The next scheduled webinars are in January. Customers can sign up for the webinars online under the ‘Events’ section of the L&I homepage.
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Reminder on Master Approval
We are pleased to offer an alternative permitting option for residential development. If your project consists of multiple buildings of the same design and construction, the Master Approval may be the right option for you:
This is a two phased approval process intended to reduce overall permit processing time:
- Obtain a Master Approval for your site and each prototype building. All plans, permit documents and requisite approvals must be provided for review by L&I and other involved departments.
- File for individual building permits under the Master Approval. All permit application information, approved plans, and department approvals are cloned from the Master Approval. L&I will perform an administrative check to verify that no information has been changed and issue your permit.
If this seems like the right option for your pending development project, please schedule your Project Scoping Meeting today.
Zoning Amendments are now permitted under code.
Bill No. 200260 enacted on October 14, 2020 modified the Administrative Code (Section A-301.7.1) to allow amendments to zoning and use registration permits. Amendments are subject to the Code provisions in effect on the date the amendment application is filed. For more details, refer to the Amended Zoning Permit Process Information Sheet.
The following resources were recently added to the L&I website to help guide you through the process in eCLIPSE.
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Combination Permit Process: A combination permit application allows you to include trade work on your building permit application to streamline the permit review process. Refer to the Combination Permit Application Information Sheet for more details.
Fire Watch Requirements are now in effect
As of November 1, 2020, a Fire Watch is required on jobsites during non-working hours when combustible buildings under construction have reached a height of over 40 feet. The fire watch must continue until the building’s fire protection systems have been installed and certified. Refer to the Code Bulletin F-2001 and Fire Watch information sheet for more information.
Coming soon - Contracts Required for Electrical Permit Fee Calculations
Effective January 1, 2021, an executed contract must be submitted with all new electrical permit applications prior to the generation of a billing statement. The contract cost must include the cost of all electrical equipment, material, labor, overhead, and profit and shall be used to determine permit fee in accordance with Section A- 903.2 of the Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code. If the construction cost identified on the contract includes work that is not covered by the permit application, an explanation and detailed estimate of equipment, material, labor, overhead, and profit for the work that is covered by the permit must be provided. The cost associated with solar electric or photovoltaic systems may exclude the cost of arrays or inverters in accordance with Section A-903.2.1.
The contract is not required at application; however, it must be provided prior to calculation of permit fee and generation of billing statement.
Coming Soon: Submit your subcontractors' names to L&I
As a reminder, starting on January 1, 2021, Philadelphia contractors and trade licensees will be required to submit the names of each subcontractor that works under their permits to L&I using eCLIPSE, within three (3) days of that subcontractor starting work. This requirement will not apply to the construction of one- or two family residential buildings.
Failure to comply may result in license violations, fines, and Stop Work Orders.
Refer to the How-To Guide for step-by-step instructions to add a subcontractor to your permit via eCLIPSE.
Request for additional information on your project
Has an examiner requested additional information for one of your projects and do you have questions on the request? If you have contacted the examiner directly via email but still have questions or difficulty resolving the requested information, you can schedule an appointment with the examiner.
To request a phone call or virtual meeting with the examiner, submit the online form.
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Renew Your Lapsed License Today
to Avoid Late Charges
As a reminder, if your business or trade license renewal is more than 60 days past-due, please renew your license as soon as possible to avoid additional charges. A delinquency fee of 1.5% per month will be charged to all licenses that are more than 60 days past due, beginning January 1, 2021.
Outdoor Dining License Updates
In response to the COVID-19 emergency, the City of Philadelphia passed an ordinance permitting restaurants to temporarily expand outdoors. With the onset of colder temperatures, the City is aware that restaurants are seeking to erect shelters to protect diners from the elements and has released guidelines to assist restaurants with their options. If a restaurant opts to erect a shelter, their Outdoor Dining registration must reflect this approval. In certain cases, additional permits are required. The City seeks to remind all owners that all shelters must be properly permitted prior to their placement.
If a restaurant is seeking a new approval for Temporary Outdoor Dining, they can apply via eCLIPSE. If a restaurant already has a Temporary Outdoor Dining approval and wishes to amend the approval, they can submit the online amendment to outdoor dining form to document changes.
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Building Maintenance Inspections |
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Dampers and Smoke Control Reminder
The periodic certification of dampers in select occupancies and of smoke control systems is now enforced by L&I. All certifications for qualifying systems are due by January 1, 2021. Please review the fire protection certifications for more information on regulated occupancies, official forms, and how to submit certifications.
Update on Building Façade Inspection Requirements
Under a regulation originally intended to go into effect this month, when an engineer’s inspection finds that a façade is generally safe but in need of repairs, the repairs must be completed within six months. However, after receiving extensive feedback and in light of the pandemic, L&I is deferring enforcement of the six-month limit with respect to façade inspections until June 1, 2021.
This means that required façade inspections must still be performed, but until June 1, 2021, results should be submitted to L&I on this earlier version of the Summary Report Form and in accordance with the instructions on this form.
Refer to the how-to-guide for step by step instructions on submitting building inspection reports through our online eCLIPSE portal.
High-Rise Checklist
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Citing Building Code Enforcement, Insurance Industry Advisors Support Lower Premiums for Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s leadership in adopting and implementing the most up-to-date building codes may result in lower insurance premiums for Philadelphia property owners, businesses, and residents. For the first time, insurance industry experts ISO Mitigation have ranked Philadelphia in the top tier of municipalities that use building codes effectively to make buildings more resistant to disasters, which in turn reduces expected insurance payouts due to property loss. Effective use of building codes for new commercial construction has landed the city – for the first time -- in the top tier of municipalities evaluated by insurance industry experts ISO Mitigation. This creates the potential for Philadelphia property owners and businesses to see lower insurance premiums.
ISO has advised insurers that Philadelphia is effectively using codes to make buildings more resistant to disasters and that therefore, insurers can expect future insurance payouts for property damage to be lower.
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Back issues of the L&I Newsletter are available on the L&I website under Resources.
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