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).

• Maintenance and Annual Fire Protection Certifications webinar - L&I will be conducting a 2-hour webinar on the requirements for maintenance and annual fire protection certifications. During this session we will cover recent updates to our maintenance certification program, review eCLIPSE certification upload requirements, help troubleshoot some common issues, and more. We recommend all professionals who provide inspection and maintenance certification services attend this webinar. This session will be held on Wednesday, April 19^th from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• Excavation Permit and Protection of Adjacent Property webinar - L&I representatives will provide a 90-min. webinar on the 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. This session will be held on Wednesday, April 26^th from noon - 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• L&I eCLIPSE Permitting Basics webinar - L&I will be conducting 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 on Wednesday, May 10^th from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. Please register if you are interested in attending this information session.

• L&I eCLIPSE Q&A session - The Department of 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 on Wednesday, May 24th from 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 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.

Permitting

Excavation and Protection of Property Updates

Thank you for participating in L&I's information session on the new laws surrounding excavations and protection of property. Additional information has been added to our site in response to questions that you’ve raised during these sessions:

• Contacts for publicly-owned property have been added to Page 3 of the Notice to Adjoining Owner Information Sheet.

• Protection of Property Information Sheets have been updated to clarify that a non-contributing building does not trigger historic property monitoring requirements. Contact the Philadelphia Historical Commission to confirm the status of a particular building.

• It has been confirmed that underground storage tanks are classified as a utility and installation / removal do not automatically trigger protection of property requirements. However, an engineer must evaluate potential impacts where tank is within 5 feet of an adjacent building. Review Get a Building Permit for a Tank web page for complete information.

If you have questions on the new laws, we encourage you to join our April 26th webinar.

eCLIPSE zoning permit application 

Beginning May 1, 2023, documents required for City Planning site plan approval MUST be uploaded as a separate file in the eCLIPSE Zoning Permit Application. This requirement is intended to mitigate downstream delay that may occur when a zoning plan is revised for reasons un-related to the City Planning review. 

The following permit resource was recently added to the L&I website, www.phila.gov/li

• Outdoor special event FAQ - This document provides clarification on which permits and licenses are required for special events.

• Water and sewer service approvals information sheet - This document outlines the L&I approval process relating to water and sewer service connections for new construction projects and addresses special conditions that may influence application requirements and procedures.





Licensing

Mobile fueling license

The regulation establishing a Fleet Vehicle Mobile Fueling License to fuel fleet vehicles at commercial, industrial, governmental, or manufacturing facilities is now effective. This new license is now available through eCLIPSE. For more information, visit the website.

Permit Inspections

Change in contractor form

Starting April 1, 2023, property owners or their representatives requesting to remove and/or add a new contractor to their permit must submit an online request form and upload a completed change in contractor form.





Annual Inspections

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.

Coming soon: Building Certification information (i.e. certification type, inspection date). Register for the upcoming Maintenance and Annual Fire Protection Certifications webinar to lean more about these requirements.



Regulations

New L&I regulation

• Safety amendments to Streeteries – On March 9, 2023, an amendment to the Streetery regulation was filed to add requirements for Emergency Access and prohibited locations.



Audits & Investigations

Enforcement priorities

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

• Excavating - Please review our “Excavations and the Protection of Adjacent Property” Code Bulletin. All permit applications filed after January 1 for excavation work must comply with the Philadelphia Building code. Be sure to educate yourself on the new excavation requirements that took effect on January 1, 2023. Visit the website for more information on obtaining an Excavation Contractor License.

• In accordance with Title 9-1004, contractors who hire a subcontractor to perform work authorized by their permit, must list the subcontractor on the permit in eCLIPSE within 3 days of the commencement of any work authorized by that permit, unless that permit is for a residential building of two dwelling units or less. If the Department establishes that a contractor has failed to do this, the contractor will be cited with a violation of 9-1004(8). That citation is accompanied by a $2,000 fine.

• Subcontracting - Subcontractors must always be licensed. They must carry a valid contractor or trade license (for trade work) whenever they are working. A subcontractor is any person or business hired to perform work authorized by a permit, who is not identified on that permit’s application as the prime (or responsible) contractor. 

• 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. For all demolition work and for a building more than 3 stories or 40 feet tall is being constructed, an OSHA-30 trained site safety supervisor must be on site whenever the site is active.

• Plumber Licensing and Registration - No person shall perform plumbing work unless that person is either a Master Plumber, Journeyman Plumber or a Registered Apprentice working under the direction of a Licensed Master Plumber. Ordinary unskilled laborers may excavate, drill, clean and move materials under the direction of a licensed plumber. No person shall be prohibited from performing minor repairs such as repairing existing plumbing fixtures, replacing faucets or valves with like material, clearing stoppages, stopping leaks, relieving frozen pipes without replacement of any piping.

Violation data report

The Department issued $137,000 in license violation fines in February 2023. Of that total, $29,000 in fines were issued for the use of unlicensed subcontractors or failure to adequately disclose subcontractor usage and $38,000 were issued to contractors for using workers without the required OSHA training.

Reminders

Permit navigator

As a reminder, the Permit Navigator pilot program is available. This digital tool helps public users determine what permits and approvals are needed for certain residential alteration and small business projects. This tool also includes information on the cost and application process for select permit types.

The City is committed to improving and expanding this pilot to include all aspects of development. To share feedback about your experience with the Permit Navigator, please email smartcityphl@phila.gov.

Additional permit documents available in eCLIPSE

As a reminder, supplemental documents submitted with the permit application that contain key design, construction, or inspection information (i.e. soils investigation report, statement of special inspections etc.) may be accessed through the eCLIPSE portal upon permit approval and issuance.

Supplemental documents are available on Commercial and Residential Building, Complete Demolition, Fire Suppression, and Mechanical Permits submitted after March 15, 2023. 

Generator manufacturer representative registration

As a reminder, the annual certification of emergency and standby power systems may be performed by an individual approved by the equipment manufacturer to perform testing and inspection. 

An individual operating under a manufacturer’s approval must be registered with L&I in order to submit certifications through the eCLIPSE portal. For more information on this registration, please visit the website.

Note: This annual certification may also be performed by a licensed electrical contractor. 

Aboveground fire suppression certification form

All tests performed on or after April 1, 2023, for aboveground piping of NFPA 13 or 13R systems, must submit Form 79-770 (Backflow Prevention Assembly Test and Maintenance Record) to the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and a copy must be attached with the CMT certification form.