East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In East Norriton Township, the Code Enforcement Department in the township building at 2501 Stanbridge Street (610-275-2800) issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits, runs zoning and land development applications, and inspects the work. Permits are applied for on the township’s own forms, and fees come from the 2026 fee schedule adopted by Resolution 2924 on January 5, 2026: a house addition or deck is $0.60 per square foot with a $200 minimum, plus a $75 application fee. The building is open Monday to Thursday and closed to the public on Fridays.

What requires a building permit in East Norriton Township?

East Norriton prices permits work by work, and its fee schedule is the clearest list of what the township permits. Building permits cover new one- and two-family houses, additions, alterations, accessory structures such as garages and larger sheds, retaining walls, roofing, siding and stucco jobs, foundation-only work, demolition and pools, spas and hot tubs. Separate permits cover plumbing (fixtures, water heaters, ejector pumps, water and sewer laterals), mechanical systems (heating and cooling, ductwork, fireplaces, chimney relining, gas piping), electrical work and fire protection systems.

Driveways, curbs, sidewalks and driveway aprons need their own permit, and the fee schedule warns that a grading permit may also be needed when more than 250 square feet of earth is disturbed or the land’s topography changes. Work in the road needs a road occupancy permit. For anything not on these lists, the permits and inspections clerk (ext. 124) can say whether an application is required.

What East Norriton decides and what the state holds

East Norriton opted in to enforce the Uniform Construction Code on May 25, 2004, and L&I’s list shows it kept local amendments. The Board of Supervisors sets the fee schedule, appoints the zoning officer each January, and on January 5, 2026 reaffirmed the township’s Building Code Board of Appeals (Resolution 2926). The township’s “Building Codes Currently in Effect” page still lists the 2018 code editions, which predate the state’s 2026 move to the 2021-based codes described in the state note below.

East Norriton Township building department: who handles permitting

Everything from the first zoning question to the final inspection runs through one department. Code Enforcement administers the building codes and all land development and zoning applications, and its staff include a building inspector, the zoning officer, a permits and inspections clerk and a zoning secretary. The township’s Fire Marshal’s Office inspects occupied buildings and buildings under construction or renovation, except one- and two-family homes, and issues fire code permits.

East Norriton permit types

The township keeps a separate form for each permit: building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, pool and spa, fire, demolition dumpster, sign, use, use and occupancy, general zoning, grading, earth disturbance, road occupancy and the driveway, curb and sidewalk permit. The building, electrical and zoning forms ask for the contractor’s state registration number and the estimated cost, and fees are worked out from the current schedule. Each permit filed also carries a $1.50-per-page document scanning and retention charge for the plans and papers submitted.

Residential permits

• Building: the application may require two sets of a plot plan, sketches, sealed architectural or structural plans, specifications and truss drawings, depending on the job; roofing jobs give the number of squares.
• Electrical: filed on the township’s own electrical form, which may call for two sets of plans signed and sealed by a design professional.
• Plumbing and mechanical: priced item by item, for example $30 per fixture, $150 for a water heater and $175 for a new heating or cooling system.
• Small structures: the general zoning permit covers sheds up to 168 square feet, fences, low decks, patios and fire pits, with a sketch showing distances to the property lines.

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Commercial permits

Commercial new construction and additions are $0.75 per square foot ($500 minimum) and tenant fit-outs or interior alterations $0.70 per square foot ($400 minimum), with commercial plumbing, mechanical (priced per ton), electrical and fire protection permits on top. A business moving in needs a use permit and a commercial use and occupancy certificate, and the Fire Marshal’s inspection fee applies to non-residential occupancies. A temporary certificate of occupancy costs $350 but is not available for one- and two-family dwellings.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning review. The zoning fee list starts with a $75 permit application review, $25 of which is credited to the permit fee on approval. Variances, special exceptions and appeals go to the Zoning Hearing Board, which meets on the second Tuesday at 7 p.m.; the fee is $600 in the residential districts and $2,000 plus half the transcript cost in the commercial and industrial districts.
• Planning Commission. Its seven members advise the supervisors on subdivision and land development plans, zoning changes and pending variances (third Wednesday, 7 p.m.). A land development application is $1,500 plus $50 per lot, with a $5,000 consultant escrow.
• Stormwater. Simplified drainage plans under Ordinance 551 carry a $1,000 escrow for 250 to 2,000 square feet and $2,000 above that; grading and earth disturbance permits are $75 plus the township engineer’s review costs.
• Sewer. New connections pay a township tapping fee of $920 and an ENPWJSA tapping fee of $2,337 per equivalent dwelling unit (230 gallons a day).
• Traffic and roads. The traffic impact fee is $2,123 per new trip; state roads need a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

East Norriton permit costs and fees

The Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 2924, updating and affirming the township fee schedule for 2026, at its reorganization meeting on January 5, 2026; the schedule is posted as Exhibit A, effective that day. A $75 permit application fee is added in every permit category, and the state’s $4.50 UCC fee goes on every permit.

Worked example from the schedule: the building permit fee for a 400-square-foot addition or raised deck is $240 (400 × $0.60, above the $200 minimum). The $75 application fee and the $4.50 state fee are added, along with whatever plan review and trade permit fees the job needs. Work started without a permit can be charged double, at the building code official’s discretion, and an inspector turned away on arrival costs $100.

Trade permits and who may pull them

East Norriton issues its own electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits rather than leaving any trade to an outside office. Electrical fees are a base amount plus a percentage of the estimated cost, from $175 plus 4% for jobs under $50,000 up to $5,500 plus 2% for jobs of $1,000,000 or more, with the separate electrical plan review fee (1% of cost) deducted. Residential plumbing runs $30 per fixture or trap, $45 for distribution piping, $125 for an ejector pump and $150 per 100 feet of new water or sewer lateral; residential mechanical work runs from $100 for duct alterations or chimney relining to $175 for a new system.

Contractors register with the township on the Contractor’s License Application ($100, cash or check), sending liability and workers’ compensation certificates that name East Norriton Township at 2501 Stanbridge Street as certificate holder. Building and trade applications also ask for the contractor’s state registration number, the HICPA registration home improvement contractors hold, and a subcontractor list form is posted with the building forms. The township’s forms set no separate local electrician or plumber license.

How to apply for an East Norriton building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Plan review is charged by square foot for building, energy, plumbing, mechanical and accessibility work, and revised electrical plans cost $100 for a house or $200 for commercial work. State rules give the township 15 business days for residential applications and 30 for commercial ones. Projects needing Zoning Hearing Board relief, a land development approval or a stormwater plan escrow cannot be permitted until those steps are finished, and a continuance requested by the applicant costs $350.

Inspections in East Norriton Township

The department’s permits and inspections clerk (610-275-2800, ext. 124) is the contact for inspection requests, during the Monday-to-Thursday office hours. A failed inspection costs $100 to repeat, and inspections outside regular hours cost $100 an hour with a four-hour minimum. Permits that need more time can be extended for half the original fee ($125 minimum).

New dwellings ($200) and additions or alterations that create new living space ($100) end with a use and occupancy permit. Businesses need a commercial U&O priced at $100 per unit, $5 per 100 square feet or $200, whichever is greater, and the Fire Marshal’s Office inspects non-residential buildings under the township fire code.

Resale use and occupancy

East Norriton requires a use and occupancy permit when a home is sold. The application gives the anticipated settlement date and the buyer and seller, and the township’s resale checklist covers items such as house numbers at least 4 inches tall, guards on stairs and raised surfaces over 30 inches, GFCI-protected outdoor receptacles and a disconnect beside the air-conditioning condenser. The sewer lateral must be inspected and televised at the owner’s expense, and deficiencies must be repaired before the permit is issued. The Finance Department issues the sewer certification used at settlement ($30, ready in 3 to 5 business days and valid for 30 days).

Pennsylvania building code in East Norriton Township

East Norriton enforces the Uniform Construction Code locally under its May 25, 2004 opt-in, through its Code Enforcement Department and the Building Code Board of Appeals reaffirmed for 2026. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists East Norriton Township (community 420950) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 2, 2016; the township posts those maps by section of the township. Its storm sewer system operates under a federal MS4 stormwater permit.

Pennsylvania has one Uniform Construction Code for the whole state, based on the 2021 International Codes since January 1, 2026. Most municipalities enforce it themselves or through a certified third-party agency; where a municipality has opted out, the Department of Labor and Industry handles commercial work and home owners hire a certified agency. Counties do not issue building permits. Pennsylvania rules

East Norriton permit search and official resources

East Norriton has no online permit search. Owners and contractors ask Code Enforcement about their own permits, and requests for township records go to the Township Manager at 2501 Stanbridge Street on the township’s Right-to-Know request form (police records go to the Chief of Police). Sewer certifications for a sale come from the Finance Department.

• East Norriton Code Enforcement Department
• Documents and permit forms
• 2026 Fee Schedule (effective January 5, 2026)
• January 5, 2026 reorganization minutes: Resolution 2924
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• General zoning permit application
• Use and occupancy application and resale checklist
• Contractor’s license application
• Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission
• Fire Marshal’s Office
• Sewer system and certifications
• Floodplain maps
• Open records requests
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

East Norriton building permit FAQs

How much does a deck permit cost in East Norriton?

A deck more than 30 inches above grade is a building permit at $0.60 per square foot ($200 minimum) plus the $75 application fee and $4.50 state fee. A deck 30 inches or lower needs only the $75 general zoning permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?

Yes. Sheds up to 168 square feet and fences use the $75 general zoning permit with a sketch of the lot; larger accessory buildings need a building permit.

Is the township office open on Fridays?

No. The township building is open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed to the public on Fridays.

Do I need an inspection to sell my house?

Yes. A $200 resale use and occupancy permit is required, the sewer lateral must be televised at the owner’s expense, and listed defects must be fixed before the permit is issued.

Who handles sewer service in East Norriton?

Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater has owned and billed the township sewer system since June 19, 2020; new connections still pay the tapping fees on the township fee schedule.

Does East Norriton issue electrical permits?

Yes. The township has its own electrical permit form and fee scale, starting at $175 plus 4% of the estimated cost for jobs under $50,000.

Do contractors have to register with the township?

Yes. The contractor’s license application costs $100 and needs liability and workers’ compensation certificates naming the township.

Simplify East Norriton Township permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Pennsylvania. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about East Norriton Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.