Moon Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Moon Township, the Community Development Department (1000 Beaver Grade Road; 412-262-1700, ext. 116) reviews and issues building permits, issues electrical permits on its own fee worksheet, and inspects construction; David Meinert is the township’s Building Code Official. Residents and contractors can apply through the township’s BS&A Online portal, and a complete application is typically issued within a week. Commercial plan sets must be submitted as hard copies, and the building permit fee is paid by check when the approved permit is picked up.

What requires a building permit in Moon Township?

The township posts a short two-column list and asks residents to call Community Development about anything else before they start:

Yard fencing needs no permit, but it must stand on your own land, off the township right-of-way, no more than 6 feet high, and at least 22 feet from any road, measured from the edge of the pavement or curb; it may run to the side and rear lines unless a road borders them. The township’s fence guide adds that a fence over 6 feet, or any fence around a pool, needs a building permit, and that corner lots may need a greater setback for drivers’ sight lines. Sheds of up to 250 square feet use the shed permit packet, while larger sheds go on the residential building permit application.

What Moon Township decides and what the state holds

Moon has adopted the statewide Uniform Construction Code as modified by the state’s Review and Advisory Council, and publishes a 2026 guide to the 2021 codes and RAC revisions it enforces. It opted in to local enforcement from July 1, 2004 and keeps pre-1999 building code amendments, according to L&I’s municipal list. Township rules cover zoning and land development, the Mooncrest Historic Overlay District, stormwater, grading and logging, streets and rights-of-way, rental inspections and fees, and the township has its own UCC Board of Appeals.

Moon Township building department: who handles permitting

Community Development coordinates land development, property improvement and code enforcement. Its building inspection and permitting staff, including Building Code Official David Meinert, review applications for zoning and building code compliance; zoning and code enforcement staff handle complaints and the zoning ordinance; and the planning staff, under Assistant Township Manager and Planning Director Scott Brilhart, take land development to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

Moon Township permit types

Moon organizes its forms into packets, most revised in 2026: building packets for residential work, commercial buildings, decks, demolition, generators, solar arrays, sheds, above-ground and in-ground pools and hot tubs, fire alarm, sprinkler and truss systems, and residential and commercial electrical work; planning packets for grading and excavating, logging, stormwater and land development; street packets for over-weight hauling and street excavation; and zoning packets for change of use, signs, portable storage units, accessory uses, rental inspections, Zoning Hearing Board appeals and Mooncrest certificates of compliance.

Residential permits

The residential application covers a new dwelling, an addition or alteration, a deck 30 inches or more above grade and a shed over 250 square feet. Online filers upload every document and can watch the permit move through review to “ready for payment” in their account. The checklist asks for one copy of the property survey with the structure and its setbacks drawn to scale, one set of construction plans, the workers’ compensation affidavit or a certificate naming Moon Township as certificate holder, energy compliance details for a new dwelling or conditioned addition, and an undisturbed-soils affidavit or a soils compaction certification. A new house also needs the receipt for sewer and water tap fees from the Moon Township Municipal Authority.

Decks follow the American Wood Council’s Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide and six township documents on approved methods for lateral load connections, ledger attachment, guard posts and stair handrails. The owner and contractor sign a deck affidavit and a deck footer affidavit; a deck that departs from the guide needs sealed plans from a design professional, and decks may not hang from brick veneer, an overhang, a bay window or a chimney.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit expediting, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial projects use the commercial building permit packet, revised July 31, 2026, with the township’s UCC plan review checklist for the cover sheet and drawings. Everything must be submitted together as hard copies, by mail or in person; the commercial electrical application, fee worksheet and electrical fee check go in with the building submittal; and incomplete packages are placed in denied status until complete. The building permit fee is paid by check to Moon Township after approval, when the permit is picked up; online and credit card payment are not available for commercial permits.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. Each application is checked against the zoning ordinance; a change of use, an accessory use (chickens or bees, a no-impact home business, a driveway or a fence height) or a sign has its own zoning form.
• Zoning Hearing Board. Hearings are on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Municipal Building; applications and fees are due to the Zoning Officer 24 days before the hearing.
• Mooncrest Historic Overlay. Altering, adding to, repairing, building or demolishing any building in the Mooncrest historic district needs a certificate of compliance: a pre-application meeting with the Zoning Officer, six copies of the application, and a public meeting of the Mooncrest Historic Overlay Advisory Committee under the design guidelines in Chapter 27 of the township code.
• Grading, logging and stormwater. Each has its own permit in the planning packet.
• Streets and driveways. Any cut, opening or tunneling in a township road right-of-way, including a driveway connection, needs a street excavation or right-of-way permit, which expires 30 days after issue.

Moon Township permit costs and fees

Moon does not print its building permit fee amounts on its permit pages or packets. The township sets the fee after it has reviewed the application, and you pay it when you collect the approved permit; online residential filers see in their portal account when the permit is ready for payment. Before you budget, ask Community Development at ext. 116 what the building permit will cost for your job. The fees the township does print on its 2026 forms are below.

Wiring a hot tub is $250 plus the $4.50 state fee, or $254.50, paid before the electrical inspection can be booked.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: the township issues electrical permits. When a project includes electrical work, the electrical permit application and the fee worksheet go in with the building application; the electrical fee must be paid before the inspection is booked, and the electrician or applicant then calls the township’s electrical inspector to schedule it. A Duquesne Light work order number goes on the application where one applies.
• Plumbing: the Allegheny County Health Department issues plumbing permits; the plan must be approved before work starts, and every permit ends with a final inspection.
• Fuel gas: the commercial packet includes a gas piping test certification with minimum test durations (at least 10 minutes for a one- or two-family dwelling).
• Fire protection: fire alarm, sprinkler and truss systems have their own township permit application.

Moon’s pages set no local trade license. Home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General under HICPA, and contractors open an account in BS&A Online to apply for permits on an owner’s behalf.

How to apply for a Moon Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township’s one-week turnaround applies to complete applications; state law sets the outer limit at 15 business days for residential and 30 for commercial decisions unless extended in writing. Commercial packages missing any item are held in denied status until everything has been submitted together, and drawings must carry the information on the UCC plan review checklist, especially the cover sheet. Other common holdups are a missing soils affidavit or tap fee receipt for a new house, a deck plan that leaves out the approved guard post or ledger details, and an electrical worksheet left off the submittal.

Inspections in Moon Township

Construction inspections start once the building permit has been issued and paid for, and the placard must be posted where it can be seen from the street. For decks, footing and final inspections are always required; a framing inspection is required whenever framing, beams, joists, lateral load connectors or ledger flashing will be hidden at the final, and every deck 6 feet or lower above grade needs a framing inspection before the deck boards go on. Guard posts and flashing must be in place for the framing inspection, beam-to-joist hurricane straps are always required, and stairs with four or more risers need a graspable handrail.

Electrical inspections are scheduled with the township’s electrical inspector after the electrical fee is paid; an extra or repeat electrical inspection is $200. Plumbing is inspected by the county.

Rental units

Before a rental dwelling unit is occupied, the landowner or tenant files a rental inspection application with the Fire Marshal: $20 for one unit or $50 for three to five units, with a rental inspection agreement and a registration form for each unit.

Pennsylvania building code in Moon Township

Moon Township enforces the Uniform Construction Code with its own Building Code Official under its July 1, 2004 opt-in. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Moon Township (community 421082) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 26, 2014.

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

Moon Township permit search and official resources

Applicants follow their own permits in BS&A Online, which also takes payments. For records on a property, ask Community Development; a municipal lien letter is requested on the township’s 2026 lien letter form. Agendas and minutes for the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, UCC Board of Appeals and the township’s authorities are posted on the Agendas & Minutes page.

• Moon Township permit forms and project packets
• Community Development
• BS&A Online permit portal
• Residential building permit application (July 2026)
• Commercial building permit packet (July 2026)
• Fence guide
• UCC codes guide 2026
• Street excavation and right-of-way permit and fees
• Rental inspection permit application
• Zoning Hearing Board application
• Mooncrest certificate of compliance
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permits
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Moon Township building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a fence in Moon Township?

Not for an ordinary yard fence up to 6 feet that stays on your land and at least 22 feet from the road. A fence over 6 feet or around a pool needs a building permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a movable shed of 80 square feet or less. Sheds up to 250 square feet use the shed permit packet; larger sheds use the residential building permit application.

Can I apply online?

Yes for residential work, through BS&A Online, where you upload every document. Commercial applications must be hard copies.

How long does a permit take?

A complete application is typically issued within a week of submittal.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows?

No. Roof covering, window repair or replacement, siding and gutters are on the township’s no-permit list; a new roof over a patio does need one.

Who issues electrical permits in Moon?

The township, on its own application and fee worksheet; a new house is a $600 flat rate up to 200 amps, plus the $4.50 state fee.

What is the Mooncrest certificate of compliance?

Approval needed before altering, adding to or demolishing a building in the Mooncrest Historic Overlay District, after review by the Mooncrest Historic Overlay Advisory Committee.

Simplify Moon 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 Moon Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.