Mount Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Mt. Lebanon the municipality’s own Inspection Office, 710 Washington Road, second floor (412-343-3408, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), reviews plans, issues building and zoning permits and inspects the work; applications can be filed online through Municity Connect from the MyLebo portal or on paper. Residential permits are generally issued within 15 business days, and under the 2026 fee schedule (R-16-25) an addition costs $60 for the first $1,000 plus $7.50 per $1,000 after that, or $0.70 a square foot if that is more.

What requires a building permit in Mt. Lebanon?

Mt. Lebanon’s rule is to get a permit before constructing, altering, replacing or repairing an existing structure, and every commercial project needs one. Owners who start without a permit face fines set by the magisterial district judge and, under the fee schedule, a doubled permit fee of up to $1,000 per permit. The Inspection Office publishes project-by-project guidance for the most common jobs, summarized below.

Zoning limits ride along with these permits. In single-family districts fences up to 6 feet are allowed in side and rear yards and none in front yards, solid fences are not allowed, shadowbox fences may be 4 feet, and a fence may sit on the property line. Sheds must be 5 feet from property lines and out of the front setback, patios 5 feet from property lines, and a front porch may project no more than 10 feet into the front yard. Patios adding more than 500 square feet of impervious area must also meet the stormwater ordinance. One inconsistency: the shed guidance calls for a building permit for any storage shed, while the fee schedule and the permit-timing note list sheds among the $90 zoning permits, so the Inspection Office decides which applies.

What Mt. Lebanon decides and what the state holds

Mt. Lebanon, a home rule municipality, opted in to the Uniform Construction Code on June 28, 2004 and is listed by the Department of Labor and Industry with local amendments. The state code sets the construction standards; the municipality sets its zoning (fence rules sit in Chapter 20, section 808), grading, health and safety, minimum property standards and stormwater rules, the stormwater fee ordinance first approved in 2011 and last amended on December 12, 2023, and the comprehensive fee schedule adopted each year.

Mt. Lebanon building department: who handles permitting

The Inspection Office oversees all residential and commercial construction, new and remodeling, and also enforces the grading, health and safety, minimum property standards, solid waste and zoning chapters of the Mt. Lebanon Code. Its building and zoning inspectors review applications; electrical permits and inspections are handled by Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA), and plumbing by the Allegheny County Health Department, with each sending proof of approval to the Inspection Office.

Mt. Lebanon permit types

Each application on the municipality’s permits page carries a checklist. Besides the residential and commercial building permit applications there are forms for a certificate of occupancy and use, demolition, driveways and parking pads, fences, front porches and stairs, grading, home occupations, bees and chickens, mechanical work (air conditioning, furnaces, generators), patios, portable storage pods, pools, porch enclosures, kitchen and bath remodels, new houses, retaining walls, sheds, signs, sump pumps and interior drains, solar panels, wall anchors and push piers, and zoning variances. Municity Connect lets users apply, upload drawings, request inspections, submit complaints and track items online; both a MyLebo and a Municity Connect account are needed, and online payment had not yet launched.

Residential permits

Zoning permits and many building permits need a property survey, a certified, dimensioned drawing of the lot; the Inspection Office holds surveys only for properties where an earlier permit required one, so the owner provides it, and most forms ask for two copies. New houses start with zoning compliance before the building application, are reviewed against the stormwater and grading ordinances, and most need a developer’s agreement with securities posted. Solar arrays need a stamped design from a Pennsylvania design professional, as do most wall anchor and push pier jobs, and replacement basement floors over interior drains are inspected for a minimum 3½-inch thickness.

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

Commercial permits

All commercial projects require permits. Fees run $110 for the first $1,000 of estimated cost plus $7.50 per $1,000, and new commercial buildings pay that or $0.99 a square foot, whichever is greater; commercial plan review is $110 for the first 10 sheets plus $5.25 a sheet. Signage regulated by the state building code uses the commercial building permit application, and commercial demolition needs utility releases and an asbestos exemption or abatement certificate. A certificate of occupancy is required for a change of use in an existing building or of a nonconforming use.

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. Zoning permits for air conditioners, driveways, fences and sheds are issued within 30 days; variances go to the Zoning Hearing Board ($500 for 1–4 dwelling units, $1,000 for other uses).
• Stormwater. Projects adding 500 to 1,500 square feet of impervious surface pay a $250 stormwater review; larger ones pay $100 plus an escrow for the third-party engineer.
• Grading. One-family sites pay $260 for a grading permit; other sites $465 up to 1,000 cubic yards plus $47 per additional 1,000.
• Historic review. Federally funded or permitted projects affecting historic properties go through Section 106 review; requests go to the staff liaison to the Resiliency Advisory Board, and the municipality’s Design Guide covers older homes.
• Streets and dumpsters. A dumpster in the street needs a permit from the Police Traffic Division (412-343-4086); street openings are $90 plus $1.50 per additional foot.

Mt. Lebanon permit costs and fees

Mt. Lebanon adopts a comprehensive fee schedule every year. The 2026 schedule, R-16-25, is the one in force; a 2027 schedule posted in October 2026 is still labeled proposed, so 2026 rates apply until the Commission adopts it.

Worked example: a 300-square-foot addition costing $30,000 is charged $60 for the first $1,000 plus 29 × $7.50, or $277.50; the area test gives 300 × $0.70, or $210, so the higher $277.50 applies, plus the $4.50 state fee for $282. A new 2,000-square-foot house is 2,000 × $0.94, or $1,880, before the state fee, zoning, stormwater, grading and occupancy charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: permits and inspections are obtained from and performed by Middle Department Inspection Agency (1-800-362-6342) under the National Electrical Code; MDIA sends proof of approval to the Inspection Office. Pools, illuminated signs and service changes all need the electrical permit.
• Plumbing: the Allegheny County Health Department’s plumbing program issues a separate permit, approves the plumbing plan and inspects under the county plumbing code; kitchen and bath remodels need both its permit and the municipal building permit.
• Mechanical: air conditioners, furnaces and generators take the municipal mechanical permit, priced on installation cost.
• Rough-ins: electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections each consist of a rough-in and a final.

Mt. Lebanon’s pages show no municipal trade license; its Historic Home page offers advice on choosing a contractor, and home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under state law.

How to apply for a Mt. Lebanon building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The municipality aims to issue residential building permits within 15 business days, commercial permits within 30 days and zoning permits within 30 days. Incomplete applications are the delay the consultations are meant to prevent, and new houses wait on zoning compliance, stormwater and grading review and the developer’s agreement. Applications are processed in the order they are received.

Inspections in Mt. Lebanon

Request inspections by calling 412-343-3408; requests cannot be left on voicemail. Inspectors go out twice a day, Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m., so call before those windows with the address and inspection type. The stages for new work are the footer inspection before concrete, with rebar in place and footings on undisturbed ground at least 3 feet below finished grade (plus a foundation survey for new buildings); rough framing after the electrical and plumbing rough-ins but before insulation; storm drainage before it is covered; insulation; drywall before finishing; and the final. A certificate of occupancy, applied for with the building permit when needed, is released by the building inspector before a new building or addition is occupied.

Before selling a home

Close out every permit before a sale: Mt. Lebanon will not issue a lien letter while permits are open. Point-of-sale dye testing is run by Public Works (412-343-3403); the evidence of compliance must be submitted at least 10 business days before closing with a $50 fee.

Pennsylvania building code

Mt. Lebanon chose to enforce the Uniform Construction Code locally on June 28, 2004, with amendments. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon (community 421272) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current map dated September 26, 2014 that FEMA marks as having no elevations.

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

Mt. Lebanon permit search and official resources

Permit applications filed through Municity Connect can be tracked online by the applicant. Other records, including older permit files and surveys the Inspection Office holds ($5 a copy on site), can be requested on the standard state right-to-know form or on Mt. Lebanon’s own public records request form, under the municipality’s resolution on requests.

• Inspections, Permits and Zoning
• MyLebo portal (Municity Connect applications)
• 2026 Comprehensive Fee Schedule (R-16-25)
• 2027 proposed fee schedule (not adopted)
• Public documents and fee schedules
• Residential building permit application
• Fence permit application
• Shed permit application
• Certificate of occupancy application
• Point-of-sale dye testing
• Stormwater management and fee
• Right-to-Know requests
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permits
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Mt. Lebanon building permit FAQs

Can I apply for a Mt. Lebanon permit online?

Yes, through Municity Connect from the MyLebo portal; you need accounts on both. Paper applications are also accepted at 710 Washington Road.

How long does a permit take?

Residential building permits are generally issued within 15 business days, commercial permits within 30 days and zoning permits within 30 days.

Do I need a permit to replace windows?

Yes. Mt. Lebanon lists window replacements, structural roof repairs, decks, hot tubs and additions among the work needing a building permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes, but the municipality’s papers differ on which one: the shed handout calls for a building permit for any storage shed, while the 2026 fee schedule lists sheds among the $90 zoning permits. Ask the Inspection Office which applies. Sheds must be 5 feet from the property lines and out of the front setback.

How tall can my fence be?

Up to 6 feet in side and rear yards in single-family districts; no fences in front yards and no solid fences. A $90 zoning permit is needed.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 412-343-3408 (no voicemail); inspections run weekdays 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.

Who handles electrical permits?

Middle Department Inspection Agency, at 1-800-362-6342.

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