Murrysville, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Murrysville, building permits come from the municipality itself. Community Development (4100 Sardis Road, 724-327-2100) takes a building permit application together with a zoning permit application, and David Jobe, the Building Code Official (ext. 121), answers building, zoning and sewage-tap questions and inspects the work. The municipality’s FAQ sends applicants to Chapter 112 (Fees) of the municipal code for every fee, and Council approved Ordinance No. 1113-26, “the Fee Ordinance”, on July 21, 2026. Owner-occupied homes need no occupancy inspection at sale, but every sale or refinance of a sewered property needs a $350 sewer lateral inspection.

What requires a building permit in Murrysville?

Murrysville sorts residential work into two groups. Bigger jobs need a building permit under the Uniform Construction Code; smaller accessory work needs only a zoning permit, which checks setbacks and use under the Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 220 of the municipal code, adopted as Ordinance 680-05).

Even a zoning-only project must meet the yard setbacks in Article III of Chapter 220, which vary by district: R-R Rural Residential, R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential, the Business district, M-U Mixed Use and P-L Public Lands. Horses and other livestock are allowed only on lots of 10 acres or more.

What Murrysville decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are the statewide Uniform Construction Code. Murrysville elected to enforce it locally on June 16, 2004, and L&I lists the home rule municipality with no local building code amendments. Council controls the rest: zoning, subdivision and land development, the stormwater ordinance, road occupancy rules and the fee chapter. Since May 20, 2026 a five-member Code Appeals Board, created by Ordinance 1112-26, hears appeals from decisions under both the construction code and the property maintenance code; its rules of procedure were adopted by Resolution 819-26 on July 1, 2026. A proposed Chapter 220 amendment adding standards for data centers and large solar facilities (Ordinance 1111-26) had its public hearing on September 2, 2026, and Council tabled advertising it that night; the posted minutes and agendas through November 4, 2026 show no later vote, so it is not in force.

Murrysville building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Community Development coordinates planning, zoning, subdivision and land development, and its duties include enforcing the building, plumbing, heating, housing and demolition codes. Permits are handled by municipal staff: questions about building, zoning and land operation permits, new homes and commercial buildings, inspections and sewage taps all go to the Building Code Official. Emily Mallisee is the Community Development Director and also leads Engineering.

Murrysville permit types

The forms page lists the applications Community Development uses. The building permit packet bundles four items: the building permit application, the Chapter 220 zoning permit application, the lot plot plan review checklist where it applies, and a workers’ compensation affidavit. The forms can be filled in online but must be printed and returned to the municipality.

Residential permits

A house application needs two sets of building plans: floor plans for every level drawn to scale, elevations of every side with the exterior materials, and a typical wall section at a larger scale. The drawings must show footer size, foundation wall height and thickness, floor and roof framing with spans, direction and member sizes, and the lintels and headers over doors and windows. A plot plan sealed by a registered surveyor shows the setbacks, lot dimensions, easements and rights-of-way, finish grades, swales and erosion controls. The packet also asks for a copy of the sewage tap-in or on-lot sewage permit and the energy code the building will meet (the packet points applicants to the RESCheck and COMcheck tools). A manufactured home needs the approved installation manual for a new unit, footer and foundation drawings where used, and a pier detail and layout.

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Commercial permits

The same application covers non-residential work, with the use group, specific use and any change of use, plus a question about an emergency key box. Before a business opens, Murrysville issues a certificate of non-residential occupancy and use; the certificate covers only the use described, and a new or expanded use needs a new certificate. Planning and engineering reviews are billed back: the owner signs a review fee disclaimer agreeing to pay what the municipality’s planner and engineer consultants charge, and unpaid invoices can lead to permits being suspended or refused. A disputed invoice must be appealed within 45 days.

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 and land development. Subdivisions, site plans, zoning changes, grading permits and environmental impact statements are processed by Community Development and reviewed by the Planning Commission and Council. Lot line revisions take about 2 to 3 weeks, minor subdivisions 4 to 6 weeks, and major subdivisions, planned residential developments and major land developments at least 2 to 4 months. Council minutes from September 2, 2026 note that an addition of more than 10% of a building’s size requires land development approval by Council.
• Zoning Hearing Board. A three-member board hears requests for relief from the Zoning Ordinance and meets as needed.
• Stormwater. Chapter 198, the Stormwater Management Ordinance (Ordinance 1034-20, adopted December 16, 2020), applies to land development and regulated earth disturbance. For projects disturbing under an acre, adding no impervious area is exempt; up to 1,000 square feet of new impervious surface in urban areas (3,000 in suburban or rural areas) can use the no-harm option; 3,000 to 10,000 square feet needs a small project site plan; anything larger needs a full stormwater management plan.
• Floodplain. The application asks whether the site is in an identified flood hazard area, and Engineering supplies a floodplain application for a single residential structure or lot and an elevation certificate form.
• Sewer or septic. Public sewer in all of Murrysville is regulated by the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority; an on-lot system needs the state on-lot sewage disposal permit application, which is on the forms page.
• Road occupancy. Any work in a street right-of-way, including utility repairs, needs a road occupancy permit under Ordinance 96-74; a driveway onto a state road needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

Murrysville permit costs and fees

Murrysville’s Community Development FAQ answers the fee question with one line: see Chapter 112, Fees, of the Code of the Municipality of Murrysville. The permit forms print no amounts. On July 21, 2026 Council approved Ordinance No. 1113-26, “the Fee Ordinance”; the minutes describe it as an update for burning permits and audio and video requests that also changes some language and formatting in the building permits section. The minutes do not list the new amounts, so ask Community Development for the fee for your project before you file.

Because the amounts sit in the code chapter rather than on the municipality’s own pages, the most reliable way to budget is to send the plans to Community Development and ask for the fee. Larger projects should also allow for the consultant review invoices, which arrive separately from the permit fee and can hold up a permit if they are not paid.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Building, plumbing and mechanical: one application covers plumbing, mechanical, electrical, repair, demolition and foundation-only work as well as new buildings. Community Development enforces the building, plumbing and heating codes, and its inspection request form lists plumbing and mechanical inspections alongside the framing stage.
• Electrical: the electrical inspection is listed on the same request form; for swimming pools the municipality asks for proof that a third-party agency inspected the wiring.
• Sewer connections: tap-ins go through the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority, and the Building Code Official handles sewage tap questions on the permit side.

The municipal pages read show no Murrysville license for electricians, plumbers or heating contractors. The application asks for the principal contractor’s state contractor registration number and expiry date (the Attorney General’s home improvement registration) and a workers’ compensation certificate or waiver.

How to apply for a Murrysville building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building permit itself follows the state clock of 15 business days for a residential decision (5 if a design professional certifies the plans) and 30 for commercial work. The longer waits in Murrysville come before that: plot plans may need an engineering review of grades, driveways, roof drains and stormwater controls, a stormwater bond can be required, and a subdivision or land development must pass staff, the Planning Commission and Council, sometimes over several meetings. Missing survey seals and unpaid review invoices are the avoidable causes of delay.

Inspections in Murrysville

Inspections are requested on the municipality’s inspection request form, which names the permit, the site and the date and time wanted. The stages listed are footer, foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, wall board and final, with space for other inspections the project needs. The application gives the Building Code Official or an authorized representative the right to enter the site at any reasonable hour to check the work.

Occupancy, sales and rentals

Murrysville does not require an occupancy inspection when an owner-occupied home is sold. Rental units are different: landlords must register each unit and have it inspected, using the rental unit registration and rental unit occupancy forms, and short-term rentals have their own application. Commercial tenants need the certificate of non-residential occupancy before opening. Separately, any property connected to the public sewer that is sold, rented or refinanced must pass the sanitary authority’s inspection of the sewer lateral for storm or surface water connections; it costs $350, and no sale or refinancing can close until the certificate is issued.

Pennsylvania building code in Murrysville

Murrysville opted in to enforce the Uniform Construction Code on June 16, 2004, and enforces it with its own Building Code Official. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Murrysville (community 421207) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 17, 2011.

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

Murrysville permit search and official resources

Murrysville has no public online permit search. Permit and zoning records are kept by Community Development; a formal request for files goes through the municipality’s Right-to-Know process, in person or on the online request form, to the Chief Administrator as Right-to-Know Officer (ext. 106). Anonymous requests are not accepted. Council agendas and minutes, including the fee, appeals board and zoning ordinances, are posted in the Agenda Center.

• Murrysville Community Development
• Forms, permits and maps
• Building permit application packet (PDF)
• Zoning permit application (PDF)
• Community Development FAQs
• Review fee disclaimer (PDF)
• Non-residential occupancy application (PDF)
• Stormwater Management Ordinance 1034-20 (PDF)
• Stormwater and the MS4 program
• Floodplain forms
• Road occupancy permit
• Selling, renting and refinancing real estate
• Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority
• Zoning Hearing Board
• UCC Board of Appeals
• Council minutes, July 21, 2026 (Fee Ordinance 1113-26)
• Right to Know
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Murrysville building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Murrysville?

The municipality’s Community Development Department at 4100 Sardis Road. The Building Code Official, reached at 724-327-2100 ext. 121, handles building, zoning and sewage-tap questions and the inspections.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Murrysville?

A shed under 500 square feet needs a zoning permit only. An accessory structure over 500 square feet needs a building permit as well.

Does a deck need a building permit?

A deck more than 3 feet high needs a building permit; a lower deck needs a zoning permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, a zoning permit, so the municipality can check the fence against the Chapter 220 rules for your district.

How much is a building permit in Murrysville?

The municipality’s FAQ points to Chapter 112 (Fees) of the municipal code, and Council approved a new Fee Ordinance (No. 1113-26) on July 21, 2026. The forms and web pages print no amounts, so ask Community Development for the figure; the $4.50 state fee is added to every building permit.

What is needed to sell a house in Murrysville?

No municipal occupancy inspection for an owner-occupied home, but a $350 sewer lateral inspection by the sanitary authority (724-327-1950) must be passed before a sale or refinance of a sewered property can close.

Can I submit the forms online?

You can fill them in online, but the municipality asks for printed copies returned to its office with the plans.

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