North Huntingdon Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In North Huntingdon Township, the Department of Community Development at 11279 Center Highway (724-863-3806 ext. 220, permits@nhtpa.us) issues building permits and the township’s certified building inspectors inspect the work; electrical inspections go to a third-party agency at the applicant’s expense. Every application needs a survey. Under Ordinance 2318, adopted on May 20, 2026, a new house costs $0.50 per square foot (basement and garage included) plus a $250 review fee and a $50 application fee, paid by check once the permit is approved.

What requires a building permit in North Huntingdon?

The township publishes its own two lists. Anything on the first needs a permit; the second covers common jobs that do not.

Sheds have extra limits: only one is allowed per lot, a shed of 100 square feet or less must sit at least 5 feet from the side and rear lines, and a larger one at least 10 feet. Fences may be 4 feet high in a front yard and 6 feet 6 inches in side and rear yards, and corner lots count as having two front yards. A driveway may be no wider than 25 feet from the road edge back to the right-of-way line. One point to settle at the counter: the FAQ says low decks need no permit, while the fee page printed with the 2026 building application lists a $50 zoning permit for decks under 30 inches.

What North Huntingdon decides and what the state holds

The building standards are the statewide Uniform Construction Code; the township’s permit forms cite the 2021 International Residential Code and, for pools, the 2021 swimming pool and spa code. North Huntingdon opted in to enforce the code on June 16, 2004, and L&I lists it with local amendments. The Board of Commissioners sets zoning (the Zoning Ordinance of 1991, amended through August 2016), subdivision and land development, grading, stormwater, street openings and the consolidated fee ordinance.

North Huntingdon building department: who handles permitting

Community Development handles building permits and inspections for houses and commercial buildings, zoning administration, code enforcement, subdivision and land development review, addressing to Westmoreland County 911 standards, lien letters, and the issuance and inspection of on-lot sewage systems. Mark Cypher is the Building Inspector and Zoning Officer and is listed by L&I as the township’s building code official.

North Huntingdon permit types

The township posts separate 2026 applications for residential building, single-family new construction, decks, swimming pools, demolition, commercial building, commercial occupancy, home occupation, signs, transient businesses, zoning, grading and street openings. The residential, deck, pool, demolition, commercial, zoning and grading forms all carry the same warning: an application will not be accepted without a survey. Permit fees are non-refundable.

Residential permits

The general residential packet asks for drawings at a scale of at least 1/4 inch to the foot showing the footer depth and reinforcement, the foundation plan, stud, joist and rafter sizes and spacing, beam sizes and supports and the exterior finish, plus the survey with setbacks from the front right-of-way and side lines. A new single-family house uses its own checklist: two complete packets and one digital copy, a site plan sealed by a Pennsylvania registered land surveyor, a detailed stormwater plan, and proof of the sewer tap or on-lot sewage permit, water or well approval, zoning approval, floodplain approval and a highway occupancy permit where the driveway meets a state road. The form also asks which sanitary authority serves the lot: ALCOSAN, the Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority or the township authority. Pool owners sign a barrier and safety certification, mark the pool position on the survey and turn in a cut-card from an electrical inspector.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial applications need two complete packets and one digital copy covering architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and accessibility drawings, energy calculations, use groups, construction type, fire-resistance and fire protection, occupant loads and special inspections, with health department approval first for health care facilities. Every new building must have a Knox key box shown on the drawings and installed, and a commercial occupancy permit ($150) is issued only after the box is inspected and the final inspection passes. New businesses also file a business registration with the township tax office, and the form asks whether the project is eligible for the township’s LERTA tax abatement.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. The township has commercial (C, C-1, C-1A, C-2), industrial, open space, planned economic development (PEDD1, PEDD2), planned residential and residential (R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3, R-4) districts. Variances and special exceptions go to the Zoning Hearing Board.
• Subdivision and land development. Review and approval takes at least two months; a seven-member Planning Commission recommends and the Board of Commissioners decides.
• Stormwater and grading. A stormwater plan is required with every new-house application, and grading, clearing, excavating and fill work needs its own permit under Chapter 84, signed off by the Township Engineer.
• Sewage. Public sewer laterals are inspected by the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority; on-lot systems are permitted and inspected by Community Development.
• Floodplain. Each application asks whether the site is in the floodplain, and a new house in a flood area must show base flood and lowest floor elevations.
• Driveways and streets. Work in a township street or right-of-way needs a street opening permit; a state road needs a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

North Huntingdon permit costs and fees

Fees come from Ordinance 2318, a consolidated schedule of permit, inspection, facility and development review fees that the Board of Commissioners adopted 7–0 on May 20, 2026; future changes can be made by resolution. A $50 residential or $100 commercial application fee is added to each building, demolition and solar permit.

Worked from the schedule: a new 2,400-square-foot house, counting the basement and garage, is 2,400 × $0.50 = $1,200, plus the $250 review fee and the $50 application fee, or $1,500. A $20,000 detached garage is 20 × $6 = $120, plus the $30 zoning fee and $50 application fee, or $200. The application’s fee page adds the $4.50 state fee on top, while the ordinance says its building fees include the occupancy permit and the state charge, so confirm that line with the permit desk.

Two other documents differ from the ordinance. The 2026 pool application prices an in-ground pool at $6 per $1,000 plus $300 plus the state fee, where the ordinance sets $6 per $1,000 plus the $30 zoning fee; the adopted ordinance governs. The residential form says payment is due on approval, but the commercial form collects the $100 application fee and $250 review fee when the plans are submitted. Payment is by check to North Huntingdon Township.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: inspected by a third-party certified electrical inspection agency that the township and the electric utility (West Penn Power) accept, hired at the applicant’s expense; the framing inspection waits until the electrical rough-in has passed, and the final building inspection comes only after the final electrical inspection has passed. Pools need the electrical inspector’s cut-card.
• Plumbing and HVAC: listed with the township’s own building inspections; rough plumbing and mechanical are checked with the framing.
• Sewer: the township municipal authority inspects inside and outside sanitary sewer work and outside laterals.
• Fire suppression: sprinkler and kitchen hood suppression systems carry a $150 township fee.

The township’s pages set no local electrician, plumber or contractor license. Contractors give their details on each application; home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under the state’s home improvement law, and commercial applicants attach workers’ compensation insurance or an affidavit of exemption.

How to apply for a North Huntingdon building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township states that it has 15 business days to review a residential building permit and 30 for a commercial one, in line with the state deadlines. A missing survey stops an application at the counter, and the review outcome boxes on every form include “additional information required” as a possible result. Projects that need a Zoning Hearing Board decision, a land development approval of at least two months or engineer review under the grading ordinance take longer, and engineer time is billed at $100 an hour.

Inspections in North Huntingdon

Call the Planning and Zoning desk at ext. 220 at least 24 hours before an inspection. The township lists the required stages:

• Footer: after trenches or caissons are dug and forms and reinforcing steel are in place, before concrete is ordered.
• Foundation: after the walls are complete, the French drain installed, damp-proofing applied and the treated top plate bolted or strapped.
• Elevated concrete slabs: with forms and reinforcing in place.
• Electrical: by the approved third-party agency.
• Framing, plumbing and mechanical rough-in: before insulation or wall covering.
• Downspouts and rain leaders: checked to their point of discharge.
• Final: once the building is complete and the final electrical approval is on file.

A new house’s $25 residential occupancy permit is built into its building fee and is issued at the final inspection. Commercial occupancy needs a separate $150 permit after the final, and a change of tenant with no construction needs one too. If an inspector arrives and the work is not ready, the re-inspection costs $150. Demolition sites are inspected at the capped sewer before backfill and again once grading, seeding and mulch are in place.

Pennsylvania building code in North Huntingdon

North Huntingdon has enforced the Uniform Construction Code with its own inspectors since its June 16, 2004 opt-in. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists North Huntingdon Township (community 420893) 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

North Huntingdon permit search and official resources

There is no public online permit lookup. Community Development posts its monthly department reports on its page, and a lien letter for a property costs $40. Copies of permit files and other records are requested on the township’s Right to Know request form, and photocopies cost $0.50 a page under Ordinance 2318. Board agendas, packets and minutes are in the township’s Agenda Center.

• Building inspections and permits
• Permits and regulations FAQs
• Residential building permit application 2026 (PDF)
• Single-family new construction application 2026 (PDF)
• Commercial building permit application 2026 (PDF)
• Commercial occupancy permit (PDF)
• Swimming pool permit (PDF)
• Demolition permit (PDF)
• Zoning permit application (PDF)
• Grading, clearing, excavating and fill permit (PDF)
• Ordinance 2318, consolidated fee schedule (PDF)
• Commissioners’ minutes, May 20, 2026
• Community Development and monthly reports
• Zoning districts and Zoning Ordinance
• Subdivision and land development
• Township ordinances
• Permits and forms
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

North Huntingdon building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in North Huntingdon?

$0.50 per square foot, counting the basement and garage, plus a $250 review fee and a $50 application fee under Ordinance 2318. A 2,400-square-foot house comes to $1,500 before the state fee.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes. A shed under 200 square feet needs a $50 zoning permit; 200 square feet or more needs a residential building permit. Only one shed is allowed per lot.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

No. The township lists shingle replacement, siding, same-size windows and driveway repaving among jobs that need no permit.

Who inspects electrical work?

A third-party certified electrical inspector that the township and the electric utility accept, paid by the applicant.

How high can a fence be in North Huntingdon?

4 feet in front yards and 6 feet 6 inches in side and rear yards; a corner lot has two front yards.

How long does plan review take?

The township has 15 business days for a residential permit and 30 for a commercial one.

Can I pay by card?

No. The fee page says checks only, payable to North Huntingdon Township, due when the permit is approved.

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