Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, issues building, zoning, trade, roofing, pool and stormwater permits through its Permits Department at 935 North Providence Road, Media (610-565-4944). The township’s third-party inspection agency, Linn Architects, answers code questions and books inspections at 610-566-7044 (option 2), and United Inspection Agency handles electrical inspections. Under Resolution 2025-36, the 2026 fee schedule, house alterations cost $20 per $1,000 of job cost with a $250 minimum, and property sales go through a resale use and occupancy inspection. It is a different township from Upper Providence in Montgomery County.

What requires a building permit in Upper Providence Township?

The township’s permits page puts it simply: get the right permit before starting a project such as electrical work, a pool, a deck or an addition. It publishes a separate application for each common job, which doubles as the list of what it regulates.

Work that disturbs the ground or adds paving may also need a stormwater management permit; an in-ground pool over 500 square feet always does. Anyone digging must call 8-1-1 at least three business days ahead.

What Upper Providence decides and what the state holds

The township opted in to enforce the UCC on June 29, 2004, and L&I’s list records local amendments. Township Council sets fees by resolution (Resolution 2025-36 of December 15, 2025, for 2026) and keeps local rules the UCC does not cover: annual rental inspections under Code 1462, the Chapter 1214 stormwater and erosion rules, the zoning ordinance, which includes a Floodplain Conservation District, and vacant property registration. In September 2026 Council hired Linn Architects to review and propose revisions to sections of the zoning code in phases, starting with a first phase capped at $2,500.

Upper Providence Township building department: who handles permitting

Applications, fees and permits are handled at the township building. Plan review and inspections are done by the township’s third-party agency, Linn Architects, whose signature line appears on every building, roofing and trade form; larger projects are priced by that agency. Electrical permits need third-party rough and final inspections by United Inspection Agency. Zoning permits are reviewed by the township Zoning Officer, and stormwater applications are filed on the township’s Department of Licenses and Inspections form, with Township Engineer site visits billed at $150 an hour.

Upper Providence permit types

Each trade has its own one-page form that starts with a pre-application checklist: a copy of the contract and insurance certificates on every form, plus a site plan and two sets of plans for building work. The forms carry the permit fee plus $4.50 and a signature line for the third-party agency.

Residential permits

• Building: two sets of plans and two sets of specifications showing footers, elevations of every different side and a plan of each level including the roof, with the building materials listed. Plans must be sealed by a Pennsylvania architect or engineer, though the code officials may waive that for minor projects. Additions, enclosures, new homes and accessory buildings need a plot plan with the lot size, existing buildings and their distances to every lot line, any stream, and the driveway entrance. The form asks for the existing and proposed number of bedrooms.
• Roofing: say whether the old covering is coming off; overlays are allowed only on fewer than two existing layers that are not slate, clay or cement tile. Roofs at 4:12 or flatter need double underlayment, an ice barrier must run 2 feet inside the wall line with photos taken during the work, and ventilation must reach 1 to 150.
• Pools and spas: the pool form is a checklist covering 48-inch barriers, self-closing gates, entrapment-safe suction, a bonding inspection before the pour, and no power lines within 10 feet.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work uses the same forms at higher rates, with a $1,000 minimum for new construction. Contractors on commercial work file the annual commercial contractor registration with workers’ compensation proof. A commercial space changing hands or tenants needs a commercial use and occupancy application, and commercial demolition must also send the asbestos notice form to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

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 permit. The zoning checklist asks for a site plan showing lot dimensions, every existing and proposed structure and paved surface, any stream within 100 feet and any steep slopes, with the fee attached. No work may start before approval; zoning review can take up to 45 days.
• Zoning Hearing Board. Variances and special exceptions cost $1,000 for a residential case or $1,500 otherwise, plus a $1,500 escrow for advertising, notices and the stenographer. Conditional uses go to Council ($1,500 plus a $2,000 escrow).
• Stormwater. The stormwater permit ($300 plus a $2,500 escrow) is triggered by heavy lot coverage, large disturbed areas, tree loss above 10%, steep slopes or work in the Floodplain Conservation District.
• Land development. Subdivisions carry a $1,500 recreation impact fee per dwelling unit, plus application fees and escrows that start at $100 and $500 for a minor sketch plan.
• On-lot sewage. Septic systems are permitted through the township’s Sewage Enforcement Officer: $400 for a new or replacement residential system and $150 for a holding tank.
• Streets. Road openings, curb and sidewalk work and utility poles need a township utility permit.

Upper Providence permit costs and fees

Township Council adopted the 2026 fee schedule as Resolution 2025-36 on December 15, 2025. Building fees are based on the total job cost, materials and labor included, and plan review is included except on larger projects, which the third-party agency prices. The $4.50 state fee is added to every permit, and work begun without a permit adds a $200 residential or $300 commercial penalty on top of the fee.

Worked example: a $30,000 bathroom and kitchen renovation in a house is 30 × $20, or $600, which clears the $250 minimum, plus $4.50; its plumbing and electrical permits are separate. A $60,000 addition is 60 × $25, or $1,500, plus $4.50.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The township’s pages show no local electrician or plumber license. For house work, a contractor with a current Pennsylvania home improvement registration does not register with the township; the HIC number goes on each form, with an insurance certificate. Contractors on commercial work register every year ($100).

• Electrical: list each receptacle, luminaire, panel, service and appliance, confirm a professional has checked the load, and acknowledge the third-party rough and final inspections by United Inspection Agency.
• Plumbing: priced by fixture; sewer laterals and water services have flat fees.
• Mechanical: $35 per $1,000 of cost for a house ($250 minimum); fuel tanks, stoves, fireplaces and inserts at $50 per $1,000.
• Generators and solar: separate applications, with battery backup at $75 per battery for a house.
• Building permit timing: the building application is not complete until every trade has filed its own application.

How to apply for an Upper Providence building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building form promises a decision within 15 working days for residential work and 30 days for commercial work, but only from a complete application, and complete means every trade application is in. If a permit is issued on wrong setbacks, sizes or missing structures or waterways, the township may rescind it and the applicant bears the cost. The permits page says payment is due at submission, while the fee schedule says fees are due before the permit is released and that larger projects are priced by the agency, so ask which applies to a big job.

Inspections in Upper Providence Township

Building and roofing inspections and code questions go to Linn Architects at 610-566-7044, option 2; electrical rough and final inspections go to United Inspection Agency at 484-443-8895. Roofing jobs need the ice barrier photographed during installation, and in-ground pools need a bonding inspection before concrete is poured. The roofing form notes that the permit covers UCC compliance only, not warranty or contract items.

Resale and rental use and occupancy

Sellers apply for a resale use and occupancy certificate: file at least three weeks before settlement, pay $150 for a house or $200 for a commercial property, then call Linn Architects to schedule. The inspector checks house numbers at least 3 inches tall, smoke alarms on every level and in each bedroom, carbon monoxide alarms near bedrooms, curbs and sidewalks, relief-valve piping, handrails and guards, and that no permits or violations are open; allow up to 5 business days after the visit. A conditional certificate needs the buyer’s written promise to fix outstanding items. Rentals are inspected yearly under Code 1462, at $100 per unit for one to three units, and failed items must be repaired within 30 days.

Pennsylvania building code in Upper Providence Township

Upper Providence enforces the UCC under its 2004 opt-in, with local amendments, through its third-party agencies: Linn Architects for plan review and building inspections, United Inspection Agency for electrical work. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Upper Providence Township, Delaware County (community 420441), as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective November 18, 2009. The township’s stormwater form asks whether any disturbance falls in its Floodplain Conservation District.

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

Upper Providence permit search and official resources

There is no public permit search on the township site. Permit history for a property comes up during the resale use and occupancy inspection, which requires open permits to be closed; for copies of records, contact the township office, which charges 25 cents a page plus outside copying costs for large plans. Council agendas and minutes are posted in the Agenda Center, and the codified ordinances are linked from the township’s ordinances page. See the Delaware County permit guide for county planning and conservation district reviews.

• Upper Providence permits and applications
• 2026 fee schedule, Resolution 2025-36
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• Roofing permit application
• Pool permit application
• Zoning permit application checklist
• Stormwater management permit application
• Residential resale U&O application
• Commercial contractor registration
• Township ordinances
• Council agendas and minutes
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Upper Providence building permit FAQs

Who inspects building work in Upper Providence Township?

Linn Architects, the township’s third-party agency, at 610-566-7044 option 2; electrical work is inspected by United Inspection Agency.

How much is a permit for a kitchen remodel?

Residential renovations cost $20 per $1,000 of job cost with a $250 minimum, so a $30,000 remodel is $600 plus $4.50, before trade permits.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. File the roofing permit; a house reroof costs $25 per $1,000 with a $200 minimum, and the ice barrier must be photographed.

Do I need a permit for a fence or small shed?

Both need zoning permits: $100 for a residential fence, with a neighbor acknowledgement letter, and $150 for a shed under 200 square feet.

Is an inspection required when I sell my house?

Yes. Apply for the resale use and occupancy certificate at least three weeks before settlement and pay $150.

Does my contractor need to register with the township?

Not for house work if they hold a current Pennsylvania home improvement registration; commercial contractors register yearly for $100.

Is this the Upper Providence Township near Phoenixville?

No. That one is in Montgomery County. This Upper Providence is in Delaware County, with its office on North Providence Road in Media.

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