Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Upper St. Clair the township’s own Department of Planning and Community Development, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road (412-831-9000, ext. 5010), reviews plans, issues building, zoning and fire prevention permits and inspects the work, with Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA) handling electrical inspections. Decks, pools, sheds and retaining walls go on a small-projects permit costing $50 plus $4 for each $1,000 of construction value, and any project adding more than 400 square feet of hard surface needs a stormwater permit first.

What requires a building permit in Upper St. Clair?

The township publishes both halves of the answer: a list of work that needs a permit and a list that does not. Its advice is to call Community Development before planning a building or remodeling project so the permit requirements can be settled first.

Stormwater comes first on larger jobs: any project adding over 400 square feet of impervious surface needs a stormwater application and management plan, and the building permit can be applied for only after the stormwater permit is issued. New residential driveways are normally permitted together with the building permit.

What Upper St. Clair decides and what the state holds

The township adopted the Uniform Construction Code by Ordinance No. 1914 on July 6, 2004, and the Department of Labor and Industry lists it as an opt-in home rule municipality with amendments. Those local amendments sit in Chapter 51 (Building Construction) and Chapter 61 (Fire Prevention) of the Township Code, and zoning is Chapter 130. The township’s small-projects form applies the 2021 International Residential Code and Chapter 51 to accessory structures; the older permitting-process web page still refers to the 2015 codes. Upper St. Clair also sets its own floodplain, stormwater, sewer and fee rules and runs a Building and Fire Codes Appeals and Advisory Board.

Upper St. Clair building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection and Code Enforcement staff of the Department of Planning and Community Development are responsible for building, zoning and fire prevention permit review, issuance and inspection, and they also enforce the property maintenance code. Electrical inspections are made by Middle Department Inspection Agency on its own application form, with the fee paid to the Township of Upper St. Clair, and the township posts an MDIA plan review application for commercial work.

Upper St. Clair permit types

The township posts each application as a PDF with a submission checklist on its first page and recommends reading the permit process before filing. The set includes the small-projects application, a combination permit, the commercial building permit, the MDIA plan review form, mechanical and electrical applications, fence, grading, demolition, sign, residential and commercial certificates of occupancy, fire protection and fire sprinkler permits, street opening and excavation permits, the stormwater management permit and guide, home occupation and alarm permits.

Residential permits

The small-projects application covers decks, pools, sheds, retaining walls and similar work, and may not be used for new houses, additions or commercial projects. It needs the owner’s and contractor’s signatures (unless the owner is the general contractor), a certificate of workers’ compensation insurance naming the Township of Upper St. Clair as certificate holder, an electrical inspection form if any wiring is involved, two copies of the property survey to scale and two copies of the plans, each with the township’s disclaimer label signed by the owner. Incomplete applications are not accepted. New houses and additions use the full building permit, priced by floor area: the construction cost per square foot for Type VB construction times the square footage, times 0.0029, counting living areas, basements, garages and finished attics.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the commercial building permit application, with the MDIA plan review form. A commercial project whose plans are submitted to the International Code Council for review gets a discount on the building permit fee and is expedited through the process. Changes from one type of business to another on a commercial property need an occupancy permit, and fire protection and sprinkler systems take their own permits.

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

• Stormwater. Over 400 square feet of new impervious surface means a stormwater permit first. Under the township’s small-projects stormwater guide, a project adding more than 400 and less than 2,500 square feet (or disturbing between a quarter acre and 1 acre) must capture and detain the first 2 inches of rain, about 500 gallons for 400 square feet and 1,250 gallons for 1,000 square feet, using rain barrels, rain gardens, stone sumps or infiltration trenches that drain in 24 to 72 hours. Impervious area is counted cumulatively from January 7, 2019, the owner signs a maintenance agreement, and no construction may start before the stormwater plan is approved. Projects of 2,500 square feet or more fall outside the small-project category.
• Zoning. Zoning permits are $25 but carry no fee when a building permit is required, except for conditional uses, special exceptions and planned developments. Zoning Hearing Board applications are $500 residential and $700 commercial; zoning rules are in Chapter 130.
• Floodplain. The township regulates all construction and development in floodplains, and Planning and Community Development can supply flood elevation and flood-proofing information; on request, Public Works staff will visit a property to review a flooding or drainage problem free of charge and explain ways to prevent damage.
• Grading. Grading a lot needs a permit priced by volume of cut or fill.
• Sewer connection. A sanitary sewer tap is $1,500 plus $1,000 per equivalent dwelling unit.

Upper St. Clair permit costs and fees

Upper St. Clair’s building permit page says its revised permit fees took effect on January 1, 2020; the amounts are listed on the township’s Application Fees page, which names no adopting resolution. Every building permit carries the $4.50 Pennsylvania state surcharge.

A worked example on the small-projects scale: a $12,000 deck costs the $50 base fee plus 12 × $4 for its value, or $98, and $102.50 with the state surcharge. If the deck needs new wiring for lights, one residential electrical inspection adds $60. The fee for a house addition depends on the per-square-foot construction cost used for Type VB buildings, a figure the fee page does not print, so ask Community Development for it before budgeting.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: any new wiring, rewiring or service upgrade needs a permit. The application is a Middle Department Inspection Agency form filed through the township, the fee is paid to the township, and MDIA’s inspector makes the inspection.
• Mechanical: the township posts a mechanical permit application; air conditioners and generators also need permits.
• Fire protection: fire protection and fire sprinkler systems take their own permit applications from the same department, which reviews fire prevention permits.
• Plumbing: permitted and inspected by the Allegheny County Health Department, which must approve the plumbing plan before work begins.
• Dye tests: performed by a registered plumber before a sale.

Contractors sign the township’s applications and provide workers’ compensation certificates; the township’s pages list no local contractor license, and home improvement contractors register with the Attorney General under state law.

How to apply for an Upper St. Clair building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Plans and surveys are checked against the township’s zoning and building codes, and partly complete applications are turned away rather than held. Stormwater approval is a hard prerequisite on larger projects. The state code gives 15 business days to decide a residential application and 30 for a commercial one; commercial projects reviewed through the International Code Council are expedited.

Inspections in Upper St. Clair

When a permit is issued the owner receives copies of the permits, an inspection sheet, a copy of the survey where one was required and the plans with the reviewer’s comments, and must post the placard so it is visible from the street. Building, zoning and fire prevention inspections are made by the township’s inspectors; electrical inspections are made by MDIA, with one or two residential inspections priced at $60 or $110. Heavy equipment may run only Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., under Chapter 89.

Dye test and sewer lateral inspection before a sale

A house cannot be sold in Upper St. Clair without a dye test and a sanitary sewer lateral inspection, required by Dye Test Ordinance 1787 of December 1998 and the township’s 2004 consent order with the Allegheny County Health Department. Call Public Works at ext. 2710 at least 24 hours ahead to have the forms prepared, have a registered plumber do the work, make any repairs before the paperwork goes in, and pay the township $50 ($25 for each test). The dye test is valid for one year and must reach the Tax Office at least 14 days before closing; allow 2 to 4 weeks for the evidence of compliance letter, which is released with the lien letter and tax certification.

Pennsylvania building code

Upper St. Clair opted in to the Uniform Construction Code on July 6, 2004, with local amendments in Chapters 51 and 61. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Upper St. Clair Township (community 421119) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map dated September 26, 2014, and in the Community Rating System at class 7, worth a 15% flood insurance discount.

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 St. Clair permit search and official resources

The township does not offer an online permit lookup; permit files are held by Planning and Community Development. All Right-To-Know requests must go through the township’s online Records Request Center, and police records have their own open records officer.

• Building permit applications and when a permit is required
• Application fees
• Building inspection and permitting process
• Department of Planning and Community Development
• Small projects application
• Small projects stormwater management guide
• Electrical inspection application (MDIA)
• MDIA plan review application
• Dye tests and sewer lateral inspections
• Flood services
• Code enforcement
• Right-To-Know
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permits
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Upper St. Clair building permit FAQs

How much is a permit for a deck in Upper St. Clair?

Decks use the small-projects permit: $50 plus $4 for each $1,000 of value, plus the $4.50 state surcharge; a $12,000 deck is $102.50.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

No, unless the structure changes. Same-size windows and doors, siding and gutters also need no permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes. Fences are on the township’s permit list, and a fence permit costs $25.

When is a stormwater permit required?

For any project adding over 400 square feet of impervious surface; the building permit can be applied for only after it is issued.

Who inspects electrical work?

Middle Department Inspection Agency, using an MDIA application filed through the township; one residential inspection is $60.

What do I need to sell my house?

A dye test and sewer lateral inspection by a registered plumber, with a $50 township fee, returned at least 14 days before closing.

Is a notary available?

Yes. Planning and Community Development has a notary on staff at no charge for permit applications.

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