West Mifflin, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In the Borough of West Mifflin, the Community Development Department at 1020 Lebanon Road (412-466-8170) takes and approves building, zoning, occupancy, grading and sign permits, and L&I lists its director as the borough’s building code official. Fees follow the 2026 Fee Schedule: a sliding table by value of construction, from $15 for a residential job under $500 to $225 at $50,000, plus the $4.50 state fee. Commercial plans go to Middle Department Inspection Agency for review, and the borough takes payment by check or cash only.

What requires a building permit in West Mifflin?

West Mifflin’s 2026 Fee Schedule sorts small and large jobs into two permit types. A building permit covers new construction, additions, garages, swimming pools, decks, patios, porches and electrical work. A zoning permit, priced on the same value table, covers fences, sheds, gazebos and carports. Detached accessory structures for a single-family home are filed on the borough’s Small Projects application and built to the 2021 International Residential Code.

A fence application needs one drawing of the fence and one copy of the property survey showing where it goes, with its height and whether it sits in the front, side or rear yard. The borough’s Table of Dimension, Area and Bulk Standards and its Table of Uses, both on the permit forms page, give the setbacks and uses for each district.

What West Mifflin decides and what the state holds

The construction rules are the state’s Uniform Construction Code; the borough’s residential application applies the 2021 International Residential Code to one- and two-family dwellings of up to 3 stories and the 2021 International Building Code to everything else. West Mifflin opted in to enforce the UCC itself from July 1, 2004 and keeps building code amendments from before July 1999, according to L&I’s municipal list. Locally the borough sets its zoning and land development ordinances, the pool and fence rules in its code, the stormwater ordinance, occupancy inspections and the fee schedule.

West Mifflin building department: who handles permitting

Community Development enforces the zoning and land development ordinances and the borough’s building, property maintenance, fire and electrical codes, and it processes every Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board submission. Walter B. Anthony, the Community Development Director, is listed by L&I as West Mifflin’s building code official. For commercial plans, the borough uses Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA) as its third-party reviewer.

West Mifflin permit types

The borough posts its applications as PDFs on the Permit Applications & Guides page: residential and commercial building permit applications, a Small Projects application, demolition, fence, swimming pool, grading, sign, dumpster, portable storage unit, right-of-way construction, street opening and stormwater or French drain applications, plus commercial certificate of occupancy forms for a new tenant or a transfer of the property.

Residential permits

The residential application is a combination permit with lines for building, zoning, electrical, driveway, street opening and sewer (with the number of EDUs to be added) and the watershed. It asks for two plot plans and two sets of plans and specifications sealed by a Pennsylvania architect or engineer; for smaller projects such as decks, the borough’s disclaimer label goes on the plans instead. The owner signs a notarized affidavit, and the contractor gives an Attorney General registration number and workers’ compensation proof or an exemption. The Deck Construction Guide on the forms page sets out deck details.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial plans are sent as PDFs with the commercial building permit application. Community Development forwards them to MDIA, which contacts the applicant with questions during review. The applicant pays MDIA’s review fee directly, MDIA releases the approved plans to the borough, and the borough then issues the building permit and releases the plans once its own permit fee is paid. The approved plans must be printed and kept on site for the inspector. A new commercial tenant or a commercial sale needs a commercial certificate of occupancy.

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. Uses and dimensions follow the borough’s Table of Uses and Table of Dimension, Area and Bulk Standards. A written zoning verification letter costs $50.
• Zoning Hearing Board. $400 for a residential application and $1,200 for a commercial one, plus a stenographer if requested, under the fees Council passed on December 19, 2023.
• Planning Commission and Council. Rezoning, conditional uses, commercial site plans, subdivisions and planned residential developments each have an application fee and an engineering escrow.
• Stormwater and grading. A $50 permit for stormwater or French drain work, and a grading permit with a $1,500 engineering review escrow.
• Sewer. New sewer connections are shown on the building application by EDU count; the borough appoints the West Mifflin Sanitary Sewer & Stormwater Authority’s board.
• Streets and driveways. Borough street openings and right-of-way work have their own applications; driveways onto state highways need a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

West Mifflin permit costs and fees

Building and zoning permits are priced on the Value of Construction Table in the borough’s 2026 Fee Schedule, with separate residential and commercial columns; building permits add the $4.50 state fee. The most recent change in the posted 2026 Council minutes came on January 20, 2026, when Council raised the digital billboard fee to $500 a year.

A residential deck valued at $18,000 falls in the $15,001–$20,000 band: $120 plus the $4.50 state fee, or $124.50. The schedule does not say whether the per-$1,000 charge above $50,000 runs on the whole cost or only on the part over $50,000, so ask Community Development for the figure on a larger job. Commercial plan review is billed separately by MDIA.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: electrical work is listed among the building permit items in the fee schedule and has its own line on the residential application. The pool application cites the borough code’s rule that all electrical work be inspected by a certified electrical inspector, and the resale inspection checks the panel for a third-party inspection sticker.
• Plumbing: plans must be submitted by a registered Allegheny County plumber to the Allegheny County Health Department, which issues the plumbing permit, approves the plan before work starts and makes the final inspection (main plumbing office 412-578-8123, in-person permits 412-578-8036; Citizen Access Portal).
• Mechanical and fire: on commercial jobs, mechanical and fire protection drawings travel with the plans MDIA reviews; the borough’s alarm permit ($30 a year residential, $60 commercial) is separate from construction.

The borough’s forms ask the contractor for a Pennsylvania Attorney General registration number (the state HICPA registration for home improvement contractors) and for workers’ compensation proof under Act 44 of 1993; the borough’s pages show no separate local contractor or trade license.

How to apply for a West Mifflin building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under the state rules a residential application must be decided within 15 business days (5 with a design professional’s certification) and a commercial one within 30, unless extended in writing. In West Mifflin the usual delays are a commercial set waiting on MDIA’s questions or unpaid review fee, a residential set without the seal or disclaimer label, a missing notarization, and payment brought by card, which the borough does not accept.

Inspections in West Mifflin

The borough’s Building Inspection Department inspects permitted construction; the pool application, for example, binds the applicant to have all construction inspected by it and is approved by the Chief Building Inspector. Electrical work is inspected by a certified electrical inspector and plumbing by the county Health Department. The approved commercial plans must be on site when the inspector arrives. For certificates of occupancy the fee schedule adds $35 for a third residential inspection and $50 for a third commercial one.

Residential occupancy permit when buying or selling

West Mifflin uses a Residential Occupancy Permit Application and inspection sheet for property being bought or sold, at $100 per unit, so a duplex costs $200. The form records the buyer, the seller and whether the sale is as-is, owner-occupied, vacant or rental. Its checklist runs from the outside in: grading that drains away from the foundation, sidewalks and driveways without openings over 1 inch, address numbers on the building, rubbish, weeds over 6 inches, sheds and garages; then smoke detectors in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on each floor, GFCI protection near water, panel grounding, a solid-core or steel door between an integral garage and the house, and a carbon monoxide detector. Landlords must also give the borough their tenants’ names each year under Chapter 212 of the borough code.

Pennsylvania building code in West Mifflin

West Mifflin enforces the Uniform Construction Code with its own Community Development staff, using MDIA for commercial plan review. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Borough of West Mifflin (community 420085) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 26, 2014.

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

West Mifflin permit search and official resources

The borough has no public permit search; ask Community Development for permit or occupancy history on a property, or request a zoning verification letter in writing. Council agendas and minutes, including fee schedule changes, are posted in the Agenda Center.

• West Mifflin Community Development
• Permit applications and guides
• 2026 Fee Schedule
• Planning and zoning fees (December 19, 2023)
• Commercial plan submittal
• Residential building permit application
• Residential occupancy permit application and inspection sheet
• Swimming pool permit application
• Zoning verification letters
• Borough Council agendas and minutes
• Code enforcement complaints (Citizenserve)
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permits
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

West Mifflin building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in West Mifflin?

It depends on the value of the work: $15 for a residential job up to $500, rising to $225 at $50,000, plus the $4.50 state fee. Commercial rates run from $30 to $300 over the same range.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in West Mifflin?

Yes, a zoning permit priced on the value table. A fence application needs a drawing and a copy of your property survey.

How far from the property line must a pool be?

At least 5 feet from every lot line, with a fence at least 4 feet high around it.

Can I pay for a permit by credit card?

No. The borough accepts checks or cash only.

Who reviews commercial plans in West Mifflin?

Middle Department Inspection Agency. You pay MDIA’s review fee directly, then the borough issues the permit once its own fee is paid.

What does a resale occupancy permit cost?

$100 per unit for a residential property, with $35 charged if a third inspection is needed.

Who handles plumbing permits?

The Allegheny County Health Department, with plans submitted by a registered Allegheny County plumber.

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