Whitehall, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

Whitehall Borough, in Allegheny County, routes building permits through its Planning, Zoning and Code Enforcement office at 100 Borough Park Drive (412-884-0505, ext. 324), which settles zoning first, while Building Inspection Underwriters of PA (BIU), the Borough’s certified third-party agency, reviews plans, approves and inspects every residential and commercial project under the state code. Zoning, shed and fence permits are $25 each, and the building permit fee is set by BIU from the cost of the improvement.

What requires a building permit in Whitehall?

Whitehall’s forms divide work into two tracks. Structural projects such as additions, decks, swimming pools and solar panels use the BIU construction permit application, together with a Borough zoning permit; general site work such as sidewalks and patios uses the Borough’s own construction permit form. Accessory buildings, fences, driveways and grading each have their own Borough application.

Sheds are limited in residence districts R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-7 to one per lot, fully enclosed, no more than 120 square feet and 10 feet high, in the rear yard, at least 5 feet from the rear line and 10 feet from the house, with side yards of 7.5 feet in R-1 and R-2 or 5 feet in R-3 and R-4. Under the Borough’s building code amendments, any structure over 100 square feet or 10 feet high needs a frost-protected foundation.

What Whitehall decides and what the state holds

Whitehall opted in to the Uniform Construction Code on July 7, 2004 and restated Chapter 78 of the Borough Code (Building Construction) by Ordinance No. 971 the same day; the Department of Labor and Industry lists the Borough with amendments. Those amendments require ICC preliminary review of plans for buildings other than single-family and townhouse dwellings, monitored fire detection in multi-family and commercial buildings, frost-protected foundations for structures over 100 square feet or 10 feet tall, and guards on open walking surfaces more than 15.5 inches above the floor or grade, and they keep the Allegheny County Plumbing Code as the plumbing code. Zoning (Chapter 180), stormwater (Chapter 153), floodplains (Chapter 77) and rental occupancy rules (Chapters 124 and 125) are Borough rules.

Whitehall building department: who handles permitting

The Borough’s Planning, Zoning and Code Enforcement department oversees development and checks zoning compliance. Chapter 78 lets Council assign building code administration by resolution to a Borough employee, certified code officials or third-party agencies, another municipality or L&I, and Whitehall uses Building Inspection Underwriters of PA for plan review, approvals and inspections of all UCC residential and commercial projects, a BIU building inspector serves as the Borough’s Building Code Official, and BIU also performs the Borough’s residential and commercial rental inspections. Electrical permits follow the same procedure through the Code Enforcement office and are reviewed by the Building Code Official, with a BIU electrical inspector doing the inspections.

Whitehall permit types

The Borough’s permit page lists the accessory structure, BIU construction, Borough construction, bulk container, driveway expansion, dye test, fence, grading, home occupation, stormwater management, subdivision and land development, zoning, Zoning Hearing Board, street opening, evidence of compliance and rental forms, along with a notarized workers’ compensation affidavit for owners who do the work themselves in place of a contractor’s insurance certificate. The zoning application is submitted by email to the Code Enforcement office’s administrative assistant, with the $25 check payable to the Borough of Whitehall.

Residential permits

An addition needs a survey or plot plan drawn to scale showing lot lines, easements, every existing and proposed structure with its distances from the lines, utilities, and parking and access, plus three sets of construction drawings with elevations, structural details, materials and full floor plans. The same package applies to decks and outdoor air conditioners. A deck may project into the required rear yard only if it stays at least 25 feet from the rear property line, and may not project into the front or side yard. Air conditioners belong in the rear or side yard right next to the house, never on a side facing a street, and side-yard units must be screened with plantings. BIU sets the building permit fee from the improvement cost, and that payment, by check to BIU of PA, is made when the permit is issued.

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Commercial permits

Commercial projects follow the same Borough-then-BIU path, but Chapter 78 requires the plans for any building other than a single-family or townhouse dwelling to go to the International Code Council for preliminary review and comment, submitted with the application, and the Fire Chief sets requirements for monitored fire detection. Commercial space is also subject to the Borough’s annual commercial occupancy fire safety inspection and registration under Chapter 125.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning permit ($25). Required for structural projects and filed with the BIU application. It asks for setbacks, height, square footage and added impervious surface, and must be accompanied by a stormwater management application. Appeals go to the Zoning Hearing Board.
• Stormwater. The Borough has separate stormwater forms for projects under 500 square feet and from 500 to 2,500 square feet of new hard surface; adding 500 square feet or more since the stormwater ordinance was adopted brings the project under Chapter 153.
• Driveways. Expansions must be paved to match the existing surface, with a single curb cut no wider than 24 feet (a governor’s drive may add one 12-foot access), and green space must cover at least 50% of the required front yard.
• Grading. Major earthwork needs a grading permit with an escrow of at least $120 and no more than 2.5% of the estimated improvement cost, plus a bond of 25% of that cost, reviewed by the Borough Engineer.
• Sewer. Most of Whitehall is served by ALCOSAN and a few properties by the Pleasant Hills Sewer Authority, at the same Borough rates.

Whitehall permit costs and fees

Chapter 78 says the Borough’s building code fees are set by Council resolution, but for building permits the Borough’s own pages state that the fee is determined by BIU of PA based on the improvement cost, paid to BIU when the permit is issued. The Borough’s flat fees are printed on its application forms.

Because BIU calculates the building fee, the Borough posts no building fee table of its own; a shed of up to 120 square feet, by contrast, costs only the $25 accessory structure permit, paid when the permit is picked up.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: Chapter 88 adopts the National Electrical Code and requires all electrical work to be inspected by a qualified inspector approved by the Borough. Electrical permits are filed through the Code Enforcement office like building permits, reviewed by the Building Code Official, and inspected by BIU’s electrical inspector.
• Plumbing: Whitehall readopted the Allegheny County Plumbing Code in Chapter 78, and plumbing permits and inspections are handled by the Allegheny County Health Department after it approves the plumbing plan.
• Mechanical: outdoor air conditioners go through BIU with the drawings and zoning placement rules above.
• Dye tests: performed by a plumber on the Borough’s dye test form as part of the evidence of compliance.

The zoning form asks for the contractor’s federal ID and Pennsylvania contractor ID, the state home improvement registration; the Borough’s pages show no local trade license.

How to apply for a Whitehall building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The Borough’s project pages state the timing plainly: once the Borough has determined zoning compliance, an application that meets the building code must be issued within 15 business days. Zoning problems therefore hold everything up, and a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board comes first. Commercial plans that skip the required ICC preliminary review will not be complete.

Inspections in Whitehall

For additions, decks, air conditioners and other BIU permits, the applicant contacts BIU for the inspections required during construction and for the final; other inspection agencies may also need to approve parts of the work, such as plumbing. BIU’s main office is at 412-766-2565, and electrical questions go first to the Building Code Official, who may pass them to BIU’s electrical inspector. A shed permitted by the Borough needs a final inspection scheduled through the Code Enforcement office at ext. 324.

Selling or renting a property

Sellers need verification of an evidence of compliance and a lien letter. The evidence of compliance confirms, through a dye test by a plumber, that downspouts and rain leaders are not connected to the sanitary sewer; it costs $25, is valid for five years, and no new dye test is needed while a valid one is on file. Submit the forms at least 10 business days before closing, and allow two weeks from the time the dye test is received. Lien letters ($25) come from Jordan Tax Service. Rental owners register residential units, renewing every 2 years, file a tenant notification form for every unit, and commercial units take an annual occupancy fire safety inspection; BIU performs the rental inspections.

Pennsylvania building code

Whitehall Borough has administered the Uniform Construction Code since July 7, 2004, with the Chapter 78 amendments above. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Whitehall Borough (community 420088) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map dated September 26, 2014 that FEMA marks as having no elevations. Whitehall Township in Lehigh County is a different municipality.

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

Whitehall permit search and official resources

Whitehall does not run an online permit search; questions about an existing permit start with the Code Enforcement office at ext. 324. Requests to review Borough records go to the Open Records Officer, the Borough Manager, at 100 Borough Park Drive or by fax to 412-884-1160, using the Borough’s right-to-know form.

• Planning, Zoning and Code Enforcement
• Commercial permits and BIU
• Permit applications and forms
• Zoning permit application (revised November 2026)
• Building a deck
• Building a shed
• Building an addition
• Erecting a fence
• Expanding a driveway
• Installing an air conditioner
• Selling a home
• Evidence of compliance application
• Borough Code
• Chapter 78, Building Construction
• Chapter 88, Electrical Standards
• Sewer information and rates
• Right-to-Know
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permits
• L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Whitehall building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Whitehall?

BIU of PA sets the building permit fee from the improvement cost, paid to BIU when the permit is issued; the Borough’s zoning permit adds $25.

Who reviews plans and inspects?

Building Inspection Underwriters of PA, the Borough’s certified third-party agency, for all UCC residential and commercial projects.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes, a $25 accessory structure permit. One shed per lot in most residence districts, up to 120 square feet and 10 feet high, in the rear yard.

How high can a fence be?

Functional fences may be 4 feet high in side and rear yards, at least 50% open, and are not allowed in front yards; pool privacy fences may be 4 to 6 feet within 12 feet of the pool.

How close to the rear line can a deck be?

A deck may extend into the required rear yard only if it stays at least 25 feet from the rear property line.

What do I need to sell my house?

An evidence of compliance from a dye test ($25, valid five years) and a $25 lien letter, filed at least 10 business days before closing.

Is this the same Whitehall as Whitehall Township?

No. This Whitehall is a borough in Allegheny County; Whitehall Township is in Lehigh County.

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