Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

In Whitemarsh Township the Building and Codes Department, led by Director of Building & Codes Robert A. Sztubinski, issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, while the Planning and Zoning Department signs off the zoning part of the same application (616 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill; 610-825-3535). Applications are printed, filed with every fee and with one paper and one electronic set of plans, and only contractors registered with the township can obtain a permit. The 2026 fee schedule, Resolution 2025-30, prices a new house at $1,600 for the first 2,000 square feet.

What requires a building permit in Whitemarsh Township?

The township’s permit page quotes the code rule: anyone who builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a structure, changes its occupancy, or installs or changes a regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system must first apply to the building official. Its published examples include roof replacement, fences, sheds, regrading and storage tanks.

Zoning is a separate layer on most jobs: new construction, additions, accessory structures and fences need a zoning permit as well as a building permit, priced on the same line of the fee schedule. Roofing, siding and stucco work needs no zoning permit.

What Whitemarsh decides and what the state holds

The township opted in to enforce the Uniform Construction Code itself from June 24, 2004, and L&I’s list shows it kept local amendments. The Board of Supervisors adopts the fee schedule each year, the zoning ordinance (Chapter 116), the fire and property maintenance codes and the historic district rules. In 2026 it adopted Ordinance 1050 (2021 International Fire Code and Property Maintenance Code) and Ordinance 1049 (steep slope changes to the zoning and land development ordinances) on January 8, and Ordinance 1059, adding data center rules to the zoning ordinance, on September 10.

Whitemarsh Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Codes Department reviews plans and issues the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits; the application carries both the Zoning Officer’s and the Building Official’s approval boxes, and the Fire Marshal handles fire protection systems and non-residential occupancy inspections. Earth disturbance and road occupancy permits go through the township’s Engineering Division (610-825-3535, ext. 2626). Where a third-party company performs inspections or plan review, the township bills its cost plus a 15% administrative fee.

Whitemarsh permit types

One form, the Application for Plan Examination for Building and Zoning Permits (May 2025 update), covers building, zoning, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and Fire Marshal work in separate parts. The township’s form center offers it as a PDF only, to be printed and filed with the township. Its checklist says every fee must come with the application or it is returned, and nothing is accepted without all required items at the time of submission.

Residential permits

• Houses and additions: site plan to scale, elevations, footing and foundation details, wall sections, framing, floor plans, trade layouts, windows, stairs and a REScheck energy analysis (version 4.0 or newer). The requirements page asks for two complete plan sets; the 2025 checklist asks for one hard copy plus a set by email or thumb drive.
• Finished basements: an egress window or door, fire stopping, a 7-foot minimum ceiling, separate plumbing and HVAC permits where needed, and an electrical underwriter inspection for any wiring.
• Decks: a plot plan and framing drawings showing footers at least 36 inches deep, 36-inch handrails with balusters no more than 4 inches apart, and a 60-pound-per-square-foot live load; check homeowners’ association rules too.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial applications need three complete plan sets with a wet seal: architectural, foundation, mechanical, plumbing and electrical plans sealed by the responsible design professional, structural plans sealed by an engineer, and fire alarm, sprinkler and kitchen extinguishing plans sealed and prepared at NICET Level III or higher. Every change in commercial use needs a use and occupancy permit; a tenant change with no new work files the non-residential form with two sets of drawings showing the layout, emergency lighting, exits and occupant loads.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Hearing Board and conditional use. Variances, special exceptions and appeals of the Zoning Officer go to the Zoning Hearing Board; conditional uses go to the Board of Supervisors ($500).
• Land development. Subdivision and land development plans are filed with escrow deposits from $2,500 (sketch plan) to $7,500 (major preliminary plan), and the county planning commission gives its advisory Act 247 review.
• Earth disturbance. A grading permit may be needed for more than 1,000 square feet of new impervious surface, earthmoving over 1,200 square feet on a developed lot, more than 20 cubic yards of earth, or work that changes drainage; projects over one acre also need an NPDES permit through the Montgomery County Conservation District.
• Historic district. Exterior changes and signs visible from a public way in the historic district are reviewed by the Historical Architectural Review Board, an inter-municipal board shared with Plymouth Township that meets at Whitemarsh on the second Wednesday of each month.
• Sewer or septic. A new sewer connection costs $3,500, paid to the Whitemarsh Township Authority, plus a sewer lateral permit; septic system work is permitted through the Montgomery County Office of Public Health.
• Roads. All work in a township road right-of-way needs a road occupancy permit; work within a limited-access state highway needs a state permit.

Whitemarsh permit costs and fees

The Board of Supervisors approved the 2026 fee schedule as Resolution 2025-30 on December 11, 2025. Most building lines add a separate zoning fee ($45 residential, $75 non-residential) and the $4.50 state fee under Act 13 of 2004.

Worked examples: a 2,600-square-foot house is $1,600 plus 3 × $50 for the extra 600 square feet, or $1,750, plus the $75 zoning fee and $4.50; a $30,000 kitchen and bath remodel is $200 plus 4 × $50, or $400, with no zoning fee because the work is interior-only (trade permits are extra); and a $15,000 reroof is $60 plus 10 × $5, or $110, plus $4.50.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Only contractors registered with Whitemarsh may obtain building permits there. Registration is free for every trade except plumbing, but each contractor must show workers’ compensation insurance naming the township as certificate holder, or file the township’s exemption form if the state law exempts them. Master plumbers pay $50 to register ($35 to re-register by February 1) and must prove which institution or municipality certified them; journeymen pay $25 ($20 to renew) and name the master plumber they work for. HICPA registration with the state Attorney General is a separate requirement for home improvement firms.

• Electrical: part 6 of the application; the finished basement rules call for an electrical underwriter inspection on any wiring, and solar systems also need a Fire Marshal permit ($50 residential, $100 non-residential) and a zoning permit (every non-residential system, and residential ground mounts).
• Plumbing: part 7; sewer laterals are priced separately at $150 for the first $5,000.
• Mechanical: part 8, for furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, air conditioners and hoods.
• Fire Marshal: part 9, for sprinklers, standpipes, fire alarms, tanks and outdoor fireplaces.

How to apply for a Whitemarsh building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The checklist names what stops an application at intake: missing fees, a missing insurance certificate or an incomplete plan set. Residential plans need a scaled site plan showing setbacks, grading, drainage and retaining walls; commercial plans need the life safety, accessibility and energy details listed on the commercial requirements page. State rules give the township 15 business days for a residential decision and 30 for commercial work once the application is complete.

Inspections in Whitemarsh Township

By signing the application, the owner or agent lets the code official enter the permitted work area at any reasonable hour to enforce the codes; finished basements also need the electrical underwriter visit. New houses and every commercial use need a use and occupancy certificate before anyone moves in; the residential certificate is required only when a dwelling is first built, while each new non-residential use, tenant or owner needs a new certificate, with a Fire Marshal inspection priced by floor area from $55 to $450. Fire Marshal reinspections after the first cost $150.

There is no general resale inspection for houses, but rental units fall under the township’s residential rental licensing and inspection program (Ordinances 886 and 1027): an application costs $80 per unit and the program fee covers the first inspection and one reinspection.

Pennsylvania building code in Whitemarsh Township

Whitemarsh enforces the UCC with its own Building and Codes Department under its June 24, 2004 opt-in. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the township (community 420712) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 2, 2016. The application and fee schedule still refer to the 2018 International Fire Code, which Ordinance 1050 replaced with the 2021 edition in January 2026.

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

Whitemarsh permit search and official resources

To see records for a property, file a request under the township’s Access to Public Records Policy (Resolution 2008-53), on the Whitemarsh Township Public Record Review Request form or the state’s standard form; the Township Manager answers within 5 business days, and only a written request can be appealed. Disk copies of plans cost $20 under the miscellaneous fee schedule. Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and HARB agendas and minutes are posted in the township’s Agenda Center.

• Whitemarsh building permits
• Building, permitting and licensing
• Building and zoning permit application (May 2025)
• 2026 building, engineering and zoning fees
• Residential permit requirements
• Commercial permit requirements
• Contractor registration
• Earth disturbance permit
• Historic district property alterations
• New construction and use and occupancy
• Public records requests
• Montgomery County Office of Public Health permits
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Whitemarsh building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Whitemarsh?

$1,600 for the first 2,000 square feet and $50 for each additional 200 square feet, plus a $75 zoning fee and the $4.50 state fee, under Resolution 2025-30.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. Roof replacement is on the township’s permit list; a residential job costs $60 for the first $5,000 of cost and $5 per $1,000 after that, with no zoning permit.

Can I apply online?

No. The building and zoning application is a printed PDF filed with the township, with fees, insurance and one paper set of plans, plus an electronic set by email or thumb drive.

Does my contractor need to register with Whitemarsh?

Yes. Only registered contractors can obtain permits. Registration is free except for plumbers, who pay $50 as masters or $25 as journeymen.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes for both. A residential fence costs $10 per $1,000 plus $45 zoning; a shed over 100 square feet starts at $35 plus zoning.

Is a use and occupancy certificate needed when I buy a business space?

Yes. A new non-residential tenant or owner files the non-residential use and occupancy form ($100 plus $75 zoning and a Fire Marshal fee). A house needs one only when it is first built.

Who reviews projects in the historic district?

The Historical Architectural Review Board, shared with Plymouth Township, reviews exterior changes and signs visible from a public way.

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