Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania Building Permit Guide

Wilkinsburg splits permitting in two. Building permits for homes and businesses, and the electrical, mechanical, fire alarm, fire suppression and demolition permits, are handled by Code.Sys, the borough’s third-party firm, on its website. The borough’s Code Enforcement office (605 Ross Avenue, 412-244-2923) issues zoning permits, occupancy permits ($60 per residential unit) and the lien letter, dye test and occupancy steps every sale or refinance must clear.

What requires a permit in Wilkinsburg?

Construction work regulated by the Uniform Construction Code needs a building permit, and in Wilkinsburg that permit, along with the trade and fire permits, comes through Code.Sys. Much of what an owner needs, though, comes from the borough’s own ordinances, each with its own application on the Code Enforcement page:

The borough’s pages give no list of exempt work; for small jobs such as a shed, fence or re-roof, ask Code Enforcement whether a zoning permit is needed and Code.Sys whether the UCC requires a building permit. Work that disturbs between a quarter acre and one acre on a residential lot also has to meet the stormwater rules described below.

What Wilkinsburg decides and what the state holds

Wilkinsburg opted in to enforce the Uniform Construction Code locally from June 16, 2004, with no older local building code amendments kept, according to L&I’s municipal list, and it uses Code.Sys to carry out that work. Since voters adopted a Home Rule Charter on November 5, 2024, the charter has replaced the state’s default municipal code as the borough’s framework of government, though the name is still the Borough of Wilkinsburg. Local choices include zoning, the occupancy and tenant-registration program, the sewer dye-test rule at sale, street and tree permits and the UCC Appeals Board.

Wilkinsburg building department: who handles permitting

Two offices share the work. Code.Sys handles the UCC permits listed above, and applicants complete them on Code.Sys’s website. Code Enforcement officers inspect properties under the borough’s housing, health, sanitation and safety rules, run tenant registration and occupancy permits, and handle zoning matters. Code Enforcement is moving its own applications to Cloudpermit: some, not all, applications are live there, and the applicant creates an account and submits digitally. In April 2026 Council approved added Cloudpermit modules for work orders and property database management ($6,000, including a $2,000 annual cost).

Wilkinsburg permit types

The Code Enforcement page lists more than 20 forms. Those that matter most for building projects are the zoning permit application, the conditional use and Zoning Hearing Board applications, the subdivision and land development application, grading-excavation, street and sidewalk opening, sewer or stormwater tap, dumpster, sign and arbor permit applications, plus a UCC Appeals Board application for challenging a decision under the construction code and an IPMC appeals application for property maintenance orders.

Residential permits

For a house, the building permit and any electrical or mechanical permit go to Code.Sys; any zoning permit or conditional use goes to Code Enforcement. Owners of rental housing also deal with the borough’s tenant registration, filed annually and again on a change of tenant or ownership, and a separate occupancy permit for each unit when its occupant or owner changes. The borough’s small project stormwater plan lets a homeowner size simple infiltration without hiring an engineer when the job qualifies.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building, fire alarm and fire suppression permits also run through Code.Sys. On the borough side a new business files a new business application, and a commercial unit changing hands or tenants needs an occupancy permit at $125 per unit. Dye tests on properties in the Commercial Business district must be done with a code enforcement officer present.

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. Zoning permits, conditional uses and Zoning Hearing Board cases start at Code Enforcement; the zoning code is part of the borough code on eCode360. The Zoning Hearing Board hears appeals from the zoning officer’s determinations and can grant relief from the literal terms of the ordinance in hardship cases; it has no legislative or enforcement power.
• Stormwater. Residential projects disturbing between 0.25 and 1 acre may use the borough’s Small Project Stormwater Management Site Plan, based on the Allegheny County model stormwater ordinance. It counts roofs, sidewalks, driveways, parking, patios and pools as impervious unless they are built to infiltrate, and asks for the location of any septic system or well and a conservation district adequacy letter where one is required.
• Sewer and storm connections. A tap into the borough sewer or storm system needs the sewer or stormwater tap application.
• Streets and trees. Street and sidewalk openings follow Chapter 226 and the borough’s restoration guidelines; tree work under the borough’s arbor rules needs an arbor permit. Council can pause right-of-way work: it did so from July 10 to August 3, 2026 during the Parkway East closure.
• Floodplain. FEMA’s map for Wilkinsburg shows no special flood hazard area.

Wilkinsburg permit costs and fees

Wilkinsburg does not post the fees for the building, electrical, mechanical, fire and demolition permits that Code.Sys handles, so ask Code.Sys or Code Enforcement for the amount before you file; each building permit also carries the $4.50 state UCC fee. The fees the borough prints on its own forms are below.

The occupancy fee is charged per unit, because each unit of a multi-unit building needs its own permit: a three-unit building with all three units occupied at closing pays $180 for three residential occupancy permits, on top of the $50 lien letter. The tap form charges per connection, so connecting a new duplex to the borough sewer is listed at $300 for the building. Street and sidewalk opening charges and bonds are set out on the opening permit form and the Street and Sidewalk Opening and Restoration Guidelines posted on the Code Enforcement page.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical and mechanical: filed through Code.Sys, which handles these permits for the borough.
• Fire alarm and fire suppression: also filed through Code.Sys.
• Plumbing: the Allegheny County Health Department issues plumbing permits. A plumbing plan must be approved before work starts, filings go through the county’s Citizen Access Portal or its office at 2121 Noblestown Road, and every permit ends with a final inspection. Landlords must hire a master plumber for plumbing work in their rental units.
• Dye tests: the borough requires the dye test application for a sale or refinance to be signed by a master plumber certified with the Allegheny County Health Department.

The borough’s pages set no local electrician or HVAC license. Home improvement contractors register with the state Attorney General under HICPA. For work next door in the city, see the Pittsburgh guide; the city runs its own permit office.

How to apply for a Wilkinsburg building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The state deadlines apply to the UCC permits Code.Sys handles: 15 business days for a residential application (5 if a design professional certifies it) and 30 for commercial, unless extended in writing. Delays in Wilkinsburg tend to come from the borough steps that run alongside: a zoning approval not yet issued, a sewer dye test that fails and needs remedial work, or a sale where the lien letter is held because the dye test or occupancy step is not finished.

Inspections in Wilkinsburg

Inspections for building, electrical, mechanical and fire system work are arranged through Code.Sys, which handles those permits; plumbing inspections are the county Health Department’s. Code Enforcement officers make the borough’s own inspections: occupancy inspections of each unit, property maintenance inspections and attendance at dye tests in the Commercial Business district.

Selling or refinancing a property

Wilkinsburg ties three steps to every property transfer or refinance:

• a property transfer or refinance application with its fees, including the $50 lien letter;
• a dye test certificate of compliance, signed by a master plumber certified with the county Health Department, unless the property was dye tested in the last two years or the borough has labeled it exempt;
• an occupancy permit application if the property will be occupied at closing, or, for a vacant property that will not pass an occupancy inspection, a notarized letter in which the buyer accepts responsibility for outstanding code violations and for getting the needed permits before anyone moves in.

An occupancy permit is also needed when occupied rental property is sold with its tenants staying, and no tenant may occupy a unit until its permit is issued. The borough holds the lien letter until the signed dye test and either the occupancy permit or the buyer’s notarized letter are on file. If weather prevents a dye test, a temporary letter of compliance is possible with $200 security and the buyer’s written agreement to fix any violations found by the later dye and smoke tests, which must be done within 14 days.

Pennsylvania building code in Wilkinsburg

Wilkinsburg enforces the Uniform Construction Code through Code.Sys under its June 16, 2004 opt-in. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Borough of Wilkinsburg (community 422667) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with no special flood hazard area mapped.

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

Wilkinsburg permit search and official resources

Wilkinsburg has no public permit search. For the history of a property, ask Code Enforcement about zoning, occupancy and code records, and Code.Sys about building and trade permits it has issued; the borough’s website also has a Right to Know Law Requests page for formal records requests. Council minutes, including resolutions on Cloudpermit and right-of-way moratoria, are posted on the borough’s meeting minutes page.

• Wilkinsburg Code Enforcement: permits and forms
• Borough department contacts and hours
• Code.Sys (UCC permits for Wilkinsburg)
• Cloudpermit registration
• Zoning permit application
• Occupancy permit application
• Property transfer or refinance application
• Dye test application
• Tenant registration application
• Small project stormwater management site plan
• Home rule transition
• Borough Council meeting minutes
• Allegheny County Health Department plumbing permits
• Pennsylvania L&I municipal UCC elections list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Pennsylvania

Wilkinsburg building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Wilkinsburg?

Code.Sys, the borough’s third-party firm, handles residential and commercial building permits and the electrical, mechanical, fire alarm, fire suppression and demolition permits on its website.

What do I need to sell a house in Wilkinsburg?

A property transfer application with the $50 lien letter, a dye test signed by a certified master plumber, and either an occupancy permit or the buyer’s notarized letter for a vacant house.

How much is an occupancy permit in Wilkinsburg?

$60 per residential unit and $125 per commercial unit; each unit needs its own permit.

Can I apply online?

Yes for the Code.Sys permits, and for some borough applications through Cloudpermit; not every borough form is live there yet.

Is Wilkinsburg in a flood zone?

FEMA lists no special flood hazard area for Wilkinsburg, though the borough takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Who handles plumbing permits?

The Allegheny County Health Department, which approves the plan before work begins.

How much is a sewer tap in Wilkinsburg?

The borough’s sewer or storm water tap application lists $300 for a single house, a duplex, each apartment unit in a multiple dwelling, or a business property.

Do rentals need anything extra?

Yes. Landlords file tenant registration ($15 per unit) every year and on any change of tenant or owner, and each unit needs an occupancy permit before a new tenant moves in.

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