Building Permits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Part of Philadelphia County.
We checked Philadelphia's own official pages for 8 types of projects (shed, fence, deck, roof, pool, tree removal, solar panels, demolition). Permits are issued by Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I). Every rule below links to the page it was taken from, so you can confirm it before you start work. Last verified September 29, 2026.
Verified permit information is available for 6 project types in Philadelphia.
Verified Permit Categories
- Shed Permit Depends
- Fence Permit Depends
- Pool Permit Depends
- Tree Removal Permit Depends
- Solar Panels Permit Yes
- Demolition Permit Yes
Philadelphia rules in detail
Shed
- Exempt from a permit
- Detached structures, like sheds, for one-or-two-family dwellings, 200 sq. ft. or less source: phila.gov
- Size limit (sq ft)
- 200 source: phila.gov
- Permit required
- Depends source: phila.gov
Fence
- Fee
- $25 source: phila.gov
- Permit required
- Depends source: phila.gov
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
Deck
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
Roof
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
Pool
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
- Exempt from a permit
- Prefabricated swimming pools or spas, less than 24 in. deep, less than 5,000 gallons. source: phila.gov
- Permit required
- Depends source: phila.gov
Tree Removal
- Conditions
- Site clearing on a lot that is more than 5,000 sq. ft. in area that includes cutting or removing trees source: phila.gov
- Exempt from a permit
- Lots with a principal use of single-family residence, two-family residence, or urban agriculture are excluded. source: phila.gov
- Size limit (sq ft)
- 5000 source: phila.gov
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
- Permit required
- Depends source: phila.gov
Solar Panels
- Exempt from a permit
- Your project is eligible for an EZ permit if it meets these criteria: Solar panels will be installed on the roof of a one-or-two family dwelling. The system is 10kW or less in size. source: phila.gov
- Fee
- $25 source: phila.gov
- Permit required
- Yes source: phila.gov
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
Demolition
- Conditions
- If you remove more than two-thirds of existing framing and alter any outside wall, it is considered complete demolition. source: phila.gov
- Exempt from a permit
- If you plan to demolish only interior, non-bearing partitions, you can get an EZ permit without submitting plans source: phila.gov
- Issued by
- Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) source: phila.gov
- Fee
- $25 source: phila.gov
- Permit required
- Yes source: phila.gov
Not yet verified
These permit categories do not yet have enough verified information to publish a linked permit page.
- Deck
- Roof
- Patio
- Pergola
- Garage
- Carport
- HVAC
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Driveway
- ADU
- Home Addition
- Windows
- Water Heater
Where to apply
Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) · official website