Additions & Alterations to an Existing Home

When returning the Building Permit Application, the following items are required:

  1. A copy of the Zoning Permit. Not all townships have zoning at this time. Check with your township officials or this office if you do not know if your township has Zoning. Use our Zoning page to find the zoning requirements and contact information for your municipality.
  2. A Certificate of Insurance on your contractor. The state requires proof of workmen’s compensation on the contractor (if the contractor has employees) or a signed and notarized Workers’ Comp Exemption Form.
  3. Two sets of Building Plans.  If you are constructing an addition, please draw the house and show where the addition will be constructed in relation to the home.  Submit elevation, floor plan and sectional drawings showing construction, plumbing, heating, electrical and insulation systems to be constructed. 

If you are adding a bedroom and have an existing on-lot septic system, you will need to contact the Sewage Enforcement Officer for your municipality to determine the capacity of your system.

Load-Bearing additions to Manufactured Homes (Mobile Homes or Trailers) are NOT permitted. All additions to a Manufactured Home must be completely “free-standing.”

Application and Plans Review:  When you bring your plans into the office, the permit technician will check your application and plans submission for completeness and verify who is to be contacted when the Permit is ready to be issued.

Permit Issuance:  The plan review usually takes less than a week, depending on the complexity and completeness of the plans submitted. We will contact you when the Permit is ready for pick-up and advise you of the Permit cost. Pennsylvania UCC states that Permits must be issued within 15 working days if not returned to the applicant for additional changes or information. (This time frame only applies if all required pre-construction approvals have been submitted with the Permit Application.)

Payment (Residential Building Permit Fees)Payment in full must be made before we can release the Permit or perform any inspections. There will be paperwork attached with your Permit explaining when inspections will be done during the construction of your residence. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure all required inspections are completed and approved. No inspections can be performed until the Permit has been paid for in full.

NOTE:  The Permit is issued only for the work applied for on the application. If you are planning several different kinds of additions/alterations, etc. within a two-year period, you may want to include them on the application. Otherwise, additional UCC Permits may have to be obtained.