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Division of Building Inspection
Norristown Municipal Building
Building Department, 2nd Floor
235 E Airy, Norristown, PA 19401
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: 610-270-0439
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MISSION STATEMENT:
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To preserve the public safety by insuring compliance with applicable building codes and assisting and supporting development, redevelopment and growth in the Municipality of Norristown
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BUILDING AND MECHANICAL PERMITS AND PLAN REVIEW
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When is a building, mechanical, plumbing, or electrical permit required?
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Building and Mechanical Permits are required for the following work:
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An owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a commercial/residential building, structure and facility or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system regulated by the Uniform Construction Code.
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Construction or alteration of a parking lot.
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Fences, retaining walls, driveways.
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Cabinets, counter tops & similar finish work.
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Window replacement |
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Ordinary repairs, which includes the following: |
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Cutting away a wall, partition or portion of a wall
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The removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support
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The removal or change of any required means of egress, or rearrangement of parts of a structure affecting the egress requirements. |
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The addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation of any standpipe, water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas soil, waste, vent or similar piping, electric wiring or mechanical.
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Emergency repairs or replacement of equipment may be made without first applying for a permit if a permit application is submitted to the building code official within 3 business days of the repair or replacement. |
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| WHEN ARE PLANS REQUIRED? |
Commercial Work:
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Any construction, alteration or relocation of a building or any new building or structure.
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Installation or replacement of building, mechanical, plumbing equipment.
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Residential Work:
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New Construction.
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Alterations or additions which affect structure members or when needed to define the nature and extent of work including decks.
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Accessory buildings (garages or sheds).
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| WHEN ARE PLANS NOT REQUIRED? |
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Projects involving minor repairs, painting, decorating or maintenance.
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The building code official may waive or modify the submission of construction documents, that are not required to be prepared by a licensed architect or engineer, or other data if the nature of the work applied for does not require review of construction documents or other data to obtain compliance with the code. The building code official may not waive the submission of site plans that relate to accessibility requirements. |
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BUILDING/MECHANICAL/PLUMBING/ELECTRICAL
PLAN REQUIREMENTS |
Commercial Work (Not including detached one and two family dwellings or multiple single family dwellings):
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Plans shall be clear, indicate the location, nature and extent of work proposed, and show in detail that the work will confirm to the code.
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The plans shall show in sufficient detail the location, construction, size and character of all portions of the means of egress in compliance with the code.
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The construction documents for occupancies other than Groups R-2 and R-3 shall contain designation of the number of occupants to be accommodated on every floor and in all rooms and spaces.
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The applicant shall submit shop drawings for a fire protection system that indicates conformance with the code in accordance with the following:
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Shop drawings shall be approved before the start of the system installation.
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The shop drawings must contain the information required by the referenced installation standards contained in Chapter 9 of the "International Building Code".
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| Plans shall show the following information related to the exterior wall envelope: |
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Description to the exterior wall envelope indicating compliance with the code. |
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Flashing details. |
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Details relating to the interstions with dissimilar materials, corners, end details, control joints, intersections at roof, eaves, or parapets, means of drainage, water-resistive membrane and details around all openings. |
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The size and location of new construction and existing structures on the site. |
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Accurate boundary lines. |
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Distances from lot lines. |
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The established street grades and the proposed finished grades. |
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If the construction involves demolition, the site plan shall indicate construction that is to be demolished and the size and location of existing structures and construction that will remain on the site or plot. |
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Location of parking spaces, accessible routes, public transportation stops and other required accessibility features. |
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A permit applicant shall submit certifications required in the "International Building Code" for construction in a flood hazard area to the building code official. |
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A permit applicant shall identify, on the application, the name and address of the licensed architect or engineer in responsible charge. The permit applicant shall notify the building code official in writing if another licensed architect or engineer assumes responsible charge. |
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The permit applicant shall describe an inspection program, identify a person or firm who will perform special inspections or structural observations for the construction. |
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Residential Work (One and Two Family Dwellings and Multiple Single Family Dwellings):
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Provide and attach construction documents with plans and specifications.
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The building code official may waive the submission of construction documents if the nature of the construction does not require the review of the construction documents to determine compliance with the code. |
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A permit applicant for a building or structure located in a flood hazard area under the National Flood Insurance Program shall submit the following information with the construction documents. |
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Delineation of flood hazard areas, floodway boundaries and flood zones and design flood elevation, as appropriate. |
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The elevation of the proposed lowest floor including basement and the height of the proposed lowest floor including basement above the highest adjacent grade is to be included in the documents if the building or structure is located in areas of shallow flooding (Zone AO). |
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Design flood elevations contained on the municipality's Flood Insurance Rate May produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. |
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The application must contain a site plan showing the size and location of the new construction and existing structures on the site and the structure's distance from lot lines. If the construction involves demolition, the site plan shall indicate construction that is to be demolished and the size and location of existing structures and constriction that will remain on the site or plot. A building code official may waive or modify the site plan requirements when the permit application is for an alteration or a repair of if the waiver is warranted for other reasons. |
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SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS
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Unless the project requires Land Development review, the site plan described above will be sufficient.
Click here for Norristown Use Registration form for proposed use.
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| HOW MANY SETS OF PLANS MUST BE SUBMITTED? |
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For most permit submittals, three (3) sets of plans will be adequate. An approved set with notations will be returned to the permit holder. |
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WHEN IS AN ARCHITECT OR ENGINEER REQUIRED TO PREPARE
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS? |
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A licensed architect or licensed professional engineer must prepare construction documents for commercial construction.
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An unlicensed person may prepare design documents for the remodeling or alteration of a building if there is no compensation and the remodeling or alteration does not relate to additions to the building or changes to the building's structure or means of egress. |
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| CODES USED IN PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTION: |
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Pennsylvania law requires that erection, construction, repair, movement, equipment, removal, demolition, location, maintenance, occupancy or change of occupancy of every building or structure is in compliance with the Uniform Construction Code, Act 45.
The state adopted and incorporates by reference the following codes as the Uniform Construction Code.
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The "International Building Code, Chapters 2-29 and 31-35. |
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The "ICC Electrical Code". |
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The "International Mechanical Code". |
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The "International Fuel Gas Code". |
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The "International Plumbing Code". |
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The "International Residential Code". |
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The "International Fire Code". |
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The "International Energy Conservation Code". |
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Section AE501-AE503 and AE601-AE605 of Appendix E of the International Residential Code". |
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The "International Existing Building Code". |
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The "International Urban-Wildland Interface Code". |
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Appendix E of the "International Building Code". |
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Appendix H of the "International Building Code". |
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Appendix G of the International Residential Code".
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