Philadelphia permits
By Mario Bailey Last checked 2026-07-12 · 1 official source
Verified against official sourcesDepartment of Licenses and Inspections
- 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd., MSB, Philadelphia, PA 19102
- Phone: (215) 255-4040
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Philadelphia
Philadelphia lets you look up permit records and application status for a property online. L and I property history search for permits, violations, and licenses by address.
Look up Philadelphia permit records
Or search the Philadelphia permit portal
Planning a project in Philadelphia?
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
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Schedule an inspection in Philadelphia
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. City service page for requesting an L and I inspection through eCLIPSE.
Schedule or request a Philadelphia inspection
Checked 2026-07-12. If the office has changed its process, report it.
Permitting activity in Philadelphia
In 2024, Philadelphia authorized permits for 2,962 new residential housing units (539 single-family, 2,423 in multi-family buildings), valued at $498M , down from3,863 the year before. That works out to about 1.9 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 1,578,487.
About Philadelphia
Philadelphia has about 739,725 housing units. The median home is valued at $232,400, against a median household income of $60,698. About 52% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1949. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.