County Building Permits
Erie County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Erie County, Pennsylvania. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Erie County's own planning pages state the county has 38 municipalities and advises applicants to consult the municipality for development compliance. There is no normal Pennsylvania-style unincorporated county building permit lane for general vertical construction in Erie County.
- Department
- Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development
- Address
- 150 East Front Street, Suite 300, Erie, PA 16507
- Phone
- (814) 451-6336
- pcdinfo@eriecountypa.gov
Online Permit Portal
Platform: • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Determine the actual municipality where the property is located. Erie County is composed of 38 municipalities.
- Contact that municipality for zoning and building permit requirements.
- If the project is a subdivision or land development matter in one of the municipalities covered by county review, coordinate with the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development for county-level subdivision or land development review only.
- If on-lot sewage or septic approvals are needed, coordinate with the Erie County Department of Health.
Typical processing time: No countywide general building permit turnaround applies because the county is not the normal general building permit issuer for an unincorporated Erie County area.
Source: Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development
General Requirements
General building permits are obtained from the applicable municipality, not from a countywide unincorporated Erie County permit office.
Required Documents
- For county subdivision and land development review, Erie County publishes separate applications and process guides.
- General building permit documents depend on the municipality.
- Building code
- Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code is enforced by municipalities or their designated agencies, not by a countywide unincorporated-area building department.
- Contractor requirements
- State-level Pennsylvania requirements still apply, including home improvement registration when applicable.
Fees
- Permit fee formula
- County planning fees may apply for subdivision and land development review, but not for a general countywide building permit lane.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Schedule with the applicable municipality or its designated inspection agency. (other)
Typical inspection sequence: Depends on the municipality and inspection agency.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code is enforced by municipalities or their designated agencies, not by a countywide unincorporated-area building department.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Planning and Community Development
- Municipal Officials Directory
- Health Department
- License lookup guide: Pennsylvania Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Pennsylvania Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Pennsylvania hub: Pennsylvania Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development before applying.
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