City Building Permits
Columbia Borough, PENNSYLVANIA Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Columbia Borough, Pennsylvania. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Borough handles zoning/building permits through planning and zoning plus code compliance staff; public website is form-driven and relatively thin on fee and inspection detail.
- Department
- Planning, Zoning, Historic Preservation Department and Code Compliance
- Address
- 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512
- Phone
- 717-684-2467
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Revize • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Review the permit applications page and confirm whether the work needs zoning permit, building permit, or both.
- Download the Building and Zoning Application and any related pool, floodplain, stormwater, HARB, or road occupancy forms.
- Submit the completed application package to the borough before work begins.
- Await zoning and code review and respond to any comments.
- Pay applicable borough fees.
- Receive the approved permit and complete required inspections and closeout.
Typical processing time: Not clearly posted on the public pages reviewed.
Source: Planning, Zoning, Historic Preservation Department and Code Compliance
General Requirements
Borough page states an approved permit is required before any work begins; zoning permits are required for listed work types and the page separately notes some work for which a building permit would not be required.
Required Documents
- Building and zoning application
- Permit-specific pool, floodplain, stormwater, HARB, shade tree, road occupancy, or sidewalk cafe forms
- Building code
- Pennsylvania UCC administered locally by Columbia Borough
- Owner-builder
- Not clearly summarized on a public guidance page.
- Contractor requirements
- Pennsylvania home improvement registration rules apply where required.
Fees
- Plan check fee
- Not clearly posted in machine-readable public text reviewed.
- Permit fee formula
- Refer to the borough fee schedule and permit forms; public web text is thin.
- Reinspection fee
- Not clearly posted in machine-readable public text reviewed.
- Payment note
- Confirm with borough staff because public payment detail is limited.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective 2026).
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Planning, Zoning, Historic Preservation Department and Code Compliance to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Through borough permit staff after permit issuance (other)
- Inspection hours
- Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Typical inspection sequence: Not clearly summarized on the public pages reviewed.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Pennsylvania UCC administered locally by Columbia Borough
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Permit Applications
- Code Ordinances
- 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 Planning, Zoning, Historic Preservation Department and Code Compliance before applying.
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