County Building Permits
Montgomery County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Montgomery County does not function as a general building permit authority. Pennsylvania law fully divides the county into municipalities; each municipality issues its own building permits. The county issues certain Office of Public Health permits for food facilities, camps, pools, and some well/sewage matters.
- Department
- Montgomery County Office of Public Health (for health permits only; no county general building permit authority)
- Address
- 1430 DeKalb Street, Norristown, PA 19401
- Phone
- 610-278-5117
Online Permit Portal
Platform: • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Determine the municipality in which the property lies; that municipality is normally the building permit authority.
- If the issue is a county public health permit, use the county Permitting & Licensing page to identify the proper program.
- For wells and sewage, contact the local office identified by Montgomery County Office of Public Health.
- Submit the permit/license materials to the municipality or county health program that actually has jurisdiction.
- Do not assume Montgomery County issues a general building permit; there is no broad county building-permit system.
General Requirements
General building permits are handled by the municipality, not the county. County public health permits apply for listed health-regulated activities (food facilities, camps, pools, wells, sewage).
Required Documents
- Requirements depend on the actual municipal or county public health program
- Permit validity
- Program-specific for county health permits; follow municipality rules for building permits.
- Building code
- Pennsylvania UCC is enforced at the municipal level in Montgomery County.
- Owner-builder
- Follow the rules of the municipality with jurisdiction.
- Contractor requirements
- Follow the rules of the municipality with jurisdiction, plus applicable Pennsylvania state requirements.
Fees
- Permit fee formula
- Program-specific for county health permits; municipal for actual building permits.
- Payment note
- Confirm directly with the specific county program or municipality that has jurisdiction.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Montgomery County Office of Public Health (for health permits only; no county general building permit authority) to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Contact your municipality for building permit inspections (phone)
Typical inspection sequence: Municipality-specific for building permits; county-program-specific for health permits.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Pennsylvania UCC is enforced at the municipal level in Montgomery County.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- County Permitting & Licensing
- Municipal Contacts
- 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 Montgomery County Office of Public Health (for health permits only; no county general building permit authority) before applying.
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