County Building Permits
Westmoreland County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Inference from official county guidance: Westmoreland County states building permits are handled at the local level, with municipalities either enforcing in-house, by third-party contract, or through PA Labor and Industry. Pennsylvania counties are fully divided into municipalities, so there is no general ordinary 'unincorporated county' building permit jurisdiction comparable to some other states.
- Department
- Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development
- Address
- 40 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 320, Greensburg, PA 15601
- Phone
- 724-830-3600
Online Permit Portal
Platform: • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Identify the actual municipality where the property is located, because ordinary building permits are not issued by the County on a countywide basis.
- Use the county municipal directory and local municipality information to identify the building inspector or enforcement path.
- If a municipality has opted out of local UCC enforcement, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for state permit processing.
- For county-level subdivision, land development, or zoning matters under county jurisdiction, work through the Department of Planning and Development.
- Do not assume a county permit office exists for ordinary building permits in an 'unincorporated county' area.
Typical processing time: Not applicable for a general countywide building permit office
Source: Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development
General Requirements
County page expressly says building permits are handled at the local level, not by a general county permit office.
- Building code
- Pennsylvania UCC framework administered by the applicable municipality or by PA Labor and Industry for opt-out jurisdictions.
- Contractor requirements
- PA statewide contractor registration rules still apply where applicable.
Fees
- Payment note
- Confirm with the actual municipality or PA Labor and Industry.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
Typical inspection sequence: Depends on the enforcing jurisdiction.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Pennsylvania UCC framework administered by the applicable municipality or by PA Labor and Industry for opt-out jurisdictions.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- PA Department of Labor and Industry
- Westmoreland County
- 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 Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development before applying.
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