Which license each job needs in Philadelphia
| Work | License or registration | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Construction, demolition or repair (beyond existing 1–2 family homes) | L&I Contractor License | Find a Licensed Contractor |
| Home improvement on an existing 1–2 family home | PA Home Improvement Contractor registration (Attorney General); for EZ permits, also a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License | HIC search, or 1-888-520-6680 |
| Electrical | Philadelphia Electrical Contractor License | Find a Licensed Contractor |
| Plumbing | Philadelphia Master Plumber's License (also journeyman and apprentice) | Find a Licensed Contractor |
| Ductwork and sheet metal | Philadelphia Sheet Metal Technician License | Ask for the license |
| Fire sprinklers | Philadelphia Fire Suppression Systems Contractor License | Find a Licensed Contractor |
| Complete demolition | Philadelphia Demolition Contractor's License | Find a Licensed Contractor |
The City's contractor information page (read 26 October 2026) says "Contractors are licensed by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I)", that a Contractor License is needed for construction, demolition or repair unless the firm works only on existing one- or two-family homes, and that plumbers, electricians, fire suppression and complete demolition contractors need a Philadelphia trade license. L&I's trade licenses page adds: "Trade workers must carry Philadelphia licenses specific to their work in order to do business in Philadelphia."
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask which credential the firm holds: an L&I Contractor License, a PA HIC number, or a trade license, and the number.
- Search L&I's Find a Licensed Contractor, which lists active licenses and any licensing violations, then the suspended and revoked contractors list.
- Home improvement firm: search the Attorney General's HIC database, or call 1-888-520-6680.
- Check the permit: L&I's contractor permit lookup shows whether the firm obtained permits, and Atlas shows permits and violations on your address; the Philadelphia building permit search guide walks through both.
Doing the work yourself
L&I's EZ permit page says "A licensed Philadelphia contractor must perform the work", except on an existing one- or two-family home, where it may also be done by "An owner who resides in the building" or by a registered PA HIC holding a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License. Fire suppression, electrical, plumbing and sheet metal work always need the specific license. Any property owner can apply for the permit itself.
What our Philadelphia pages add
L&I's tools answer "is this firm licensed" and "what is on this address". Our Philadelphia page shows what L&I permits on homes and how fast it signs off, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 20,008 | 10,244 | Master plumber |
| Remodels and repairs | 10,519 | 5,374 | Contractor License, PA HIC or owner-occupant |
| Electrical | 9,822 | 5,039 | Electrical contractor |
| HVAC | 6,884 | 3,510 | Licensed contractor; sheet metal technician for ducts |
| Roofing | 3,853 | 1,466 | Contractor License or PA HIC |
| Solar | 2,188 | 678 | Electrical contractor for the wiring |
| New homes | 1,334 | 684 | Contractor License |
| Additions | 847 | 438 | Contractor License, PA HIC or owner-occupant |
71% of the permits issued October 2024 to September 2025 were completed, and the usual one took 86 days from issue to completion. How long a permit takes has the days by kind of work, the permit statistics page the months, and permits by ZIP code the neighbourhoods. Local permit rules: plumbing, electrical, HVAC and remodel permits. Statewide HIC rules, the $5,000 threshold and the three-day right to cancel: How to check a contractor's license in Pennsylvania.
What this lookup does not tell you
L&I's permit file names contractors, but we have not matched those names to license records, so our pages do not rate, rank or profile firms. Commercial permits are left out of our counts. Suburbs in Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties issue their own permits. A license says the firm may do the work, not how its last job went.
How we know this
License rules are quoted from the City of Philadelphia's contractor information, trade licenses and EZ permit pages and L&I's contractor lookups, and the Attorney General's HIC registration page, read 26 October 2026. Counts are L&I's residential permits, read 19 October 2026: permits issued October 2024 to September 2026; completion share and days use permits issued October 2024 to September 2025.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Philadelphia license contractors?
Yes. The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) issues a Contractor License for construction, demolition or repair work. Contractors who work only on existing one- or two-family homes, and are not plumbers, electricians, fire suppression or complete demolition contractors, register instead as Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractors with the Attorney General.
- How do I look up a Philadelphia contractor's license?
On L&I's Find a Licensed Contractor tool (phila.gov/li/find-a-licensed-contractor), which lists actively licensed Philadelphia contractors and any licensing violations. Check the suspended and revoked contractors list too, and the Attorney General's HIC search (hicsearch.attorneygeneral.gov) for home improvement registration.
- Who can do electrical and plumbing work in Philadelphia?
Only licensed trades. L&I says a licensed electrical contractor must perform all electrical work and a licensed master plumber must oversee plumbing work. Philadelphia issues its own Electrical Contractor and Master Plumber licenses, and the owner-occupant exception for EZ permits never covers electrical, plumbing, fire suppression or sheet metal work.
- Can I do the work on my own house in Philadelphia?
Building work, often yes. For an existing one- or two-family home, L&I's EZ permit page lets "An owner who resides in the building" do the work, as well as a registered PA HIC holding a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License. Electrical, plumbing, fire suppression and sheet metal still need the licensed trade.
- How can I tell whether my contractor pulled a permit?
Use L&I's contractor permit lookup, or search the address in Atlas (atlas.phila.gov), which shows permits and violations. Our Philadelphia pages count the same residential permits by kind of work.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
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- Anaheim contractor license lookup: CSLB classifications, the City's permit report and what it shows
- Arlington, VA contractor license lookup: DPOR class and specialty, the County permit search, and what the permits show
- Find a licensed contractor and contractor information — City of Philadelphia (2026-10-26)
- Find a Licensed Contractor (L&I Contractor Lookup) — City of Philadelphia (2026-10-26)
- Suspended and revoked contractors — City of Philadelphia L&I (2026-10-26)
- Contractor permit lookup — City of Philadelphia L&I (2026-10-26)
- Trade licenses — City of Philadelphia L&I (2026-10-26)
- Get permits without plans (EZ permits) — City of Philadelphia (2026-10-26)
- Verify a Contractor's HICPA Registration — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (2026-10-26)
- Home Improvement Contractor Registration — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (2026-10-26)
- Atlas — City of Philadelphia (2026-10-26)