Where to search Pittsburgh permits
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| OneStopPGH Insights | Address, record type | Permits and their status on a map |
| OneStopPGH (account) | Your own applications | Permits you, a co-applicant or license holder filed |
| PLI Permits (open data) | Any field | Building, mechanical, electrical and general permits since June 2019; work type, value, status |
| Our Pittsburgh firm list | Contractor name | Each firm's permits, share completed and how recently it filed |
How to look up permits on a Pittsburgh address
- Open OneStopPGH Insights and search your address.
- Read each record's type and status. Building work filed since June 2024 shows as a Building and Development Application.
- For the contractor, the value and the dates, filter the PLI Permits data for your address. The data center notes that building permits should be searched under both "BUILDING" and "Building & Development Application".
- For plumbing, ask the Allegheny County Health Department, which issues those permits.
- Questions about a City permit go to the OneStopPGH counter on 412-255-2175 or pliapptech@pittsburghpa.gov.
What the statuses mean
The finish signal in Pittsburgh's file is Completed. Expired permits stay in our counts as not completed. The file has no completion date, so our days to completion are estimated from each permit's status and age (Pittsburgh about page; methodology).
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Completed (a year or more old) | Usual days to completion (estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 4,618 | 329 | 85.9% | 42 |
| HVAC | 1,718 | 153 | 81.6% | 162 |
| Solar | 926 | 59 | 80.3% | 56 |
| Remodel | 1,902 | 549 | 62.3% | 178 |
| Demolition | 368 | 57 | 92.5% | 119 |
Remodel and new-home firm rankings reflect October 2023 to June 2024, because the applications that replaced building permits never name a contractor.
When the record is not online
The open file starts in June 2019, with a historical PLI dataset back to 2012 linked from the same page. For anything older, or for documents, the City's Right to Know page in the Department of Law covers requests under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law; it notes that "the City is not required to create a record that does not presently exist" (read 23 October 2026).
What our Pittsburgh data adds
OneStopPGH is organised by address and application. Ours groups permits by firm: the Pittsburgh permit statistics, and the compare lists for electricians, HVAC, solar and remodelers. The state and City license checks are in the Pittsburgh contractor license lookup; which jobs need a permit is in Do I need a permit?
See every Pittsburgh electrician by share completed →
How we know this
Lookup steps are quoted from the City of Pittsburgh's OneStopPGH status page, dataset coverage from the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center's PLI Permits page, and records-request wording from the City's Right to Know page, all read 23 October 2026. Our counts are City of Pittsburgh PLI permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from City of Pittsburgh permits (Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center), data through October 12, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Pittsburgh?
Search the address in OneStopPGH Insights, which the City says is searchable by address or record type, or filter the PLI Permits dataset on the regional data center for your address. If you are the applicant, the permit is in your OneStopPGH account.
- Are Pittsburgh building permits public record?
Yes. The PLI Permits dataset publishes permits issued by Permits, Licenses and Inspections from June 2019 on, with a historical file back to 2012, and other City records can be requested under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law through the Department of Law.
- Why can't I find a contractor on a recent Pittsburgh building permit?
Since June 2024 the City files most building work as a Building and Development Application, which does not name a contractor. Electrical and mechanical permits still do; in our file 329 electrical firms hold 4,618 permits.
- Where are Pittsburgh plumbing permits?
Plumbing permits are issued by the Allegheny County Health Department, not the City, so they are not in OneStopPGH or in our Pittsburgh pages.
- Why does my Pittsburgh permit still not say Completed?
Many Pittsburgh permits are slow to be marked Completed. In our file 62.3% of remodel permits a year or more old were Completed, against 85.9% of electrical permits, so ask PLI or the contractor whether the final was booked.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Pittsburgh contractor license lookup: HIC registration, City trade licenses and the permits
- Home improvement costs in Pittsburgh, PA (2026): what 6 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Anaheim building permit search: Anaheim NEXT and the Building Permit Report
- Anaheim contractor license lookup: CSLB classifications, the City's permit report and what it shows
- Timnath building permit search: the MyGov Address Lookup and statuses
- Urbana building permit search: how to look up permits in Urbana, IL
For one city
- Hiring an electrician in Pittsburgh: the City electrical trade license, the permit, and what 4,600 electrical permits show
- Do I need an electrical permit in Pittsburgh? The PLI rule, the $130 minimum and who can pull it
- Pittsburgh historic districts: when exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and what it means for your contractor