The City's rule
The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections (PLI) says on its Electrical Permit page (read 23 October 2026) that "An electrical permit is required" for renovating or repairing existing systems, extending or modifying them, and installing new ones; one- and two-family homes take a Residential electrical permit. The exemptions, from Work Not Requiring a Permit:
| Job | Permit in Pittsburgh? |
|---|---|
| "Minor repair and maintenance work that includes the replacement of lamps" | No |
| Plugging "approved portable electrical equipment" into existing receptacles | No |
| "Installation or rearrangement of communications wiring" in a one- or two-family home | No |
| Altering, replacing or relocating wiring | Yes: PLI says it "is not an ordinary repair" |
| New circuit, panel, EV charger, service upgrade | Yes |
| Residential service over 400 amps | Yes, with stamped drawings |
PLI adds that "every situation is unique and can be interpreted individually by the Building Code Official." Since June 2024 most building work is filed as a Building and Development Application, but electrical work keeps its stand-alone trade permit, which is why the contractor is still named on it.
Who can pull it
PLI's Licensing Rules and Regulations define an electrical contractor as "any person performing work that requires an electrical permit", require a City electrical trade license, and require insurance "prior to issuance of any permit under Title Ten". The license is held by a person, who must carry a copy while working under a permit. The rules' owner exemption ("Owner(s) of single-or two-family dwellings who personally perform work") is in the general contractor section; we found no matching exemption for electrical work, so call PLI on 412-255-2175 before you plan to wire anything yourself. Plumbing is different again: it is permitted by the Allegheny County Health Department, not the City (Pittsburgh license lookup).
What it costs
From PLI's 2026 fee schedule (effective 1 January 2026), read 23 October 2026. The Fees page says "The cost of a permit will now be calculated based on the total construction value of the project."
| Fee | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Base permit fee, residential | $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value; minimum $130, maximum $8,000 |
| Due at application | 40% of the base fee, non-refundable; the rest at issuance |
| Technology fee | $2 on a base fee up to $200, $5 from $201 to $1,000, $15 from $1,001 to $10,000 |
| State Education & Training Fund | $4.50 per permit |
| Digital Record Retention | $5.00 per permit |
| Job value | Base fee | With per-permit fees (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| $2,655 (the usual Pittsburgh electrical job) | $130 (minimum) | $141.50 |
| $20,000 | $130 (minimum) | $141.50 |
| $40,000 | $240 | $254.50 |
The $130 minimum covers any job up to about $21,600, which is nearly every residential electrical permit in our file: the middle half of firms' usual jobs ran $1,690 to $4,500. PLI's Fee Calculator gives the exact total. Prices for the work: Pittsburgh electrical cost.
How to apply and track it
- The licensed electrician applies through OneStopPGH, picking one or more Residential work scopes.
- A permit limited to the emergency work scope "has an SLA of 7 business days."
- Applicants track it in their OneStopPGH account; anyone else uses OneStopPGH Insights by address (status page; steps in the Pittsburgh permit search guide). The status to look for is Completed.
What 4,618 Pittsburgh electrical permits show
| Measure | Pittsburgh electrical |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 4,618 |
| Firms and licensed individuals | 329 |
| Filers with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 205 |
| Usual filed value | $2,655 |
| Usual days to completion (estimated) | 42 |
| Completed (a year or more old) | 85.9% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile filer (10+ permits) | 72.7% / 96.3% |
| Filers under 70% completed | 8 of 104 |
| Filers matched to a City license that is not active | 19 |
| Busiest / quietest month | October / January |
A completed share below 72.7% puts a filer in the bottom tenth of busy Pittsburgh electricians. 19 filers matched a City license that is no longer active, which is worth checking against the card the electrician shows you. Many of the busiest permit holders file under their own names, so we do not list them here; they are on the compare list.
Check it in five minutes
- Ask to see the electrician's City electrical trade license card, and make sure that person's name is on your permit.
- Look up your address in OneStopPGH Insights after the job is booked.
- Compare filers on the Pittsburgh electrician list; choosing one is covered in hiring an electrician in Pittsburgh.
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for electrical work. National prices: electrical work cost.
See every Pittsburgh electrician by completed permits →
What this does not tell you
The City's file has no completion date, so days to completion are estimated from status and age. Our license status is a name match to the City's trade license file; 75.1% of filers did not match, often because the license is under a person and the permit under a company. Inspection steps for residential electrical permits are not set out on PLI's page; ask PLI or the electrician which inspections your scope needs. More: Pittsburgh permit statistics.
How we know this
Permit rules are quoted from the City of Pittsburgh's Electrical Permit and Work Not Requiring a Permit pages, license rules from PLI's Licensing Rules and Regulations, and fees from PLI's Fees page and 2026 fee schedule, read 23 October 2026; fee examples are our arithmetic. Our counts are City of Pittsburgh electrical permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026, from the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center; days to completion are estimated.
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
- Do I need an electrical permit in Pittsburgh?
Yes, to renovate, repair, extend, modify or install an electrical system. The City exempts minor repairs such as replacing lamps, plugging approved portable equipment into existing receptacles, and communications wiring in a one- or two-family home. Altering, replacing or relocating wiring is not an ordinary repair.
- How much is an electrical permit in Pittsburgh?
PLI's 2026 fee schedule charges a residential base permit fee of $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value, with a $130 minimum and an $8,000 maximum, plus a technology fee, a $4.50 state training fund fee and a $5 record retention fee. For any job up to about $21,600 that is $130 plus $11.50, or $141.50.
- Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit in Pittsburgh?
We found no homeowner exception for electrical work in PLI's licensing rules, which define an electrical contractor as any person performing work that requires an electrical permit and require a City electrical trade license. Ask PLI on 412-255-2175 before planning to do it yourself.
- How long does an electrical permit take in Pittsburgh?
By our estimate the usual Pittsburgh electrical permit was completed 42 days after issue. 85.9% of electrical permits a year or more old were marked Completed.
- When does a Pittsburgh electrical permit need stamped drawings?
For residential service work over 400 amps, and for commercial new construction and alterations. A permit limited to the emergency work scope has a 7-business-day service level.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need an electrical permit in Anaheim? Panel upgrades, the utility meter spot, fees and inspections
- Do I need an electrical permit in Arlington, VA? What's exempt, who pulls it, how long it takes
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an electrical permit in Austin? The exempt list, the homestead permit, fees and inspections
- Do I need an electrical permit in Seattle? Yes, and owner-occupants can pull their own
- Do I need an electrical permit in Somerville, MA? Yes, and only a licensed electrician can pull it
For one city
- Electrical Permit — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work Not Requiring a Permit — City of Pittsburgh OneStopPGH (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Fees — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- PLI Fee Schedule, effective 1/1/2026 — City of Pittsburgh (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Licensing Rules and Regulations — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- OneStopPGH Permit Center — City of Pittsburgh (accessed 2026-10-23)
- What is the Status of My Permit? — City of Pittsburgh OneStopPGH (2026-10-22)