The three overlays and what each asks for
The City's geotechnical page and its 2024 process guide set out three triggers:
| Where | Work | What you must submit | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide-Prone Overlay | New construction, multi-story addition | Full geotechnical report | 906.04 |
| Landslide-Prone Overlay | Parking pad, deck, porch, stoop, balcony, retaining wall, one-story addition | Evidence from a certified geotechnical professional that the work will not increase landslide susceptibility | 906.04 |
| Undermined Area Overlay | New construction or enlargement | Coal Status Report with State Bureau of Mines maps; for a single-family house, a geotechnical report only if it shows less than 100 ft of overburden | 906.5 |
| Undermined Area Overlay | Any other new construction or enlargement | Geotechnical report regardless of overburden | 906.5 |
| Any steep slope | Cut or filled slopes over 25% | Geotechnical report certifying safety and suitability | 915.02.A.1 |
The guide's examples of work that typically does not need one: fences up to 6 feet, interior renovation, deck renovation with no change to posts or structure, sheds under 120 sq ft, and exterior repairs that do not change the building envelope. The catch is in the next line: anything that changes the slope or sits near its edge still needs the professional's evidence. An earlier approved report can still count if the new work does not add soil impact, so ask the seller or previous owner for one.
What goes in the report
Field investigation with a site plan; subsurface investigation with a map (and photos if possible); recommendations or scope of work; a site plan showing the landslide-prone, undermined and steep-slope areas; demolition and grading plans where they apply; and the professional's signature, seal and liability insurance. City Planning checks it is complete at site plan review; Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI) then checks that the building drawings follow its recommendations.
What it means for hiring
- Two hires, not one. The engineer or geologist who writes the report is usually separate from the builder. Get the report first; a wall or foundation designed before it exists may have to be redrawn to match.
- The builder must build to the report. PLI compares the permit drawings with the recommendations. Put "per geotechnical report dated ___" in the contract scope so the drainage, footing depth and wall design in it are not value-engineered out.
- Retaining walls after a slide. A failed wall in the overlay is a retaining wall job and needs the professional's sign-off before the permit. A quote that skips that step is quoting a job the City will not approve.
- Licensing. Building work in Pittsburgh needs a City general contractor license and Pennsylvania home improvement registration; see Pittsburgh contractor license lookup and checking a Pennsylvania contractor.
Questions go to the Division of Zoning and Development Review at 412-255-2241 or zoning@pittsburghpa.gov.
Compare Pittsburgh home builders by permit record →
What Pittsburgh permits show
| Measure | New home | Remodel & alteration | Demolition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 141 | 1,902 | 368 |
| Firms | 31 | 549 | 57 |
| Usual filed value | $223,373 | $12,500 | $26,900 |
| Usual days, issue to final | 630 | 178 | 119 |
| Finished (a year or more old) | 78.1% | 62.3% | 92.5% |
Only 141 new home permits were filed in three years, by 31 firms; the five busiest held 72.3% of them. On a hillside lot that is a short list, and the firm's own permit pages will show whether its jobs reach final. Demolition has more volume and peaks in July; the City's report checklist includes a demolition plan where one applies, so on a hillside lot the demolition and the rebuild belong in the same report.
Five-minute check
- Ask Zoning and Development Review whether your parcel is in the Landslide-Prone or Undermined Area overlay, or has slopes over 25%.
- Ask the builder for the geotechnical report on two past Pittsburgh hillside jobs, and find those permits as in Pittsburgh building permit search.
- Compare firms on our Pittsburgh new home list or remodel list; values are on Pittsburgh new home cost and counts on Pittsburgh permit statistics.
The general question: do I need a permit for a retaining wall.
What this does not tell you
Our Pittsburgh file has no retaining-wall or landslide-repair category and does not flag overlay parcels; walls sit in remodel and alteration if they are permitted at all.
How we know this
The rules are from the City of Pittsburgh Geotechnical Reports page and the Department of City Planning's 2024 geotechnical process guide, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Pittsburgh permits on homes in our new home, remodel and alteration, and demolition categories, October 2023 to September 2026; the finished share uses permits a year or more old.
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 a geotechnical report to build a retaining wall in Pittsburgh?
In the Landslide-Prone Overlay you need evidence from a certified geotechnical professional that the wall will not increase landslide susceptibility (Zoning Code 906.04). A full geotechnical report is required there for new construction and multi-story additions.
- How do I know if my Pittsburgh property is landslide prone?
It is a zoning overlay (Zoning Code 906.04), so ask the Division of Zoning and Development Review (412-255-2241, zoning@pittsburghpa.gov) for your parcel before you get quotes. The geotechnical site plan must then show the landslide-prone area, undermined area and steep-slope contours that apply.
- Do I need a geotechnical report for a deck in Pittsburgh?
A new deck, porch, stoop, balcony or parking pad in the Landslide-Prone Overlay needs a certified professional's evidence that it will not increase landslide risk. Renovating a deck with no change to posts or structure typically does not.
- How long does a new home permit take in Pittsburgh?
In our Pittsburgh file, the usual new home permit reached final 630 days after issue (141 permits, October 2023 to September 2026). The geotechnical report comes before that, at site plan review.
- Who can write a geotechnical report in Pittsburgh?
The City accepts reports from soil engineers, professional civil engineers, geotechnical engineers, or professional or engineering geologists, individually or as a group, who hold credentials and carry liability insurance. The report must carry a signature, seal and insurance information.
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
- Pittsburgh historic districts: when exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and what it means for your contractor
- Remodel vs rebuild: what remodel, demolition and new-home permits cost in 10 cities
- Do I need a permit to remodel in Pittsburgh? The Building and Development Application, EZ permits, and the wall rule
For one city
- Geotechnical Reports — City of Pittsburgh Zoning and Development Review (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Process Guide: Geotechnical Reports (2024) — City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning (accessed 2026-10-23)