What PLI exempts, and what needs a permit
From PLI's Work Not Requiring a Permit and Building & Development Application pages (read 23 October 2026):
| Job on a one- or two-family home | Permit in Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops | No (exterior paint on a designated historic building needs a Certificate of Appropriateness) |
| Ordinary repairs | No |
| Shed, playhouse or similar, one story, up to 200 sq ft | No |
| Removing or cutting into a wall or partition | BDA (non-load-bearing walls are EZ-eligible) |
| Replacing windows or doors, roofing, siding | BDA, EZ-eligible |
| "Renovation or repair of an existing building or structure" beyond ordinary repair | BDA |
| Addition | BDA |
| New wiring, circuits | Separate electrical permit |
| New ductwork or heating equipment | Separate mechanical permit |
| Plumbing | Allegheny County Health Department, not the City |
PLI adds that "every situation is unique and can be interpreted individually by the Building Code Official". Zoning is folded in: "There is no need to apply for a Zoning Development Review application"; every BDA is reviewed by PLI, City Planning (DCP) and Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI).
EZ permits for the common jobs
PLI's EZ Permits pilot lists four residential building scopes: replacement of windows and/or doors; removal or installation of a non-load-bearing wall; roofing; and siding/veneer. Eligible applications are issued about one business day after PLI verifies the application and license information, and "There is no additional fee for EZ Permits." Properties in a floodplain, a historic district or designated historic, or condemned are not eligible. A kitchen or bath remodel that moves a load-bearing wall is a full BDA.
Who can pull it
PLI's Licensing Rules and Regulations say anyone doing work regulated by Title Ten "must have a general contractor license" (VI.2.A), with an exemption for "Owner(s) of single-or two-family dwellings who personally perform work" who occupy the house or will after the work (VI.2.B.a). The EZ page says residential EZ work may be done by the homeowner on a primary residence, a licensed City of Pittsburgh contractor or a registered Pennsylvania home improvement contractor. Check a contractor's state registration on the Attorney General's HICPA search, and the City license with the Pittsburgh contractor license lookup.
What it costs
From PLI's 2026 fee schedule, effective 1 January 2026, "All construction permit types" (read 23 October 2026):
| 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 |
| State Education & Training Fund / Digital Record Retention | $4.50 / $5.00 per permit |
| Residential accelerated plan review (optional) | 1.0% of construction value; minimum $500, maximum $9,200 |
| Remodel value | Base fee | Total with per-permit fees (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| $12,500 (the usual Pittsburgh remodel) | $130 (minimum) | $141.50 |
| $30,000 | $180 | $191.50 |
| $60,000 | $360 | $374.50 |
Trade permits for the same job are priced the same way, separately.
How to apply and track it
- Apply in OneStopPGH; choose an EZ scope if the job fits.
- Questions: pliapptech@pittsburghpa.gov, the OneStopPGH chat, or 412-255-2175. PLI's BDA page does not set out residential inspection steps; ask the construction inspector listed on PLI's Contacts page or your contractor.
- Track it by address in OneStopPGH Insights (how). The status to wait for is Completed.
What 1,902 Pittsburgh remodel permits show
| Measure | Pittsburgh remodel and alteration |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,902 |
| Firms and individuals named | 549 |
| Named on a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 15 |
| Usual filed value | $12,500 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (3+ permits) | $8,400 to $30,000 |
| Completed (a year or more old) | 62.3% |
| Usual days to completion (estimated) | 178 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile filer (10+ permits) | 20.8% / 88.6% |
| Filers under 70% completed | 15 of 28 |
| Matched to a City license that is not active | 123 (22.4%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | June / December |
Remodels are where Pittsburgh permits stay open: only 62.3% were Completed, and more than half of busy filers (15 of 28) completed under 70%. 123 named firms matched a City license that is no longer active, so check the card. The sharp drop to 15 named firms in the last 12 months is a records change, not a market one: from mid-2024 residential building work moved to the BDA record type, and the City's published BDA records never name a contractor. Prices by home value: Pittsburgh remodel cost; national ranges: home remodel cost; counts by year: Pittsburgh permit statistics.
See every Pittsburgh remodeler by completed permits →
Before you hire
Compare filers on the Pittsburgh remodeler list, and read the rules elsewhere in do I need a permit for a home remodel, kitchen remodel and bathroom remodel.
What this does not tell you
The City's file has no completion date, so days to completion are estimated. Since the BDA change, recent remodels carry no contractor in the City's file, so our firm figures come from October 2023 to mid-2024 permits. Our license status is a name match; 41.5% of filers did not match.
How we know this
Exemptions and scopes are quoted from PLI's Work Not Requiring a Permit and Building & Development Application pages; EZ terms from its EZ Permits page; the license rule and owner exemption from its Licensing Rules and Regulations; fees from its 2026 fee schedule, all read 23 October 2026. Fee examples are our arithmetic. Our counts are City of Pittsburgh remodel, window and alteration 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 a permit to remodel a kitchen in Pittsburgh?
Not for finish work alone: PLI exempts painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work. Cutting away a wall, partition or part of a wall is not an ordinary repair and needs a permit, and new wiring or ductwork needs its own trade permit.
- How much is a remodel permit in Pittsburgh?
PLI's 2026 fee schedule charges $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value for residential permits, 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. A $30,000 remodel is $191.50 by our arithmetic.
- Can a homeowner pull a remodel permit in Pittsburgh?
Yes, for their own home. PLI's licensing rules exempt owners of single- or two-family dwellings who personally perform the work and occupy the house from the general contractor license. On EZ permits, the homeowner on a primary residence may do the work.
- How long does a remodel permit take in Pittsburgh?
An EZ permit is issued about one business day after PLI verifies the application. A full Building and Development Application goes to PLI, City Planning and DOMI review. By our estimate the usual Pittsburgh remodel permit was completed 178 days after issue.
- Do I need a zoning permit for a remodel in Pittsburgh?
Not a separate one. PLI says the Zoning Development Review is now incorporated into the Building and Development Application, so there is no need to file a ZDR application.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Pittsburgh historic districts: when exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and what it means for your contractor
- Building on a Pittsburgh hillside: the landslide-prone overlay, steep slopes, undermined areas and the geotechnical report
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
For one city
- Building & Development Application — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work Not Requiring a Permit — City of Pittsburgh OneStopPGH (accessed 2026-10-23)
- EZ Permits (Pilot) — 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 (amended through 12 March 2026) — City of Pittsburgh PLI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- OneStopPGH Permit Center — City of Pittsburgh (2026-10-23)
- Home Improvement Consumer Information (HICPA registration search) — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (2026-10-22)