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A permit grants legal permission to start a project in the City of Altoona. Building, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing permits are required in the City of Altoona in accordance with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code. Permits allow for the enforcement of the codes to ensure safe construction.

The City of Altoona reviews and approves plans for commercial and residential work.  For a commercial project, four (4) sets of plans stamped by a design professional are required for submittal.

Building Permits are required for all new construction, and existing construction:

• Construction of any new type of building
• Building or repairing a deck, garage, accessory building
• Prefabricated structures and temporary structures
• Demolition of any structure or part of a structure
• Swimming pools
• Signs
• Replacing or repairing a roof, porch, foundation or siding
• Cutting away any wall, partition or portion thereof, removal or cutting of any structural beam or loadbearing support, or rearrangement of parts of a structure affecting egress requirements
• Three or more windows
• Four or more steps

Simple repairs such as painting, floor coverings, wallpaper, suspended ceilings, cabinets, countertops, sidewalk repairs, spouting, and accessory structures less than 100 sq. ft. in size or replacing less than three windows are exempt from building permit requirements.

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing permit applications are only available in our offices, and may only be obtained by a licensed master tradesman. The City of Altoona uses an independent inspection agency for all residential and commercial permits and plan reviews for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing work.

Questions regarding permits should be directed to the Codes & Inspections Department by calling 814-949-2456 or use this contact E-Form.