Electrical Permit in Pittsburgh, PA
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
PLI provides a trade-license exemption for owners of single-family or two-family dwellings who self-perform work on their primary residence, subject to PLI's licensing rules. The current EZ Permit pilot also allows qualifying residential work to be performed by a homeowner on the homeowner's primary residence. Other electrical work must use an eligible permit holder under the applicable licensing requirements.
Contractor Rules
PLI states that an Electrical Trade License is required for electrical permits except where a listed license exemption applies. Electrical Trade Licenses are issued to individuals, not companies. The assigned permit holder must maintain a valid license and applicable insurance for the duration of the permit. For commercial EZ Electrical work, the permit holder must be an individual with a City of Pittsburgh Electrical Trade License.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
Pittsburgh requires an Electrical Permit for installing new electrical systems and for renovating, repairing, extending, or modifying existing systems unless a listed exemption applies. Residential scopes include service, power and lighting, generators, solar PV, pool grounding and bonding, temporary service, service reconnects, and in-kind device or fixture replacement. Commercial scopes also include distribution systems, low-voltage systems at 50 volts or less, communication antennas, sign electrical work, phased work, and qualifying minor alterations.
Plan Review Rules
Application review is required for work types other than Minor Alteration, except Minor Alteration work on condemned properties also requires review. Eligible EZ permits bypass plan review and do not require drawings. Residential new-construction or addition/alteration service work over 400 amperes requires stamped drawings. Commercial electrical new construction and addition/alteration require stamped drawings. If PLI requests revisions, the applicant receives formal plan-review comments and must submit corrections through OneStopPGH or the OneStopPGH counter.
Quick / No-Plan Permit Rules
Pittsburgh's current EZ Permit pilot provides a no-plan, no-plan-review path for limited residential electrical work, with one eligible scope per application and a 1-business-day issuance verification. Listed electrical scopes include qualifying ordinary residential power and lighting work, in-kind service reconnects, qualifying roof-mounted solar, and in-kind replacement of fixtures or devices. Service or panel upgrades, work requiring engineered plans or utility design approval, fire-alarm or emergency systems, and other listed exclusions require the standard Electrical Permit path. There is no additional EZ fee beyond the applicable permit fee.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Electrical service and distribution work is a regulated permit scope. For residential work, Pittsburgh distinguishes service rated 400 amperes or less from service over 400 amperes; new or altered service over 400 amperes requires stamped drawings. The EZ power-and-lighting path does not cover a new or upgraded service, feeder, panel, transformer, generator, or battery system. Changes to service size, voltage, phase, meter location, service wiring, or main service equipment are not eligible for the EZ service-reconnect path.
Service Reconnect Rules
Pittsburgh recognizes an in-kind service reconnect scope for a previously approved service when the location, phase, amperage, and service equipment remain the same. The EZ reconnect path is limited to an existing service disconnected by the utility with only minor repairs and no change to service size, voltage, phase, meter location, wiring, grounding method, or equipment; otherwise a standard Electrical Permit and any required utility approval are needed. Where Duquesne Light is the serving utility, final electrical connection requires the required wiring approval and inspection.
Low-Voltage Rules
Installation or rearrangement of communications wiring in a single-family or two-family dwelling is listed by Pittsburgh as work not requiring an Electrical Permit. For commercial structures, a low-voltage system operating at 50 volts or less is an Electrical Permit scope and can be listed under new construction, addition/alteration, or qualifying Minor Alteration work. Fire-alarm systems are administered as a separate PLI permit type rather than as ordinary commercial low-voltage electrical work.
Utility Coordination Rules
Utility coordination is required when the scope affects utility service, metering, reconnection, temporary service, service increases, or other utility-controlled work. Where Duquesne Light is the serving utility, requests are submitted for items such as temporary service, a new meter, new service, or a service increase, and the utility issues a work-order number and may require additional service information or plans. Duquesne Light requires the applicable electrical inspection or wiring approval before making final electrical connections.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
All PLI permits require inspections. Pittsburgh's general inspection sequence identifies pre-inspection for electrical permits, underground inspection when applicable, rough electrical inspection, and final inspection. Work must remain exposed until a passed inspection authorizes concealment. Residential electrical permits issued on or after January 1, 2021 are inspected by PLI; commercial electrical permits require inspection by a PLI-registered Third Party Agency, with the permit holder responsible for engaging the registered TPA and inspector. Required inspections for the specific permit are listed in OneStopPGH.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
An electrical permit remains valid if work begins within 180 days after issuance and any suspension of work is less than 180 days. Electrical permits are also subject to PLI's general five-year expiration period from the date of permit issuance. If an approved application is not paid for and issued within 180 days, PLI considers the application abandoned and void.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Apply before regulated electrical work begins, select the residential or commercial structure type and applicable work type and scope, provide the project location, construction value, and complete scope, and satisfy any required plan review. Before issuance, meet permit conditions, obtain required related or parent approvals, pay remaining fees, and identify an eligible permit holder. A Pittsburgh Electrical Trade License is generally required for electrical permits, subject to the City's owner-occupant exemption. Work must comply with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and applicable Pittsburgh amendments.
Exemptions
An Electrical Permit is not required for the specific work Pittsburgh lists as exempt: minor repair and maintenance limited to replacing lamps or connecting approved portable equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles; radio and television transmission equipment, although UCC rules still apply to power-supply wiring and tower or antenna installation; temporary systems used to test or service electrical equipment; installation or rearrangement of communications wiring in a single-family or two-family dwelling; and generation, transmission, distribution, metering, or related equipment owned and controlled by public service agencies or utilities.
Required Documents
OneStopPGH identifies required documents based on permit type, structure type, work type, and scope. Reviewed applications require the drawings and supporting information identified by the portal. Pittsburgh specifically requires stamped drawings for residential service work over 400 amperes and for commercial new-construction and addition/alteration electrical work. Commercial electrical applications must include the TPA Inspector Permit Assignment Form. Eligible Minor Alteration and EZ Permit work can proceed without plan drawings. EZ applications require the value of construction, location, and complete scope of work.