Code Enforcement

Click button above to view the codebook on General Code Publishers site.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Click the box above for a summary of the property maintenance code (pdf). The property maintenance code is used for rental license inspections and U&O inspections for resale.

All property owners are required to clear a 36-inch wide path on the sidewalk along the street for the entire length of your property. This must be done within twenty-four (24) hours of the end of the storm. See Section 83-14 of the Code of East Greenville Borough.

East Greenville Borough has adopted the 2009 International Property Maintenance Code. Several important changes in this code include:

302.8 Motor vehicles. Except as provided for in other regulations, no inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicle shall be parked, kept or stored on any premises, and no vehicle shall at any time be in a state of major disassembly, disrepair, or in the process of being stripped or dismantled. Painting of vehicles is prohibited unless conducted inside an approved spray booth. Exception: A vehicle of any type is permitted to undergo major overhaul, including body work, provided that such work is performed inside a structure or similarly enclosed area designed and approved for such purposes.
- Improper storage of inoperable vehicles can be a serious problem. These vehicles are unsightly, clutter the neighborhood, provide a harborage for rodents and are an attractive nuisance for children. no inoperable or unlicensed vehicles are permitted on a property unless approved in other regulations adopted by the Borough. This regulation addresses two problems associated with vehicle storage and repair including the blighting influence that improperly stored inoperable vehicles have on a neighborhood, and the neighborhood mechanic who attempts to operate a vehicle repair business from home. Motor vehicle repairs are permitted, but only if the work is performed in a structure designed and approved for such use. inoperable vehicles are defined as: A vehicle which cannot be driven upon the public streets for reason including but not limited to being unlicensed, wrecked, abandoned, in a state of disrepair, or incapable of being moved under its own power.
Single or multiple-station smoke alarms are required in the following locations:
- On the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms,
- Inside each room used for sleeping.
- In each story within a dwelling unit, including basements and cellars but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.
- Single and multiple-station smoke detectors shall be installed in other groups in accordance with the International Fire Code.

Use & Occupancy Inspections

East Greenville Borough requires all properties to be inspected prior to selling. The inspections check for compliance with the Property Maintenance Code. Inspections are scheduled by calling the Code Enforcement Officer at (215) 679-5194. The link for the Use & Occupancy Permit application will direct you to a PDF of the application form that can also be submitted. Any corrections noted during the inspection will be sent included in a correction report that is sent to the owner/agent. The permit cost for a residential Certificate of Occupancy is $60.00, payable to East Greenville Borough. This permit fee includes the inspection, and re-inspection. The Borough's Rental License program follows the same procedures as the Use & Occupancy inspections except Rental Properties are inspected every three years. For a summary of the Property Maintenance Code requirements, click HERE.

East Greenville Borough has opted-in to the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.

To review the PA Uniform Construction Code click the following link:

Beginning July 1, 2009, a new law will take effect in Pennsylvania requiring Home Improvement Contractors to be registered. This law is enforced by the PA Attorney General, or the County District Attorney.

More Information can be found by clicking on this link: Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act

For more information on this law, see the PA Attorney General's website at: Consumers: Protecting Consumers - Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

Permits are required for the following construction activities:

The construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition or change in occupancy of a residential building.
- **This includes finished basements**
The erection, installation, enlargement, alteration, repair, removal, conversion or replacement of an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system.
- For Example: Permits are required for new heating systems or changes in fuel type (Oil to gas, etc.), Solid Fuel Appliances (wood, coal, pellet), Chimneys, new electrical wiring or electrical circuits or extension of old wiring, new plumbing and extension or repairs of existing systems, porch repairs involving replacement of joists, rafters or the supporting columns, etc.
The construction of an accessory building (garage, shed, greenhouse, etc.) with a floor area of 200 square feet or more. Accessory buildings less than 200 square feet require a zoning permit only.
Installation of an uncovered deck where the floor of the deck is 30 inches or more above grade and the deck area exceeds 200 square feet. All decks with roofs require permits.
The addition to, or alteration of a water supply, sewer, drain leader, gas, soil, waste, vent or similar piping.
The addition to, or alteration of electrical wiring.
The addition to, or alteration or a mechanical system.
Sidewalks and driveways more than 30 inches above the adjacent grade.
Alteration of window or doorway openings. Replacement windows within the same structural opening do not require permits.
Roof replacement. (Roof replacement of less than 25% of the total roof area does not require a permit.)
Construction or replacement of decks.
Fences over six (6) feet high.
Swimming pools with water twenty-four (24) inches deep, hot tubs and spas.
Retaining walls higher than four (4) feet.

**A permit application and plans are required. Submit two (2) copies of the drawings/plans with the permit application.**

There are exceptions to the permit requirements. if you have questions, contact the code enforcement officer at (215) 679-5194, ext. 2, or by email at codes@egreenville.org.

COMMERCIAL PERMITS

Permits are required for the following commercial construction activities:

To construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a commercial building, structure and facility or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system regulated by the Uniform Construction Code.

Emergency repairs may be completed without first applying for a permit if a permit application is submitted within three (3) business days of the repair work.

** Please Note: A licensed architect or licensed professional engineer is required to prepare the construction documents for commercial work. An unlicensed person may prepare design documents for remodeling or alterations if there is no compensation and the remodeling or alteration does not relate to additions to the building or changes to the building's structure or means of egress.

**Submit two (2) copies of the drawings/plans with the permit application along with the required plan review fee.**

Effective May 4, 2009, East Greenville Borough has a new fee schedule for commercial plan review and inspections.

Click here for a copy of the new commercial permit fee schedule.

The fee for a commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $75.00.

**Exceptions to the permit requirements may apply to the work. Contact the Borough if you have questions at (215) 679-5194, ext. 2, or be email at codes@egreenville.org.

Zoning

Zoning permits are required for the construction of any type of building, adding an addition or enlarging any building, and for the change of use of any building. A zoning permit application (see the link below) must be submitted with the required fee. The application must include a statement as to the proposed use of the building or land, accompanied by a plan showing the location of the buildings in relation to all abutting property and street lines, and must show all streets. For signs, the size, height, location and construction of the sign must be shown.

To submit a zoning permit application, complete the zoning permit application and submit with the required fee: $50.00 for residential and $60.00 for Commercial.

Dumpster Permits

Dumpsters placed on public streets require permits. The cost is $20.00 for a 14 day permit. Section 91-22 states as follows: (C): Parking prohibited by vehicle type: (c) Dumpster, collection bin or other non-motorized contrivance for a period not to exceed 14 days, and then only after a permit is obtained from the Borough and with adequate reflectors and safety devices placed to prevent vehicles from colliding with such temporarily placed contrivances. See the forms below for a dumpster permit application form.

FORMS:



Residential and Misc. Permit Fees	Commercial Permit Fee Schedule
DUMPSTER PERMIT APPLICATION

Other forms are available by contacting the Code Enforcement Officer at codes@egreenville.org or by calling the Borough office, (215) 679-5194.

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