Building permits
L&I’s building permit page lists projects that often don’t need a permit “as long as your property is not on the Philadelphia Historic Registry.” The list includes “pointing masonry” and “repairs related to regular maintenance.” Rebuilding a wall, structural repairs, or covering masonry with another material are different: the Rowhouse Manual says covering a masonry wall with any material requires a building permit and an inspection.
Historic properties
If the property is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, you need Historical Commission approval for “masonry cleaning, painting, pointing, repair, replacement, alteration, or removal,” for painting, coating or sealing surfaces other than wood and metal trim, and for star bolts. Review is free. Staff often approve without sending the application to the full Commission, and you can contact them at preservation@phila.gov.
Approvals for pointing often include field conditions such as a masonry pointing sample and a cut-out sample, which staff inspect before the rest of the work proceeds. How that works.
Scaffolding and the sidewalk
Scaffolding, shelter platforms, dumpsters, booms and lifts in the public right-of-way need a Streets Department street closure permit, including for facade restoration. The applicant must hold a Contractor License or Commercial Activity License and apply online at least 10 business days before the start date. Fees depend on the type and length of closure and whether the house is in Center City.
Contractor licensing
Philadelphia requires a Contractor License for construction businesses. Firms that only work on existing one- and two-family homes can instead register with the State as Home Improvement Contractors. Ask for the license or registration number and proof of insurance before you sign.
Facade inspections
L&I’s periodic facade inspection program applies to buildings six or more stories high, not to typical rowhomes. Rowhome owners are still responsible for keeping their facades safe.
Party walls and neighbors
Rowhouses share party walls, and rear and side walls may only be reachable from a neighbor’s yard. Talk to neighbors early about access, and ask the contractor how they will protect the neighbor’s property.