Amendment to the Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code
Subcode “A” (The Philadelphia Administrative Code)
Chapter 3—Permits
Permits go into effect January 1, 2023.
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OBJECTIVES
Protect Life, Safety, and Adjoining Property!
- Ensure that the contractor has knowledge and skill necessary to perform excavations.
- Increase transparency and awareness of
projects that include excavation work. - Establish minimum permit submission
requirements for excavations to ensure that adjoining buildings and public ways are
sufficiently protected. - Demonstrate that an adequate investigation/assessment necessary for responsible design/construction and ensure affected buildings are appropriately monitored throughout the
construction or demolition. - Provide notice and complete project
information to an adjoining owner or resident of a building that is directly impacted by the work.
Bill No. 210389
- Established an excavation contractor license and permit for excavation exceeding 5’ below grade, excluding utility trenches and
geotechnical investigation unless otherwise required by regulation. - Established inspection and monitoring
requirements for structural alterations on a historic structure, excluding one and two
family dwellings, and when demo/new
construction, or excavation occurs within 90’ of an historic structure on the same or abutting lot. - Modifies threshold for special inspection of excavations to 5’ below adjacent grade and 10’ within an existing building and establishes framework for a separate special inspection license category. Current requirements
established under Code Bulletin B-0503-R2. - Explicitly requires notification to adjoining property owner and identifies contents of
notice where there is modification to a party wall, excavation near a party wall, or demo/ new construction near a historic structure. - Bill signed into law on 7/15/21 and becomes effective on 1/1/23
Excavation Contractor License
- Excavation contractor license required to
perform excavation services resulting in cuts, trenches, or depressions in the Earth’s surface more than 5’ below adjacent grade. - This includes basement dig-outs.
- Intent is to exclude utility trenches/
geotechnical exploration that does not require a permit AND exclude demolition that does not require a separate excavation permit. - Excavation Contractor license will be required prior to the issuance of an excavation permit filed on or after January 1, 2023.
- $103 annual fee
- License will become available in eCLIPSE in September 2022.
Contractor License Requirements
Requirements
- Commercial Activity License Phila Tax Account in good standing
- Insurance of $2 million general liability
- $300k auto
- Workman’s Compensation
- License Bond $100k- City will draw against the bond to recapture abatement costs
- Qualified Site Safety Manager OSHA training and certification
Excavation Site Safety Manager
- At least one site safety manager employed by the contractor. May not be employed by
another excavation contractor - Responsible to oversee excavation operations to ensure safe practice.
- Shall be present on-site during excavation
operations - Must provide OSHA 30 Construction and
Safety Training certificate - Course must be taken within 5 years of
application - Site Safety Manager must either 1) retake course every 5 years or 2) present 30
continuing education credits in site safety
every 5 years - Must provide OSHA 3015 Excavation, Training, and Soil Mechanics certificate
- Must take within past 5 years and re-take
every 5 years or provide 20 CEUs
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