Permitting - About
Lowhill Township has opted to enforce the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code. This state law, along with our local amendments to same, regulates all building, plumbing and electrical work. Permits are required ANY TIME alterations or additions are made to your property and ANY TIME electrical or plumbing work is performed.
Permits are also required for ANY change of use or occupancy of a building. All permits must be secured by the individual doing the work. This means that, in all instances, where a contractor, electrician or plumber is involved, they must secure the permit, regardless of what any agreement between you as the property owner and the professional states.
All permits must be secured PRIOR to commencing work. All permit applications must be presented to the Township Zoning Office. In addition, depending upon the extent of the work being done and the volume of applications received, permits may take anywhere from 15 to 30 business days to be issued. It is very important for you to plan ahead. Therefore, if you are a business proposing to establish your facility in Lowhill Township, there are a number of permits and procedures required prior to occupying or using a structure and for opening your business.
Lowhill Township has contracted ALL INSPECTION AND PLAN REVIEW for all new construction, alterations and additions to a third party agency. The current contracted agency is Barry Isett & Associates. Questions regarding construction, codes, plan review, inspection and permit and approval status should be directed to their offices at 610-398-0904. No inspections are scheduled in-house and no permits will be issued without Barry Isett's approval. However, all paperwork involving permits is still submitted to and issued by the Township only and must have zoning approval as well before being issued. Permits required include (but may not be limited to) the following:
Permits
For any new or existing structure, proposed alterations, interior or exterior to a structure, a building/zoning permit must be secured with the following applicable additional permit as determined by Barry Isett and Associates or the Township:
- Building/Zoning Permit
- Electrical Permit - required for any electrical work and for any electrical signs.
- Plumbing/Sewer Permit - required for any plumbing work.
- Fire Protection System Permit - if required.
- Energy Code Compliance
- Mechanical Permits (i.e., HVAC, etc.)
PLEASE NOTE: At this time the Township does NOT accept online permit submissions, nor do we accept credit card payments. Cash or check only.
The Permit fee schedule can be found under the "Forms & Documents" page of our website.
ASCE Hazard Tool
NOTICE TO RESIDENTS, BUILDERS, CONTRACTORS, AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS
Use of the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool for all Building Design and Permit Applications
View the ASCE Hazard Tool
Lowhill Township would like to remind all property owners, builders, contractors, architects, engineers, and design professionals that the use of the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is strongly encouraged when preparing construction plans and building permit applications within the Township.
The ASCE 7 Hazard Tool provides location-specific design criteria for wind, snow, seismic, rain, and other environmental loads based on nationally recognized engineering standards. Utilizing this tool helps ensure that structures are designed in accordance with current building code requirements and applicable engineering practices.
The benefits of using the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool include:
- Accurate site-specific design parameters for individual properties.
- Improved compliance with current building codes and engineering standards.
- Enhanced public safety through proper structural design.
- Consistent design criteria for permit applications and plan reviews.
- Reduced delays during the building permit and construction review process.
- Documentation supporting engineering and design decisions.
Applicants submitting plans for new construction, additions, agricultural buildings, commercial buildings, accessory structures, and other regulated projects should consult with their design professional to determine the applicable design criteria for their project.
Providing ASCE 7 Hazard Tool documentation with permit submissions may assist Township staff and third-party reviewers in verifying applicable design loads and code compliance for the following specific reasons:
- Accurate Design Loads
- Provides current wind, snow, seismic, rain, and ice load data based on the latest ASCE 7 standards.
- Eliminates the need to manually interpret complex hazard maps.
- Code Compliance
- Helps engineers, architects, and municipal reviewers comply with building code requirements that reference ASCE 7.
- Supports permit applications and construction document preparation.
- Location-Specific Results
- Generates hazard values for a precise property location rather than relying on generalized regional estimates.
- Useful for site-specific development reviews.
- Improved Public Safety
- Ensures structures are designed to withstand environmental hazards expected at a particular site.
- Reduces risk of structural failure from windstorms, snow loads, earthquakes, and other natural events.
- Consistency in Plan Review
- Provides a standardized source of hazard information for engineers, code officials, and municipalities.
- Reduces disputes over applicable design criteria.
- Time Savings
- Quickly produces design parameters that would otherwise require extensive manual calculations and map reviews.
- Generates reports that can be included in engineering submissions.
- Documentation for the Record
- Creates a documented basis for structural design decisions.
- Helpful during municipal reviews, inspections, insurance reviews, and future litigation defense.
For Lowhill Township specifically, wind loads, snow loads, floodplains, steep slopes and storm-related design criteria are often the most commonly referenced ASCE hazard parameters during plan review and building permit evaluations.
ASCE 7 Hazard Tool Terms of Use
The ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is provided for informational purposes and to facilitate the retrieval of hazard data integral to the ASCE/SEI Standard 7, and is provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind. The location data included herein has been obtained from information developed, produced, and maintained by third party providers, extrapolated from maps incorporated in the ASCE/SEI Standard 7, and/or developed specifically for use with the ASCE/SEI Standard 7-22. While ASCE has made every effort to use data obtained from reliable sources or methodologies, ASCE does not make any warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, reliability, currency, or quality of any data provided herein. Any third-party links provided by this Tool should not be construed as an endorsement, affiliation, relationship, or sponsorship of such third-party content by or from ASCE. All data are per the requirements of the ASCE/SEI Standard 7; local requirements may vary. Users should confirm any output obtained from this tool with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction before proceeding with design.
ASCE does not intend, nor should anyone interpret, the results provided by this Tool to replace the sound judgment of a competent professional, who has knowledge and experience in the appropriate field(s) of practice, nor to substitute for the standard of care required of such professionals in interpreting and applying the contents of this Tool or the ASCE/SEI Standard 7.
In using this Tool, you expressly assume all risks associated with your use. Under no circumstances shall ASCE or its officers, directors, employees, members, affiliates, or agents be liable to you or any other person for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising from or related to your use of, or reliance on, the Tool or any information obtained therein. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to release and hold harmless ASCE from any and all liability of any nature arising out of or resulting from any use of data provided by the ASCE Hazard Tool.
Administration
