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    The Department is responsible for approving plans and inspecting commercial construction projects for compliance with the accessibility requirements of the UCC in municipalities that have elected to enforce the UCC but lack a code official certified to perform accessibility plan reviews and inspections.

    When filing for UCC permits issued by municipalities, applicants should check to see whether they must also obtain accessibility approvals from the Department.

    If Department approval is required, the following must be submitted:

    1. A completed UCC APPLICATION FOR BUILDING PERMIT form (UCC-3).
      • Please complete this fully. If an informational item does not apply, indicate this by a “NA.”
      • It is imperative that applicants indicate the name of the political subdivision and the county where the proposed construction will occur. We will not process applications that lack this information.

    2. A check or money order made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Click here for fee schedule. The department is now offering plan review performed within seven days of receipt of a written request for an additional cost. It is also offering inspections outside of normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., excluding holidays) upon written request from the applicant at an additional cost.

      This fee covers plan review and all inspections.

    3. Three (3) complete sets of construction drawings and specifications.
      • Seals of licensed design professionals must appear on all sheets and be signed and dated by the designer. (An unlicensed person may prepare construction drawings for the alteration or remodeling of a building, if no compensation is paid for their preparation and the construction will not involve changes in the building’s structure or means of egress.)

      • Drawings must be at least 18” x 24” (but no more than 36” x 42”) in size, drawn to scale of no less than 1/8”= 1’, with sufficient detail to fully indicate the nature and scope of the work to be performed.

      • A “Building Code Summary” must be included on the first or second sheet of the drawings, with all applicable accessibility code sections completely filled out.

    4. Four (4) copies of a site plan showing the size and location of the new construction, with accurate boundary lines, distances from lot lines, and the established street grades and proposed finish grades.

    5. One copy of the Department’s ACCESSIBILITY CERTIFICATION DISCLOSURE STATEMENT (form numbered UCC-30). This form must be obtained from the Building Code Official in the municipality where the construction will occur. Please note that, if this form is not included with your application, your application will be returned as incomplete.

      (Building Code Officials: see the Department’s Advisory on Accessibility-Only Plan Approvals and Inspections for further info on this requirement and to access a copy of the UCC-30 form.)

    These items should be mailed to:
    Buildings Section
    Department of Labor and Industry
    651 Boas Street, Room 1606
    Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17121-0750

    If the plans are deemed in compliance with the accessibility requirements of UCC, the Department will provide the applicant with the following:

    • One set of approved plans (a second set will be delivered to the construction site and must be provided to Department code officials, upon request.

    • The UCC INSPECTION PROCEDURES STATEMENT (UCC-9)

    • A UCC ACCESSIBILITY PLAN APPROVAL certificate that must be posted on the construction site until all construction is complete and a certificate of occupancy has been issued.

    • A copy of a UCC INSPECTION LOG (UCC-7). This document must be retained at the construction site and must be provided to any Department code officials, upon request. This document will indicate that a UCC inspection is required for the work and the name of the Department’s inspector that should be called, to schedule this inspection.

    Upon successful completion of the required accessibility inspection, the applicant will receive the Department’s Certificate of Compliance: Accessibility. This certificate should be posted in the approved building along with the UCC certificate of occupancy issued by the municipality’s Building Code Official, upon occupation and use of the building.

    ACCESSIBILITY VARIANCES:

    The form accessible below may be used to file an appeal, seek a variance or an extension of time for construction which must meet the requirements of the Uniform Construction Code. When variances are requested, as many variances as may be needed may be sought via this petition. Once this petition has been submitted, no changes may be made, and any additional variance requests must be filed via a separate (new) petition. A copy of this petition may also be requested by calling 717-787-3329.

    Accessibility Petition