Department of Licenses and Inspections City of Philadelphia PM-304.10 - Periodic Inspection of Exterior Walls and Appurtenances of Buildings (PDF) Philadelphia Facade Ordinance Summary (PDF)

Philadelphia

Ordinance Administration
The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) administers the facade ordinance for the City of Philadelphia. The L&I Department is located at 1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Public Services Concourse, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1687. There is no current Web site for L&I's Periodic Inspection of Exterior Walls and Appurtenances of Buildings program. The ordinance, which was approved  by City Council on February 4, 2010 and signed by the Mayor on February 17, 2010 amends title 4 of The Philadelphia Code titled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by amending subcode "PM" ("The Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code"), by requiring the periodic inspection of the exterior walls and appurtenances of certain buildings, the filing of an inspection report, and the repair and maintenance of certain conditions discovered during such inspections. The ordinance is in PM-304.10 - Periodic Inspection of Exterior Walls and Appurtenances of Buildings (PDF) of chapter 3, "General Property and Structural Maintenance."

Buildings Requiring Inspection
Philadelphia's facade ordinance is applicable to all buildings six or more stories in height; all buildings with any appurtenance in excess of sixty feet in height; and any building, other than one- or two-family dwellings, greater than two stories located in specific areas that are yet to be determined. For affected buildings, the first inspection required shall be conducted and report completed no later than:

For all other buildings, the first inspection shall be conducted, and required report shall be filed, within ten years after issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Following the initial inspection, an affected building shall be reinspected, and the required report shall be filed, on a five-year cycle based on the original schedule.

Inspection

The inspection is to be conducted by or under the supervision of the professional.

The inspection is to include the review of previous reports, inspections, and evidence of repairs made within the past five years, including confirmation that previously required repairs were addressed.

The professional determines the methods employed in the inspection; however, a physical, hands-on inspection of the building (i.e. from a scaffold or other observation platform) is required for a representative sample of the exterior wall, also as determined by the professional.

If a distressed condition is identified, the professional is to order other inspections and/or tests that may be required to determine the significance and probable cause of the observed distress.

Unsafe or safe with a repair and maintenance program conditions that are observed are to be photographed and/or sketches are to be made to properly document their location.

Upon discovery of any unsafe condition the professional is to immediately notify the owner of the building by electronic mail or by fax; and within 12 hours of discovery, notify the Department in writing or by electronic format.

A professional is required to be a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania licensed professional engineer experienced in the practice of structural engineering or a licensed registered architect knowledgeable in the design, construction, and inspection of building facades. The professional is to employ the appropriate professional standard of care to detect distressed conditions.

Report
The report requires the inspector to classify the facade as Safe, Safe with Repair and Maintenance Program, or Unsafe. The facade inspection report submitted is to include seventeen items of specific information as described in the ordinance.

The information provided in FacadeOrdinance.com is general in nature and should not be relied upon as fact. Persons requiring specific information on facade ordinances should contact local authorities or e-mail facadeordinance@wje.com.