Uniform Construction Code Act
Uniform Construction Code Act governs all construction-related work and construction work sites in the state of Pennsylvania. The Act also ensures uniform, modern construction standards and regulations throughout the state to protect the life and safety of workers, the environment and the general public.
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History
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The General Assembly enacted the Uniform Construction Code Act in 1999 to provide universal protection and regulation of construction work. Previously, many municipalities had no construction codes providing these protections, or the past provisions were substandard. More specifically, the previous standards were not cumulative or universal, and the General Assembly found such variations caused poor construction standards that slowed the process of construction and also increased the costs of construction.
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BOCA National Building Code
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The Uniform Construction Code Act adopted the 1999 BOCA (Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc.) National Building Code, 14th Edition, as the Uniform Construction Code, rather than specifying its own regulations. The BOCA National Building Code includes provisions for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas work.
Application and Exemption
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The Uniform Construction Code Act applies to all construction, alteration, repair and occupancy in all structures within the state of Pennsylvania. However, utility structures, agricultural buildings, alterations to residential buildings that do not involve structural changes, repairs to residential buildings and some recreational cabins are excluded.
Construction Permits
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Under the Act, a permit must be issued before construction can begin. Permits for one-family and two-family dwellings will be granted or denied within 15 days of filing. All other permits will be granted or denied within 30 days of filing. Denials may be appealed by taking the appeal to the appropriate court of common pleas within 30 days of the denial.
Penalties
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Any individual, firm, corporation or other entity that violates any provision in the Act will pay a fine of no more than $1,000 plus administrative costs. However, each day that is a violation is considered a separate violation. For example, a construction site that is in violation for not having a permit for three days is subject to a penalty of up to $3,000 plus administrative costs.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Bridgewater Place" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: russelljsmith (Russell James Smith) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
