Property owners must get inspections within 10 years after the structure is finished. They must get inspections every 5 years after that.

• Private piers must be inspected every 3 years, and immediately after being hit by a ship or damaged.

Inspections must be conducted by a licensed structural engineer.

• Facades may be inspected by a licensed registered architect knowledgeable in the design, construction, and inspection of facades.
• Piers must be inspected by a team that includes licensed engineers experienced in marine structure construction and design, and commercial divers trained in structural inspections.

Waivers / Extensions

For recent renovations, property owners can submit a written request to the Department for a waiver or extension of the inspection requirements for the current inspection cycle. The request must include copies of any construction permit related to the restoration work. Refer to the Façade FAQ for more submission details for waivers of façade inspections.

• If the private bridge was substantially restored within the past five (5) years, you must submit the waiver request to privatebridgereports@phila.gov.
• If the façade was substantially restored within the past five (5) years, you must submit the waiver request to facadereports@phila.gov.
• If the fire escape was substantially restored within the past one (1) year, you must submit the extension request to fireescapereports@phila.gov.
• Piers are not eligible for waivers or extensions.

Appeals

Appeals based on particular building configurations or conditions of facades and private bridges can be filed to the Board of Building Standards. Appeals based on particular conditions of fire escapes can be filed to the Board of Safety and Fire Prevention.

Engineers must prepare a report stating whether the structure is safe, unsafe, or safe with a repair and maintenance program.

Safe structures

A structure is safe if one or more of the following conditions are observed:

• No visible damage.
• Only minor to moderate defects or deterioration is observed, but no overstressing is observed.
• Structural and/or exterior wall elements may show very minor deterioration, but no overstressing is observed.
• No repairs are required.

If the engineer finds that the structure is safe, the engineer must:

• Post a weather-resistant reflective tag identifying the date of inspection, date of next required inspection, and inspector contact information (Fire Escape and Fire Escape Balconies Only).
• Submit the Summary Inspection Form through eCLIPSE.

Safe with a repair & maintenance program

A structure is safe with repair if one or more of the following conditions are observed:

• All primary structural and/or exterior wall elements are sound, but minor to moderate defects or deteriorations are observed.
• Areas of moderate to advanced deterioration may be present, but do not significantly reduce the capacity of the structure.
  • The structural capacity of fire escapes / balconies shall not result in a significant reduction for a period of at least 6 months (180 days) from the date of the inspection.

If the engineer finds that the structure is safe but requires repair, the engineer must:

• Post a weather-resistant reflective tag identifying the date of inspection, date of next required inspection, and inspector contact information (Fire Escape and Fire Escape Balconies Only).
• Submit a report detailing repairs with the Summary Inspection Form through eCLIPSE.
• Upon completion of the repairs, complete a post-repair inspection and submit a new Summary Inspection Form.
  • Fire escape / balcony repair must be completed within 6 months after initial inspection.

The owner must:

• Make all repairs described in the engineer’s report.
  • Repairs for fire escapes / balconies must be made within 6 months of initial inspection.
• Ensure that the required re-inspection is performed.

Unsafe structures

If the engineer finds that the structure is unsafe, engineers and owners must both take action.

The engineer must:

• Immediately notify the owner.
• Notify L&I within 12 hours of inspection.
• File the full report with L&I within 24 hours of completion.
• Reinspect the structure once repairs are completed and report back to L&I.

The owner must:

• Close off the structure or take other actions that will protect public safety within 24 hours of being notified.
• Apply for necessary permits within 3 days. Before repairing a historic building, the owner must contact the Philadelphia Historical Commission at (215) 686-7660.
• Begin work to correct the condition within 10 days and continue working until the unsafe condition is fixed.