What's Required in Pittsburgh
- Cabinets, countertops, tiling, flooring and painting need no permit.
- PLI issues separate building, electrical and mechanical permits; plumbing permits come from the Allegheny County Health Department.
- Adding circuits, receptacles or lights needs a PLI electrical permit, eligible for a one-day EZ permit.
- Exhaust systems, fuel gas piping and other mechanical work need a PLI mechanical permit.
- Removing a non-load-bearing wall is an EZ building scope; load-bearing changes need a standard BDA with plans.
- Any plumbing installed or altered needs an approved ACHD plan and permit, including replacement cards.
- Each PLI permit costs $6 per $1,000 of its work value with a $130 minimum, plus $11.50 in fixed fees.
- Permitted electrical work requires a city electrical trade license and mechanical work an HVAC/Mechanical trade license.
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Kitchen in Pittsburgh?
It depends on what you touch, and the answer usually comes as several small permits rather than one. PLI's Work Not Requiring a Permit page exempts painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work, so a cabinet-and-countertop refresh needs nothing. PLI issues separate permits for building, electrical and mechanical work, and it says the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Plumbing Division is responsible for plumbing permits. Cutting away a wall, or adding, altering, replacing or relocating piping, wiring or mechanical, is not an ordinary repair and needs a permit.
Several kitchen scopes qualify for PLI's EZ Permit pilot, which needs no plans and issues within one business day: adding or extending ordinary 120/240-volt circuits, and removing or installing a non-load-bearing wall. An EZ permit covers one scope only; a project with several scopes goes on a standard application. Moving a load-bearing wall needs a standard Building and Development Application (BDA) with plan review, typically 15 to 30 business days.
Pittsburgh Kitchen Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, paint | None | PLI exempt list, finish work |
| Replacing a sink, dishwasher or water heater in place | ACHD fixture replacement card ($27) | ACHD permitting page; fee schedule |
| Moving the sink or adding plumbing fixtures | ACHD plumbing permit ($80 plan plus $22 per fixture) | ACHD fee schedule, Level 1 |
| Adding circuits or outlets | PLI electrical permit (EZ eligible) | PLI EZ electrical, power and lighting |
| Ducted range hood or new gas line | PLI mechanical permit | PLI mechanical scopes |
| Removing a non-load-bearing wall | PLI EZ building permit | PLI EZ building scopes |
| Removing a load-bearing wall | Standard BDA with plan review | PLI EZ page, not EZ eligible |
How Much Do Kitchen Remodel Permits Cost in Pittsburgh?
Each PLI permit is priced on the construction value of its own work. The 2026 residential base fee is $6.00 per $1,000, minimum $130, plus a $4.50 state training fund fee, a $5.00 digital record retention fee and a technology fee ($2 when the base fee is $200 or less, $5 up to $1,000). The planning department's fee FAQ says not to count finish work such as cabinets and countertops, or sub-permit work, in the value. ACHD charges $80 for a Level 1 plan (0 to 5 fixtures) plus $22 per fixture, or $27 for a fixture replacement card.
Two examples. Replacing a dishwasher in place: one ACHD replacement card, $27. A layout change with a wall opening valued at $40,000 for the building permit, new circuits and a moved sink and dishwasher: building $240 + $5 + $4.50 + $5 = $254.50, electrical at the minimum $141.50, and ACHD $80 + 3 fixtures at $22 = $146, for $542. A ducted hood adds a $141.50 mechanical permit. Those are PLI's residential rates; its permitting page puts attached single- and two-family dwellings in the commercial category, where the minimum base fee is $605, so confirm which category the portal assigns your house.
Who Can Do the Work?
PLI lets the homeowner work on a primary residence, or a licensed City of Pittsburgh contractor or registered Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor; renovations at rental or investment one- and two-family homes need a licensed general contractor or a PA HIC. Electrical and mechanical work follow the city trade licenses: PLI's rules require an electrical trade license for work that needs an electrical permit, and an HVAC/Mechanical trade license to install or replace mechanical systems. Plumbing is not a city permit at all: the Allegheny County Health Department issues it through its Citizen Access Portal. ACHD's 2025 Article XV revision lets a bona fide owner presently occupying an existing single-family building do the plumbing; otherwise a licensed master plumber does, and landlords must hire a master plumber for rental units.
How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in Pittsburgh
Split the job by trade
List finish work (no permit), wiring, mechanical, walls and plumbing; each permitted trade gets its own application.
File PLI permits in OneStopPGH
Use EZ permits for single scopes like new circuits or a non-load-bearing wall, and a standard BDA for structural changes.
File the plumbing plan with ACHD
Submit the plumbing plan or replacement card through the county Citizen Access Portal before any plumbing work starts.
Rough inspections
Request PLI inspections through OneStopPGH and ACHD inspections as work proceeds, before walls are closed.
Final inspections
Close out every permit with its final inspection; ACHD requires a final inspection on all plumbing permits.