Harrisburg, PA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Chapter 8-103 is the Electrical Code of the City of Harrisburg. Section 8-103.2 adopts the ICC Electrical Code, Administrative Provisions, 2003 Edition, and the National Electrical Code, 2002 Edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association, except where they conflict with Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry regulations under the Uniform Construction Code. The Department of Building and Housing Development enforces the chapter through the Codes Administrator.

Section 8-103.15 requires the permit from the Bureau of Codes Enforcement before any electrical work. The application, on a City form, states the nature of the work, the place, plans or specifications, and the name and address of the person who will do the work; residential property owners also supply proof of property liability insurance satisfactory to the City. Residential work costs a $75 application fee plus $3 per $1,000 of estimated cost, and commercial, industrial or nonresidential work costs a $100 application fee plus $3 per $1,000. Each fee also includes the then current Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code fee.

No permit issues unless the drawings carry the signature and seal of a licensed professional electrical engineer, with three exceptions: estimated electrical cost under $10,000 where the design is not highly complex or technical; work in a one- or two-family residence of 2 1/2 stories or less, whatever the cost; and work in a building whose total connected load is 50 KVA or less. The Bureau must also approve the application and drawings. Low-voltage work in a commercial property needs a permit before it starts; contractor-installed low-voltage work in a residential property needs one for replacement or repair in excess of 50% of the original system, breaching of floors, walls or ceilings, or an entirely new system.

Under § 8-103.16 the Codes Administrator can revoke a permit if work violates the chapter or the approved drawings, is unsafe, breaks a permit condition, or has not actively started within six months of issuance. Under § 8-103.5, City electrical inspections of single-family and two-unit dwellings carry a $100 fee for an inspection that covers both rough and final.