Bristol, PA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Application deadline
- At least 30 days before the change of ownership or occupancy
- Inspection timeline
- Within seven business days of a complete application
- Correction window
- 30 days from the report if the purchaser assumes violations
- Reinspection
- One free request within 30 days of the report
- Nonresidential cycle (§ 5-401)
- Maintenance, safety and fire inspection permit every three years
- Penalty (§ 5-503)
- Fine up to $1,000 plus costs, or not less than $100; up to 90 days
Summary
Bristol Borough requires an inspection and a certificate of approval from the Code Enforcement Officer before any change in ownership or occupancy of a dwelling, apartment, or commercial or industrial premises. The application is due at least 30 days ahead, the inspection follows within seven business days, and violations are corrected before the change or assumed by the purchaser with 30 days to fix them.
A certificate of approval shall be requested, processed and issued in the following manner: A ... pplication. Application shall be made, in writing, on a form provided by the Borough, by the owner or the owner's agent or representative, to the Code Enforcement Officer at least 30 days prior to a change in ownership or occupancy ... Inspections. ... The requested inspection shall be made within seven business days of receipt of a complete application ... Correction of Violations. All violations shall be corrected prior to any change of ownership or occupancy, or in the alternative, may be assumed by the prospective purchaser, on the condition that such violations be corrected within 30 days from the date of such report, or within any extension of such thirty-day period granted by the Code Enforcement Officer, or his/her representative. ... Reinspections. A single reinspection may be requested without additional fee by the person making the original application within 30 days of the date of the inspection report
Full Breakdown
Section 5-501 makes a certificate of approval a precondition to any change in ownership or occupancy of any house, dwelling, apartment unit, rooming house unit, retail, commercial, industrial or any other type of premises, by transfer of title or change of tenancy. The certificate confirms compliance with the Bristol Borough Property Maintenance Code and all other codes and ordinances governing health, sanitation, maintenance and use of a structure for human occupancy. Changes involving members of an immediate family are excluded.
Section 5-502 sets the stages. First, the owner or the owner's agent files a written application on the Borough form with the Code Enforcement Officer at least 30 days before the change, naming the premises, present owners, tenants, purchasers and the numbers of people who will occupy the building. The fee is set by Borough Council resolution, per residential unit, and is paid with the application; nonresidential units are charged by square footage. Second, the inspection happens within seven business days of a complete application, and every violation appears as a separate item in a written report to the applicant. Third, violations are corrected before the change, or the prospective purchaser assumes them and corrects them within 30 days of the report, or within any extension the Code Enforcement Officer grants. Violations posing a clear and serious threat to health, safety or welfare must be corrected before the change. Fourth, one reinspection is free if requested within 30 days of the report; later reinspections cost a new fee. The certificate stays valid until the next change in ownership or a later inspection that discloses violations.
Other tracks run alongside. Owners and tenants of industrial, commercial and nonresidential buildings obtain a maintenance, safety and fire inspection permit every three years under § 5-401, and rental units are inspected biennially under § 11-107, or annually in buildings with more than 10 dwelling units.
Violations & Fines
Section 5-503 provides a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs, or not less than $100, on conviction before a Magisterial District Judge, with imprisonment not to exceed 90 days in default of payment. Each day a violation continues, and each section violated, is a separate offense. The Borough can instead bring a civil action for a judgment of not more than $1,000 plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees. Under § 5-402, failing to correct deficiencies found in a triennial inspection is itself a violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I apply for a change-of-ownership inspection in Bristol Borough?
What happens if the inspection finds violations?
Are transfers within a family exempt?
How long does the certificate of approval last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bristol
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