Scranton, PA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Under Scranton City Code Chapter 203, the Bureau of Code Enforcement's Building Code Official (BCO) reviews every permit application before work starts, and no permit issues until the appropriate inspectors sign off (§ 203-7D). Once a permit is posted on site, the contractor or owner must give the Code Official at least 24 hours' notice before starting work (§ 203-7G). During construction, the BCO or an authorized third-party inspection agency, along with the mechanical and plumbing inspectors, inspects the work for compliance with the Uniform Construction Code.

Separately, § 203-16 gives the BCO standing authority to inspect or reinspect any building in the City, including its plumbing, electrical, heating and sprinkler installations, for fire, health and structural safety, and grants inspectors a right of entry onto any site under construction, repair or demolition. When § 203-12 applies, a general inspection is performed first, and a final inspection follows once the building or space is complete and before a certificate of occupancy is issued. A certificate of occupancy costs $250 for residential buildings and $350 for commercial buildings, and a temporary certificate of occupancy costs $150.

If a reinspection turns up an unsafe or noncompliant condition, the Director/BCO must give the owner or operator notice, and the person responsible has 48 hours, or a longer period the Director sets, to correct it before penalties apply.