Building Safety in Bethlehem, PA (2026)
6 verified building safety rules for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Bethlehem's Article 1167 Lead Poison Control ordinance lets the Bureau of Health inspect any dwelling for lead hazards, order abatement on a strict timeline and post a health-hazard notice on the property. Owners who fail to comply face fines up to $600 per day and cannot evict tenants to dodge the corrective order.
Bethlehem Lead Poison Control Ordinance
Heavy RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem §§ 1167.03, 1167.99
Any lead source which contains an amount of lead equal to or greater than 0.5% by weight or 1.0 mg/cm2, as measured by an x-ray fluorescence analyzer, shall be considered a health hazard to children under six (6) years of age, pregnant women, or other persons who have demonstrated an evidence of lead poisoning... ... Any person violating any provision of this Article shall upon conviction there...
Childcare Center Rules
Bethlehem's Bureau of Health licenses and inspects every day care center in the city under Article 1165, which sets minimum indoor space, staff-child ratios, sanitation and fire-safety standards. Centers must register with the Bureau and pass at least two inspections a year, and operators face escalating fines for violations.
Bethlehem Day Care Center Rules
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem §§ 1165.01, 1165.04, 1165.99
The Bureau of Health is hereby authorized and instructed to develop and implement a program of registration and inspection of day care facilities under these regulations... ... Inspection shall be conducted of each facility at least twice per year. (Ord. 3017 §2. Passed 9/17/85.) ... Each facility shall have minimum of 40 square feet (372 square decimeters) of indoor space for each child, measu...
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
A Bethlehem Short Term Lodging License application must include a floor plan showing the location of every carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm in the unit, mapped level by level along with windows and doorways, before the City will issue or renew the license.
Bethlehem STR Carbon Monoxide Detector Rule
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1741.04(C)(1)
1. An accurately-drawn floor plan of the residence showing the number of bedrooms and location of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Floor plans must show details for every level of the residence and any attached structures, and the location of windows and all interior and exterior doorways.
Building Permits
Bethlehem requires a permit under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code for erecting, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing or converting any building or structure in the city. Article 1701.01 adopts the statewide UCC in its entirety as the city's building code, with local amendments layered on top, most recently updated by Ordinance 2026-02.
Bethlehem Adopts PA UCC For Building Permits
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1701.01
1701.01 ADOPTION. That certain documents, viz, the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (PA UCC), Act No. 45-1999, 35 P.S. §§ 7210.101 – 7210.1103, as amended, and the Uniform Construction Code, 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 – 405, as amended, be adopted as the official Codes of the City of Bethlehem, in accordance with the provisions of the Third Class City Code, 11 Pa.C.S. §§ 141A01 - 141A05, w...
Plumbing Permits
Bethlehem issues plumbing permits only to licensed Master Plumbers. Under Codified Ordinances § 1705.08(b), an application for a plumbing permit must go to the Chief Code Official, who may issue it only to a Master Plumber holding a City license under the adopted International Plumbing Code. Journeyman plumbers may work under a Master Plumber's supervision but cannot pull permits themselves.
Bethlehem Plumbing Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1705.08(b)
(b) Only Master Plumbers may apply for a permit to perform plumbing work in the City. An application for a plumbing permit shall be made to the Chief Code Official, and the Chief Code Official shall issue plumbing permits only to Master Plumbers.
Building Inspections
Bethlehem requires a City inspection before issuing any certificate of occupancy, and the outcome of that inspection sets which of three certificates the property gets. A transferor must schedule the Housing Inspections Bureau inspection at least 30 days before a title transfer.
Bethlehem Certificate of Occupancy Inspections
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1731.04(a)
1731.04. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. (a) General rule.—The City shall issue a certificate of occupancy in the following manner: (1) If the City inspection reveals no violations. (2) If the City inspection reveals at least one violation, but no substantial violations, the City shall issue a temporary certificate of occupancy. (3) If the City inspection reveals at least one substantial ...