Grading and drainage in Allegheny County regulated under municipal codes, PA Chapter 102 E&S, and county stormwater ordinances. Steep slopes over 25% trigger enhanced review in many Pittsburgh hillside neighborhoods.
Pittsburgh Code Title IX Chapter 337 regulates grading with permits required for any earth movement exceeding 500 cubic yards or altering drainage patterns. Hillside districts (HDR) have additional restrictions on slopes above 25%. Suburban municipalities like Mt Lebanon, Upper St Clair, and Fox Chapel require grading permits for any work affecting adjacent properties. Drainage must not concentrate flow onto neighbors (common-enemy rule modified by PA case law). Failing retaining walls on hillside properties are a major code enforcement issue in Pittsburgh. PA Geological Survey mapping identifies landslide-prone zones across the region.
Unpermitted grading: 250 to 2,500 dollars. Drainage redirection harming neighbors: civil liability plus code violations. Unsafe walls: emergency abatement at owner cost.
Allegheny County, PA
ACHD Article XXI Part F sets countywide commercial/industrial noise limits: 65 dBA day / 55 dBA night at receiving residential property lines. This is one of...
Allegheny County, PA
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) sits in Allegheny County and operates Class C airspace. Aircraft noise is federally preempted under 49 U.S.C. §40103 (...
Allegheny County, PA
Vehicle noise enforced under PA Vehicle Code Title 75 §4523 (muffler required) statewide. No countywide Allegheny ordinance. Loud exhaust, modified mufflers,...
Allegheny County, PA
Amplified music is regulated municipally, not countywide. Pittsburgh Code §601.04 prohibits amplified sound audible 100 feet from source after 10 PM. ACHD Ar...
Allegheny County, PA
Allegheny County has no countywide leaf-blower ordinance. A few municipalities (notably Mt. Lebanon and Sewickley) restrict gas-powered blower hours; Pittsbu...
Allegheny County, PA
Street parking rules vary by municipality across Allegheny County. Pittsburgh Parking Authority enforces metered zones, residential permit parking (RPP), and...
See how Allegheny County's grading & drainage rules stack up against other locations.
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