Erie, PA Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)
Key Facts
- Local permit for propane install
- Not required
- Governing law instead
- PA Propane & LP-Gas Act, 35 P.S. §§1329.1-1329.19
- City code section
- § 1503.11(b)(6)
- Other UCC work on same project
- Still needs a City permit
- Commercial projects
- Must show Act compliance under § 1503.32(n)(2)
Summary
Erie's Uniform Construction Code carves out propane gas installations entirely: tubing, piping, propane-burning appliances and LP-gas fixtures are exempt from the City's building permit process and instead fall under the Commonwealth's Propane and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act, per City Code Section 1503.11(b)(6). No City building permit or Building Code Official inspection covers the propane installation itself.
(b) The Uniform Construction Code does not apply to: ... (6) Installation of tubing, piping, propane gas burning appliances, equipment or fixtures related to liquefied petroleum gas under the propane and liquefied petroleum gas act (35 P.S. §§ 1329.1-1329.19).
Full Breakdown
S. 19, rather than under the City's Building Code Official. That means a homeowner installing a propane tank, gas line or propane appliance for a grill, generator or heater does not need a City of Erie building permit for that installation, and the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety does not inspect it under the Uniform Construction Code. 31. 32(n)(2) reinforces the split for larger commercial construction jobs: a permit applicant whose project touches propane or LP-gas work must still show compliance with the permit, certification or licensure requirements of the Propane and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act itself, even though the City is not the agency issuing that particular approval.
In practice, Erie residents and businesses installing or replacing propane equipment deal with state-licensed installers operating under the Act's own standards rather than applying to the City's Building Code Official for a construction permit covering the propane system.
Violations & Fines
Because the propane installation itself sits outside the Uniform Construction Code, the City's usual building-permit penalties, including the doubled-fee, $100 minimum charge under Section 1503.51 for working without a permit, do not apply to the propane tubing, piping or appliance work in isolation. Violations of the storage and installation standards are enforced under the Propane and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act itself, not through an Erie Building Code Official citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Erie require a building permit for a propane tank installation?
Who inspects propane installations in Erie if not the City?
If my propane grill project also involves new wiring, do I still need an Erie permit for that?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Erie
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