Before You Build in Erie, PA: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Erie caps fences, hedges and enclosures in required yard space at 6 ft 6 in in Residential Districts and 8 ft 6 in in non-Residential Districts. Height is measured from the maximum grade on either side of the property.

The City of Erie issues a dedicated 'Fence' permit. Applications run through Code Enforcement (Room 407, City Hall) and require zoning and building-code review before a fence is installed.

Erie's Zoning Ordinance regulates fence height, location, and visibility but does not prescribe a list of allowed materials for residential fences. Specialized rules apply to security fencing and utility-protection chain-link fences under Section 204.19.

Erie's Zoning Ordinance Section 204.19 allows a fence to be placed up to but not over the property line, and does not require neighbor consent. Boundary disputes between adjoining owners are handled under Pennsylvania common law, not the City Code.

Swimming pools in Erie must comply with IRC Chapter 42 Appendix G and IBC Section 3109.4 as adopted by the PA UCC (34 Pa. Code 401-405). Barriers must be at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates around pools over 24 inches deep.

A residential swimming pool, hot tub, or spa in the City of Erie must comply with the barrier provisions of the International Residential and International Building Codes, and any yard fence or pool enclosure in a residential district may not exceed six feet six inches in height under the Erie Zoning Ordinance.

The City of Erie requires a building permit for any swimming pool deeper than 24 inches, and the pool, hot tub, or spa must comply with the International Residential and Building Codes; the pool must sit at least six feet from the dwelling and side and rear property lines and may not be installed in front of the house.

Pools in Erie must comply with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (15 USC 8003) requiring anti-entrapment drain covers, plus the PA UCC adoption of the 2018 ISPSC for circulation, electrical bonding, alarms, and barriers. Public pools also need a PADEP Bathing Place permit.

In Erie, a hot tub or spa accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling is regulated as a swimming pool: it must comply with the International Residential and Building Codes the city adopts, and statewide it must meet the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code under 34 Pa. Code Section 403.26.

Erie added accessory dwelling units to its zoning code by Ordinance No. 52-2024 (passed 9-18-2024), defining an ADU as a single dwelling unit secondary to the principal dwelling and recognizing interior, attached and detached types. The city's earlier zoning ordinance had no ADU category.

Erie defines a private garage as an accessory building used only to store the occupants' vehicles and personal effects, not for commercial use or outside auto repair. Converting a garage to living space changes its use and triggers zoning review and a building permit; a garage may also host an ADU under Ordinance No. 52-2024.

In Erie's 'R' districts a detached accessory building (shed) must sit in the side or rear yard, at least 6 ft from any dwelling or alley and 3 ft from side/rear lot lines, and may be no larger than 720 sq ft or 15 ft tall. Sheds 100 sq ft or smaller are exempt from setback and lot-coverage limits, and under PA state law a shed under 1,000 sq ft accessory to a one-family home needs no state building permit.

Erie adopts International Fire Code Section 307 as its local fire code. Portable outdoor fireplaces must follow the manufacturer's instructions and stay at least 15 feet from any structure or combustible material; recreational fire pits must be 25 feet away. All fires must be constantly attended with a 4-A fire extinguisher or other suppression on site.

Burning garbage, recyclable materials, leaf waste, or grass clippings is unlawful in the City of Erie at all times under Quality of Life ordinance item QOL-31. Open burning is also prohibited whenever atmospheric conditions make fires hazardous or winds gust to or are sustained at 10 mph. Because the City of Erie lies within the state-designated Erie air basin (25 Pa. Code 121.1), stricter air-quality burning limits apply.

Erie requires trees to be kept clear at 14 feet above the street and 9 feet above the sidewalk, and any planting or removal of a tree in the public right-of-way needs a City permit from the Urban Forest Committee.

Tree removal in the City of Erie is governed by Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee). No person may remove a tree or shrub on a street or municipal property without filing an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist, and Article 165.07(c) imposes a $50 administrative fee for tree-removal applications (waivable for City-confirmed hazard removals). Routine removal of dead, diseased, or hazardous trees on private property is generally exempt from City permitting.

Erie has no city lawn-watering ordinance in normal conditions; Pennsylvania state law (4 Pa. Code Chapter 119) prohibits watering grass and most outdoor plants once the Governor declares a drought emergency in the area.