Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections
Section 23 · Pages 146–153 · 6 tables · includes narrative
Key changes
- Adds 1 position (120 → 121 FTE)
On this page
Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections
Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections 
Mission
The Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections’ mission is to improve residents’ quality of life by increasing the safety of the built environment.
Departmental/Bureau Overview
The Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI) regulates development, maintenance of existing buildings and property, and business and trade licenses. PLI is organized into four divisions.
Construction Division
The construction division regulates:
- Development on a parcel including the construction, demolition, renovation, and occupancy of buildings and structures and site work per the building code requirements of the Pittsburgh City Code (PCC) Title 10 Building Code.
- Development within the public right of way including building elements such as handicap ramps that project or extend into the public right of way and occupiable structures located in the public right of way per the building code requirements of the PCC Title 10 Building Code.
- Installation and alteration of building systems per the building code requirements of the PCC Title 10 Building Code except for plumbing systems regulated by Allegheny County Health Department’s Article XV Plumbing Code.
- Installation of stormwater infrastructure on a parcel per PCC Title 13 Stormwater Management.
- Development enforcement on behalf of the Department of City Planning (DCP) per PCC Title 9 Zoning and Title 11 Historic Preservation. The construction division duties are:
- Reviewing development design.
- Issuing permits to authorize development.
- Inspecting development installations.
- Enforcing development regulations.
- Issuing certificates of occupancy to document legal use of buildings and property. Code Enforcement Division The code enforcement division regulates:
- Maintenance of buildings, structures, and property per the property maintenance code requirements of the PCC Title 10 Building Code.
- Maintenance of fire and life safety systems per the fire code requirements of the PCC Title 10 Building Code.
- Development enforcement on behalf of the DCP per PCC Title 9 Zoning and Title 11 Historic Preservation.
- Business licenses per PCC Title 7 Business Licenses. The code enforcement division duties are:
- Enforcing property maintenance and fire code regulations.
- Condemning unsafe buildings, property, and equipment.
- Enforcing business licensing codes.
- Enforcing development regulations.
- Remediating blight through city-funded demolition of condemned buildings. Licensing and Administration Division The licensing and administration division:
- Regulates business and trade licenses per PCC Title 7 Business Licenses.
- Performs PLI administrative functions.
The licensing and administration division duties are:
- Administering PLI finances and accounting.
- Performing personnel functions.
- Managing PLI’s records.
- Administering business and trade licenses.
- In taking and issuing development applications (PLI and DCP).
- Managing certification and training employees. Systems Operation Division The systems operations division maintains, updates, and enhances PLI’s systems (development, license, enforcement, record management, finance, and accounting) and analyzes operational data and customer needs. The systems operations division duties are:
- Aligning technology and systems to meet the operational needs of the other PLI divisions.
- Managing projects to update or enhance PLI’s development, license, enforcement, record management, finance, and accounting systems.
- Streamlining processes to meet customer demands and maximize revenue.
- Analyzing operational data and customer needs to support PLI leadership decision making.
- Publishing data to foster public transparency of PLI operations.
- Collaborating and coordinating on a cross-agency basis to make holistic improvements to the OneStopPGH system. 2025 Accomplishments
- Launched OneStopPGH Insights, a public-facing map platform designed to increase transparency and give residents easier access to essential information about their neighborhoods.
- Launched the rental registry program, which is currently voluntary.
- Prepared changes to the vending license regulations.
- Implemented over 100 OneStopPGH bug fixes/enhancements.
Position Summary
Lists authorized positions with FTE counts and pay grades.
| Title | 2025 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2025 Budget | 2026 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2026 Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | 1 | 35G | 12 | 129,126 | 1 | 35G | 12 | 132,995 |
| Licensing & Administration | ||||||||
| Assistant Director - Licensing & Administration | 1 | 32G | 12 | 110,718 | 1 | 32G | 12 | 114,046 |
| CODE Training and Development Supervisor | 1 | 27G | 12 | 91,021 | 1 | 27G | 12 | 93,746 |
| OneStopPGH Customer Service Manager | 1 | 21G | 12 | 71,115 | 1 | 25G | 12 | 86,008 |
| Department Business Administrator | 1 | 24G | 12 | 80,330 | 1 | 24G | 12 | 82,742 |
| Personnel & Finance Analyst | 1 | 20G | 12 | 68,162 | — | 20G | — | — |
| Personnel & Finance Coordinator | — | 18G | — | — | 1 | 18G | 12 | 64,542 |
| CODE Training and Development Coordinator | 1 | 16G | 12 | 57,574 | 1 | 18G | 12 | 64,542 |
| Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator | — | 18G | — | — | 1 | 18G | 12 | 64,542 |
| Administrator 2 | 1 | 17G | 12 | 60,112 | 1 | 17G | 12 | 61,922 |
| Executive Assistant | 1 | 16G | 12 | 57,574 | 1 | 16G | 12 | 59,301 |
| Lead Technician, Permit & Licensing | 2 | U06-N | 12 | 120,878 | 2 | U06-N | 12 | 120,878 |
| Technician, Permit & Licensing | 10 | U06-J | 12 | 560,741 | 10 | U06-J | 12 | 560,741 |
| Technician, Records | 2 | U02-N | 12 | 90,525 | 2 | U02-N | 12 | 90,525 |
| Technician, Accounting | 1 | U02-K | 12 | 42,788 | 2 | U02-K | 12 | 85,576 |
| Assistant I, Administrative | 3 | U02-G | 12 | 119,094 | 1 | U02-G | 12 | 39,698 |
| Development Public Liaison | — | 18G | — | — | 1 | 18G | 12 | 64,542 |
| Construction | ||||||||
| Assistant Director - Construction | 1 | 32G | 12 | 110,718 | 1 | 32G | 12 | 114,046 |
| Permitting Supervisor | 2 | 29G | 12 | 197,142 | 2 | 29G | 12 | 203,050 |
| Permitting Supervisor & Floodplain Administrator | 1 | 30G | 12 | 102,419 | 1 | 30G | 12 | 105,498 |
| Master Code Professional | 14 | U10-N | 12 | 1,238,648 | 14 | U10-N | 12 | 1,238,648 |
| Inspection Supervisor | 5 | 25G | 12 | 417,560 | 5 | 25G | 12 | 430,040 |
| Inspector, Combined Electrical | 7 | U09-E | 12 | 471,349 | 7 | U09-E | 12 | 471,349 |
| Inspector, Construction Code | 21 | U09-G | 12 | 1,468,054 | 20 | U09-G | 12 | 1,398,140 |
| Inspector, Combined Residential Construction | 5 | U08-J | 12 | 333,109 | 5 | U08-J | 12 | 333,109 |
| Inspector, Stormwater Construction | 2 | U09-G | 12 | 139,815 | 3 | U09-G | 12 | 209,721 |
| Systems Operations | ||||||||
| Assistant Director - Systems Operations | 1 | 32G | 12 | 110,718 | 1 | 32G | 12 | 114,046 |
| Systems Operations Supervisor | — | 25G | — | — | 1 | 25G | 12 | 86,008 |
| OneStopPGH Operations Performance Analyst | 2 | 20G | 12 | 136,323 | 1 | 20G | 12 | 70,200 |
| Project Coordinator | 1 | 18G | 12 | 62,670 | 1 | 18G | 12 | 64,542 |
| Code Enforcement | ||||||||
| Assistant Director - Code Enforcement | 1 | 32G | 12 | 110,718 | 1 | 32G | 12 | 114,046 |
| Inspection Supervisor | 4 | 25G | 12 | 334,048 | 4 | 25G | 12 | 344,032 |
| Associate Project Manager | — | 19G | — | — | 1 | 19G | 12 | 67,288 |
| Inspector, Combined Maintenance | 26 | U07-L | 12 | 1,649,840 | 25 | U07-L | 12 | 1,586,385 |
| Total Full-Time Permanent Positions | 120 | 8,542,894 | 121 | 8,736,495 |
Lists authorized positions with FTE counts and pay grades.
| Title | 2025 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2025 Budget | 2026 FTE | Rate/ Grade | Hours/ Months | 2026 Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary, Part-Time, and Seasonal Allowances | ||||||||
| PLI Interns | — | 9.00-14.00 | — | 5,000 | — | 9.00-14.00 | — | 5,000 |
The labor agreement for AFSCME 2719 members expires on December 31, 2025. This budget reflects a 0% salary increase for members as conversations continue through Q4. The City anticipates that these numbers will change.
Budget data table.
| — | 5,000 | — | 5,000 |
|---|
Lists authorized positions with FTE counts and pay grades.
| Total Full-Time Permanent Positions | 120 | 8,542,894 | 121 | 8,736,495 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary, Part-Time, and Seasonal Allowances | — | 5,000 | — | 5,000 |
| Vacancy Allowance | — | (516,779) | — | (521,979) |
| Total Full-Time Positions and Net Salaries | 120 | 8,031,115 | 121 | 8,219,516 |
Subclass Detail
Compares actual, budgeted, and proposed spending across fiscal years.
| 2024 Actual | 2025 Budget | 2026 Budget | Increase/ (Decrease) | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures | |||||
| 51 - PERSONNEL-SALARIES & WAGES | 6,825,805 | 8,203,474 | 8,575,834 | 372,360 | 4.5% |
| 51101 - Regular | 6,705,218 | 8,026,115 | 8,398,476 | 372,361 | |
| 51103 - Part-Time | — | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | |
| 51207 - Leave Buyback | 15,702 | — | — | — | |
| 51401 - Premium Pay | 104,885 | 172,359 | 172,359 | — | |
| 52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS | 1,774,099 | 2,094,687 | 2,240,064 | 145,377 | 6.9% |
| 52101 - Health Insurance | 993,680 | 1,178,356 | 1,286,518 | 108,161 | |
| 52111 - Other Insurance/Benefits | 147,811 | 170,862 | 168,925 | (1,937) | |
| 52201 - Social Security | 502,534 | 631,469 | 669,552 | 38,083 | |
| 52301 - Medical-Workers' Compensation | 11,273 | — | — | — | |
| 52305 - Indemnity-Workers' Compensation | 11,381 | — | — | — | |
| 52601 - Personal Leave Buyback | 105,809 | 107,000 | 108,070 | 1,070 | |
| 52602 - Tuition Reimbursement | 805 | 7,000 | 7,000 | — | |
| 52605 - Retirement Severance | 806 | — | — | — | |
| 53 - PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL SERVICES | 137,525 | 415,600 | 207,000 | (208,600) | (50.2)% |
| 53101 - Administrative Fees | — | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | |
| 53105 - Recording/Filing Fees | 10,413 | 44,000 | 44,000 | — | |
| 53301 - Workforce Training | 99,182 | 178,000 | 133,000 | (45,000) | |
| 53509 - Computer Maintenance | 7,887 | 25,000 | 5,000 | (20,000) | |
| 53517 - Legal Fees | 8,000 | — | — | — | |
| 53901 - Professional Services | 12,043 | 163,600 | 20,000 | (143,600) | |
| 54 - PROPERTY SERVICES | 810 | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | —% |
| 54101 - Cleaning | 810 | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | |
| 55 - OTHER SERVICES | 4,419 | 15,000 | 15,000 | — | —% |
| 55305 - Promotional | 4,419 | 8,000 | 8,000 | — | |
| 55309 - Regulatory | — | 2,000 | 2,000 | — | |
| 55501 - Printing & Binding | — | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | |
| 56 - SUPPLIES | 144,654 | 270,677 | 98,377 | (172,300) | (63.7)% |
| 56101 - Office Supplies | 13,924 | 20,000 | 20,000 | — | |
| 56151 - Operational Supplies | 130,730 | 250,677 | 78,377 | (172,300) | |
| 57 - PROPERTY | 911 | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | —% |
| 57501 - Machinery & Equipment | 911 | 5,000 | 5,000 | — | |
| 8,888,223 | 11,009,438 | 11,146,275 | 136,837 | 1.2% |
Five Year Forecast
DEPARTMENT OF PERMITS, LICENSES, AND INSPECTIONS 2026 Expenditures by Subclass 55 - OTHER SERVICES 56 - SUPPLIES 54 - PROPERTY SERVICES 57 - PROPERTY 53 - PROF. & TECHNICAL SERVICES 52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Projects budget figures across multiple future years.
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures | |||||
| 51 - PERSONNEL-SALARIES & WAGES | 8,575,834 | 8,775,476 | 8,980,677 | 9,057,323 | 9,135,060 |
| 52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS | 2,240,064 | 2,464,332 | 2,531,830 | 2,588,418 | 2,646,623 |
| 53 - PROF. & TECHNICAL SERVICES | 207,000 | 247,000 | 247,000 | 247,000 | 247,000 |
| 54 - PROPERTY SERVICES | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| 55 - OTHER SERVICES | 15,000 | 15,000 | 42,000 | 42,000 | 42,000 |
| 56 - SUPPLIES | 98,377 | 98,377 | 98,377 | 98,377 | 98,377 |
| 57 - PROPERTY | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Total | 11,146,276 | 11,610,186 | 11,909,884 | 12,043,118 | 12,179,059 |
| % Change from Prior Year | 1.2% | 4.2% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% |