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17 permits · verified 2026-09-30

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Allegheny County?

In short

A contractor or trade in Allegheny County, PA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 15 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program charges $22 per fixture, per permit for the plumbing fixture and ancillary fees. 7 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-30 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Allegheny County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Plumber License (Master, Journeyman, Apprentice)Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program$22–$375 Master license $375/year, Journeyman license $125/year, Apprentice card $22 (one-time); Master exam fee $265, Journeyman exam fee $133annual for Master and Journeyman licenses; the Apprentice card and exam fees are one-time2026-09-30
County Contractor Web Site Listing (voluntary)only if it applies to youAllegheny County Treasurer$0–$25 per listing or update, capped by ordinance — no minimum amount is setno fixed term — a per-listing or per-update fee, not a recurring license2026-09-30
Contractor License — Pennsylvania position (licensed locally)only if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Occupational and Industrial SafetyNo feeset by the licensing municipality2026-09-03
Home Improvement Contractor Registrationonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection$100 per two-year registration2 years2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Allegheny County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Plumbing Fixture and Ancillary Feesonly if it applies to youAllegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program$22 per fixture, per permitper permit2026-09-30
On-Lot Septic Site Testing (Percolation, Deep Pit, Soils Verification)only if it applies to youAllegheny County Health Department, On-Lot Sewage Disposal ProgramVaries — formula on the Allegheny County pageone-time, per test2026-09-30
County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) Filing Feeonly if it applies to youAllegheny County Economic Development, Planning DivisionVaries — formula on the Allegheny County pageper application2026-09-30
Plumbing Permit (Plan Review by Fixture Count)only if it applies to youAllegheny County Health Department, Plumbing ProgramVaries — formula on the Allegheny County pageper permit2026-09-30
On-Lot Septic Permit — New Systemonly if it applies to youAllegheny County Health Department, On-Lot Sewage Disposal ProgramVaries — formula on the Allegheny County pageone-time, per new system2026-09-30
On-Lot Septic Permit — Repaironly if it applies to youAllegheny County Health Department, On-Lot Sewage Disposal ProgramVaries — formula on the Allegheny County pageone-time, per repair2026-09-30
On-Lot Septic Inspection (Site Visit, Pre-Construction, Interim, Final)only if it applies to youAllegheny County Health Department, On-Lot Sewage Disposal Program$185 per inspection (site visit, mandatory pre-construction, interim, or final)per inspection2026-09-30
Contractor Information Program Certification (voluntary)only if it applies to youAllegheny County Treasurer$100 per year, per business addressannual — expires December 31; renewal payment is due by January 1 each year2026-09-30

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

PA registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$7 per year for a for-profit entityannual2026-09-03
General Business License — Pennsylvania positionPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable OrganizationsNo feeset by the issuing municipality2026-09-03
Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licenseonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of RevenueNo fee — no registration fee5 years, renewed automatically subject to compliance2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Allegheny County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a contractor or trade in Allegheny County, PA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 15 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

7 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Plumber License (Master, Journeyman, Apprentice): $22–$375 Master license $375/year, Journeyman license $125/year, Apprentice card $22 (one-time); Master exam fee $265, Journeyman exam fee $133

County Contractor Web Site Listing (voluntary): $0–$25 per listing or update, capped by ordinance — no minimum amount is set

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Allegheny County permits page and the PA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Allegheny County?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Allegheny County, PA come from 8 separate offices: Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Program, Allegheny County Health Department, On-Lot Sewage Disposal Program, Allegheny County Economic Development, Planning Division, Allegheny County Treasurer, Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Allegheny County that other businesses do not?

4 of the 4 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Allegheny County: Plumber License (Master, Journeyman, Apprentice), County Contractor Web Site Listing (voluntary), Contractor License — Pennsylvania position (licensed locally) and Home Improvement Contractor Registration.

Plumber License (Master, Journeyman, Apprentice)

Anyone practicing the plumbing trade in Allegheny County — relevant to the contractor industry — is individually licensed by ACHD's Plumbing Program under the same fee schedule that has been in effect since January 1, 2023: a Master license is $375 per year, a Journeyman license is $125 per year, and an Apprentice card is a one-time $22. Sitting the licensing exam is a separate one-time cost: $265 for the Master exam and $133 for the Journeyman exam. This individual trade license is separate from, and required in addition to, the plumbing permits a contractor's employer applies for on any given job.

County Contractor Web Site Listing (voluntary)

A second, entirely separate program from the certification above: Article II of Allegheny County Code Chapter 223 lets a contractor pay to be listed, or update its listing, on the county's contractor web site, and §223-18 caps whatever charge applies at $25 ('in no event shall such fees exceed $25 for listing or updating information'). Participation carries no penalty for declining it — §223-19 states directly that 'No business or individual shall be compelled to participate... nor shall any penalty be levied against any business or individual who elects not to participate.' Because it is optional with no consequence for non-participation, this listing fee should not be confused with the mandatory-feeling Contractor Information Program certification listed separately for this jurisdiction, even though both sit in the same ordinance chapter and are administered by the same Treasurer's office.

Contractor License — Pennsylvania position (licensed locally)

The Department of Labor and Industry states that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania "currently has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors (or their employees)", so no state amount is shown. The same page states that some of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities have established their own licensure or certification requirements for contractors, typically for home improvement, electrical and plumbing work, that the Department maintains no records of which municipalities have done so, and that the information can only be obtained from the municipality where the work will occur. The state-level exceptions the page lists are home improvement contractor registration with the Attorney General, asbestos and lead removal certification, crane operator licensure and manufactured housing installer certification.

Home Improvement Contractor Registration

$100 for two years, and check any figure you see elsewhere — the Attorney General's own frequently asked questions page carries BOTH $100 and a stale $50, the $50 being the original statutory amount. The live registration portal states $100 three separate ways, and that is the figure recorded here; it adds a $2 processing fee for online credit card payment, and none for ACH. It is a registration rather than a license, and it only bites above a threshold: a contractor doing less than $5,000 of home improvement work in a calendar year is exempt, as is a home improvement retailer worth more than $50 million. Insurance is a prerequisite — at least $50,000 of personal injury and $50,000 of property damage cover. Subcontractors register separately in their own right. New home construction is not home improvement and is outside this entirely. Any contract over $500 must be in writing.

The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Allegheny County, PA; what each one involves is set out on the Allegheny County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across PA and are covered on the PA state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Allegheny County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Plumber License (Master, Journeyman, Apprentice), County Contractor Web Site Listing (voluntary), Contractor License — Pennsylvania position (licensed locally) and Home Improvement Contractor Registration. A auto repair shop needs Vehicle Refinishing / Auto-Body Coating Work-Practice Standard, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Allegheny County, PA, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1041
Childcare centres3043
Coffee shops4044
Fitness studios1041
Food trucks6046
Restaurants6046
Retail stores6046
Salons and barbers1041
Veterinary clinics1041

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Allegheny County permits page and the PA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. ACHD Plumbing Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2023, reconfirmed current)Allegheny County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  2. ACHD Health Department Regulations index (current articles, including Article XV, Plumbing and Building Drainage)Allegheny County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  3. Allegheny County Code §§223-1 to 223-23, Contractor Information Program (Ord. No. 11-07, adopted 4-4-2007)Allegheny County (eCode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  4. Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry — the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractorsPennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  5. Pennsylvania Attorney General home improvement contractor registration portal — $100 every two years, insurance requirementsPennsylvania Office of Attorney General (archived capture) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.