Philadelphia Facade, Fire Escape and Pier Inspections
Periodic inspections by licensed engineers or architects.
What the Program Requires
Facades on buildings six or more stories tall or with an appurtenance more than 60 feet high, fire escapes and fire escape balconies, private bridges, and piers on the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers and their estuaries
Within 10 years after the structure is finished, then every 5 years. Private piers every 3 years and immediately after being hit by a ship or damaged.
A licensed structural engineer. Facades may also be inspected by a licensed registered architect knowledgeable in facades. Piers by a team that includes licensed engineers experienced in marine structures and commercial divers trained in structural inspections.
Safe, safe with a repair and maintenance program, or unsafe
The Details That Matter
If a structure is unsafe, the engineer must notify the owner immediately, notify the Department of Licenses and Inspections within 12 hours, and file the summary and full report within 24 hours. Reports are filed through eCLIPSE, and the department audits a random sample.
Before You Take This Work
- Professional liability policies define the services they cover. Check that yours describes inspection and report work accurately, not only design, and tell your agent roughly how much of your revenue comes from this work.
- Pier inspections involve marine work and divers. If your firm does this work, describe it on your application and ask how your policies treat waterfront and marine work.
Official sources
Every fact on this page comes from these sources, read in October 2026. Laws change; read the current text before relying on it.
General information, not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Laws and local rules change; read the current text at the source links and confirm requirements with the building department. Whether a policy responds depends on its wording and the facts. Hardcover is an insurance agency, not a law firm.
Doing This Work? Let’s Check Your Coverage.
We check that your policy describes the inspection work you actually do, before a report is questioned.