Building Requirements
Uniform Construction Code
In order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Bear Creek Village and as required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Borough Council adopted the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) on June 21, 2004 as the standard which governs the construction, alteration, repair, or demolition of every building or structure in the Borough. Municipalities are required to either administer the UCC using municipal employees or certified third party agencies, or the administration will be done by the state. It is more convenient for the citizens for the UCC to be administered locally and over 90% of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities have elected to do so. The Borough of Bear Creek Village has retained the services of a third party administrator to administer and enforce UCC requirements. The current third party administrator is Building Inspection Underwriters (BIU). BIU services include:
Reviewing construction plans and Issuing Permits for projects that are subject to UCC requirements;
inspecting work in progress to assure compliance with the UCC and
Issuing Occupancy Permits for work that passes all inspections.
When is a UCC Permit Required?
Most construction, alteration, repair, or demolition projects will require one or more of the four types of UCC permits processed by BIU: building, electrical, mechanical/plumbing or fire. There are exceptions, however.
UCC Permit Forms and Fees
Permit Forms and instructions for completing and submitting forms are available on the BIU website. Permit fees are calculated by BIU and will vary depending on the scope of the project. Click HERE to view the Bear Creek Village fee schedule. You can use this fee schedule to estimate the amount that will be charged and/or to verify BIU's calculations.
Current BIU Building Inspector for Bear Creek Village -- Dave Williams.
UCC Permit Forms and Fees
Permit Forms and instructions for completing and submitting forms are available on the BIU website. Permit fees are calculated by BIU and will vary depending on the scope of the project. Click HERE to view the Bear Creek Village fee schedule. You can use this fee schedule to estimate the amount that will be charged and/or to verify BIU's calculations.
Current BIU Building Inspector for Bear Creek Village -- Dave Williams.
Note: The first step in any project subject to zoning regulations is to obtain a zoning permit. Please click on the Zoning Requirements link found below the Borough Services and Requirements menu above for more information. When required, the zoning permit must be obtained prior to requesting any UCC permits. Zoning permits are always required for projects that alter the external structure of a building, but may not be required for non-structural interior projects that do not change the intended use of the building. When in doubt, contact the Zoning Officer for assistance.