What's Required in Philadelphia
- Mechanical permit required for any HVAC equipment, ductwork or gas equipment installation or replacement; ordinary repairs, maintenance and small appliances are exempt
- EZ mechanical permit with no plans for new installations and appliance replacements in 1-2 family homes, and duct alterations up to 2,000 cfm in existing buildings
- Fees: $69 per appliance, $189 flat ductwork including appliances, $189 flat fuel gas piping (1-2 family), plus $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges; $100 filing fee credited
- Separate electrical permit by a licensed electrical contractor ($25 per $1,000, $63 minimum) for any component needing power; building permit first if the project needs one
- Licensed contractor performs all work; sheet metal by a registered sheet metal technician; boilers also regulated by the PA Department of Labor and Industry
- Manual J load report and Manual S equipment selection (cooling at most 1.15 times load, heat pumps 1.25, heating 1.40) submitted to the inspector with the Duct and Envelope Testing form
- Programmable thermostat, R-8 duct insulation in attics, R-3 pipe insulation, air handler leakage of 2% or less, refrigerant piping pressure-tested before enclosure
- No duct penetrations of party walls, stairway enclosures or exterior walls within 3 ft of a lot line; flexible connectors no longer than 14 ft; A1 or A2L refrigerants for comfort cooling
Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Furnace or AC in Philadelphia?
Yes. L&I's mechanical permit page requires a Mechanical Permit to install devices regulated by the Philadelphia Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, and it names heating, venting and air conditioning, ductwork, and equipment and piping that use natural gas. The exemptions are small appliances and ordinary repairs or maintenance, so a new capacitor, blower motor or thermostat needs nothing, while a new furnace, condenser, air handler or heat pump does, even as a like-for-like swap in the same spot. The page lists "replacing appliances in one-or-two-family dwellings" and "new installations in one-or-two-family dwellings" as EZ permits, which need no plans, and the EZ Ductwork and Warm-Air Appliances standard (PB_029, 2026) covers duct alterations and additions in existing buildings up to a design capacity of 2,000 cfm. Boiler installations are regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in addition to the city permit.
Philadelphia HVAC Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Repairing a blower, capacitor, control board or thermostat | None | Mechanical page: ordinary repairs or maintenance |
| Replacing a furnace, AC condenser, air handler, heat pump or boiler in the same location | EZ mechanical permit, $69 per appliance + $7.50 | Mechanical page; fee summary, 1-2 family appliances |
| Gas furnace swap that extends or alters the gas piping | Mechanical permit; fuel gas $189 flat for 1-2 family | Fee summary, fuel gas piping systems and equipment |
| New ducted system or duct alterations with appliances, up to 2,000 cfm | EZ mechanical permit, $189 + $7.50 | EZ Ductwork standard; fee summary ductwork row |
| New circuit or disconnect for the equipment | Electrical permit, $63 minimum + $7.50 | Mechanical page related permits; electrical page |
| Ductless mini-split at a 1-2 family home | EZ mechanical permit, $69 per appliance, plus electrical | Fee summary: air conditioning units, heat pumps |
| Condenser in a required setback, or system over 2,000 cfm | Zoning review; mechanical permit with plans | Zoning page equipment exemption; EZ standard limit |
How Much Does an HVAC Permit Cost in Philadelphia?
The mechanical page and the construction fee summary agree on flat residential rates. Appliances submitted on their own, and the summary names fireplaces, boilers, air conditioning units and heat pumps, cost $69 each in one- or two-family dwellings ($158 elsewhere); a warm-air or direct-vent heating apparatus connected to a flue is also $69. Ductwork, "to include any appliances", is a $189 flat fee in one- or two-family homes, and fuel gas piping systems and equipment are likewise $189 flat (2% of contract value, $189 minimum, for other buildings). Every permit adds the $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges, and the $100 filing fee is credited toward the final permit fee. So a straight condenser or furnace swap is $76.50, a new ducted system with its equipment is $196.50, and adding the electrical permit for a new circuit at its $63 minimum brings a full system replacement to about $267. L&I's July 2026 fee summary takes effect October 1, 2026 with the same mechanical rows as the January 2025 schedule.
What the Inspector Expects
The EZ Ductwork and Warm-Air Appliances standard folds the 2021 energy code into the permit. A Manual J load report goes to the inspector and equipment is selected per Manual S: cooling capacity no more than 1.15 times the design load (1.25 for heat pumps) and heating no more than 1.40 times. Thermostats must be programmable, ducts in unconditioned attics insulated to R-8, refrigerant lines to R-3, the air handler rated at 2% leakage or less, and a Duct and Envelope Testing form completed. Refrigerant piping is pressure-tested before it is covered, with the test certificate available to the code official. No duct may penetrate a party wall, a stairway enclosure, or an exterior wall within 3 feet of a lot line, and flexible connectors are capped at 14 feet. Philadelphia amended its Mechanical Code in 2026 to require Group A1 or A2L refrigerants in comfort-cooling systems. The application also carries L&I's HVAC Equipment Design Form.
Who Pulls the Permit and How Long It Takes
There is no homeowner mechanical permit: a licensed contractor must perform all work, sheet metal must be installed by a registered sheet metal technician employed by the contractor, and the Start Right guide lists ductwork and flue-connected appliances among the trades needing a specialized license. If the system needs electrical power, a licensed electrical contractor pulls a separate electrical permit and a licensed electrical inspection agency inspects it. Any building permit for surrounding work must issue first. L&I's processing sheet lists mechanical alterations at 20 business days with a $100 filing fee, while the Start Right guide says no-plan applications are processed the same day in person or within 5 business days online. Outdoor condensers need no zoning permit if they sit outside a required setback and serve the property.
How to Get a HVAC Permit in Philadelphia
Decide repair or replacement
Component repairs need no permit. New or replacement equipment, ductwork or gas piping needs a mechanical permit pulled by a licensed contractor.
Have the contractor size the system
The contractor prepares the Manual J load calculation, selects equipment per Manual S, and completes L&I's HVAC Equipment Design Form for the application.
File the EZ mechanical permit in eCLIPSE
Upload the signed EZ Ductwork and Warm-Air Appliances standard where ducts are involved, pay the $100 filing fee credited toward the permit, and pay the $69 or $189 balance plus $7.50 on approval.
Pull the electrical permit
A licensed electrical contractor files for the new circuit or disconnect; you hire a licensed electrical inspection agency for that inspection.
Test and call for inspection
Pressure-test refrigerant lines before enclosing them, complete the duct and envelope test form, and request the inspection through eCLIPSE or (215) 255-4040.