Flooring contractors in Philadelphia: old houses, city permits and lead rules
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Philadelphia homeowners know before a flooring job?
That most floor coverings need no city permit, that the house is more likely than anywhere else in the region to be old, and that the city has its own rules on asbestos and on lead in rentals. The Census Bureau counts 748,270 housing units in Philadelphia and estimates that 39.9 percent were first built in 1939 or earlier, against 25.0 percent for Pennsylvania.
Does new flooring need a permit in Philadelphia?
Usually not. The city's building permit page says that, as long as a property is not on the Philadelphia Historic Registry, you often do not need a permit for interior finish work that includes conventional floor coverings not made of fibers, and carpeting that is not installed in exit access corridors, exit passageways or vertical exits. Repairs that are part of regular maintenance are on the same list.
Two cautions. The exemption covers the floor covering, not structural work beneath it; if joists or a subfloor have to be rebuilt, ask the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) whether that needs a permit. And the historic register matters less than the wording suggests for interiors: the Historical Commission says it has jurisdiction over a building's interior only where the interior itself is on the register, and interior alterations otherwise need no project review. If you are unsure whether your house is listed, the commission's staff can be reached at preservation@phila.gov.
Does a flooring business need a Philadelphia licence?
It depends on the jobs it takes. The city requires a Contractor License for businesses doing construction, demolition or repair work that does not call for a specialized licence. A business that works only on existing one- and two-family homes does not need it, but must register with the state as a home improvement contractor. So most residential floor installers and refinishers in the city should have a state registration number beginning with PA, which you can check on the Attorney General's contractor search.
L&I also runs an online lookup of every actively licensed contractor in the city, with any licensing violations. The city's advice to owners is to make sure a contractor has the proper licences and registrations, a good reputation and the required permits before work starts. Questions go to 311, or (215) 686-8686 from outside the city.
What if old tiles or adhesive contain asbestos?
Philadelphia regulates the work itself. Its Air Management Services says a notification must be filed at least 24 hours before anyone encapsulates or removes less than 40 linear feet or 80 square feet of asbestos, and that larger amounts need a permit only a licensed abatement contractor can get. The city says property owners must follow these rules too, and runs an Asbestos Information Line at (215) 685-7576.
The federal advice points the same way. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says not to sand or level asbestos flooring or its backing, never to use a power stripper on flooring that may contain it, and, where possible, to install new flooring over it. In a city where four homes in ten pre-date 1940, ask what is under the floor before any tear-out is priced.
What are the lead rules for rented homes?
Nearly half of the city's occupied homes, 48.2 percent, are rented, which brings in rules a homeowner elsewhere would not meet. A 2018 post from the Department of Public Health explains that under the city's Lead Paint Disclosure and Certification Law, the owner of a building built before 1978 that will be occupied by a child six or younger must give the tenant certification that it is lead-free or lead-safe. Under the Health Code, if the department finds a lead hazard, the landlord must hire an EPA-certified firm to fix it within 30 days. The post is marked as archived, so check the current rules with the department.
For flooring, that means a landlord who has floors or painted stairs and trim sanded in an older rental is dealing with certified-firm rules as well as the job itself. Tenants who see peeling paint that is not repaired can report it to L&I through 311.
Is there help for older homeowners?
The Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program, run by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, makes minor repairs and modifications in homes owned by residents 60 and older who meet income limits. The city does not list which repairs it covers; call (215) 765-9040 to ask whether a worn or unsafe floor qualifies.
Where do you go from here?
The state rules on contracts, deposits and cancelling are in what Pennsylvania requires of flooring contractors, and the checks to make before hiring are in how to choose a flooring contractor. Businesses that serve the city are listed on the Philadelphia flooring contractors page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Get a Building Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Get approval for work to a historic property, City of Philadelphia
- Get a Contractor License, City of Philadelphia
- Find a licensed contractor and contractor information, City of Philadelphia
- Apply for an asbestos project permit, City of Philadelphia
- Landlords and tenants: preventing childhood lead poisoning, City of Philadelphia
- Get home repairs and modifications for seniors, City of Philadelphia
- Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General