[Adopted 9-26-1979 as Ch. 7, Art. II, of the 1979 Code]
[Amended by Ord. Nos. 30-1980; 93-1981; 3-1986;
79-1987; 171-1990; 148-1993; 4-26-1999 by Ord. No. 59-1999]
A certain document, one copy of which is on
file in the office of the City Clerk of the City of Scranton, being
marked and designated as the "BOCA National Building Code, 1999, Fourteenth
Edition," as published by the Building Officials and Code Administrators
International, Inc., be and is hereby adopted as the Building Code
of the City of Scranton in the State of Pennsylvania for the control
of buildings and structures as herein provided; and each and all of
the regulations, penalties, conditions and terms of the BOCA National
Building Code, 1999, Fourteenth Edition, are hereby referred to, adopted
and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this article, excepting
any additions and changes as set forth in this article.
To provide for public safety, health and welfare,
the BOCA National Building Code shall apply to the construction, alteration,
equipment, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of buildings,
structures and appurtenances; provided, however, that nothing herein
shall be construed to prevent the use of any material or method of
construction whether or not specifically provided for it, upon presentation
of plans, methods of analysis, test date or other necessary information
to the building official by the interested person or persons, such
material or method of construction complies with the specific provisions
of or conforms to the intent of this Building Code.
[Amended by Ord. Nos. 93-1981; 16-1982; 171-1990;
148-1993; 9-23-1998 by Ord. No. 86-1998; 4-26-1999 by Ord. No. 59-1999]
The following portions of the BOCA National Building Code, adopted by § 187-1, are hereby amended as follows:
A.
Section 101.1. Insert the "City of Scranton" as the
name of the jurisdiction.
B.
Section 107.1.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:
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107.1.1 Repairs: Application or
notice to the Code Official is required for ordinary repairs to structures.
Such repairs shall include the cutting away of any wall, partition
or portion thereof, the removal or cutting of any structural beam
or load-bearing support or the removal or change of any required means
of egress, or rearrangement of parts of a structure affecting the
egress requirements; nor shall ordinary repairs include addition to,
alteration of, replacement or relocation of any standpipe, water supply,
sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas, soil, waste, vent or similar piping,
electric wiring or mechanical or other work affecting public health
or general safety.
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C.
Section 113.2.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:
[Added 1-29-2008 by Ord. No. 4-2008[1]]
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113.2.1 Approved inspection agencies:
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1. The code official shall accept reports of approved inspection agencies, provided such agencies satisfy the requirements as to qualifications and reliability as stated in § 187-10.1, Requirements for building underwriters.
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2. Before any general contractor, or other person
doing general construction work for which he has received a permit,
shall complete such work, he shall make application for inspection
on the form used by the approved building underwriters inspection
agency specifying the premises wherein the installation or construction
is being done, the extent, specification and classification of such
work, and pay the fees for all inspections.
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3. The building underwriters inspection agencies
shall, upon receipt of inspection application, make or cause to be
made inspection of such work and conduct such tests as may be necessary.
If the work is done in accordance with the requirement of this Building
Code, the building underwriters inspection agency shall thereupon
issue the appropriate inspection (i.e. footing, foundation, framing,
etc.) or final certificate of approval, as the case may be, to the
applicant and the building inspector.
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4. When the building construction is not approved
by the building underwriter inspector or the City building inspector,
such inspector shall send a notice of noncompliance to the applicant
and to the City code official.
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5. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued
until a final certificate is issued by the building underwriters agency
and the Scranton Fire Department Fire Chief or Fire Prevention Bureau.
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[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided
for the redesignation of former Subsection C as Subsection D and former
Subsection D as Subsection F.
D.
Section 116.4 is hereby amended to read as follows:
[Amended 1-29-2008 by Ord. No. 4-2008]
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116.4 Violation penalties: Any
person who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail to
comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, construct,
alter or repair a building or structure in violation of an approved
plan or directive of the Code Official, or of a permit or certificate
issued under the provision of this code, shall be guilty of a summary
offense, punishable by a fine no less than $200 and not more than
$600 for each violation, or shall be imprisoned for a term not to
exceed 30 days, or both. Every day that a violation of the code continues
shall constitute a separate offense.
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E.
Section 117.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:
[Added 1-29-2008 by Ord. No. 4-2008]
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117.2 Unlawful continuance: Any
person who shall continue any work in or about the structure after
having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that
person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition,
shall be liable to a fine of not less than $500 or more than $10,000.
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F.
Section 3408.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:
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3408.2 Applicability: Structures
existing prior to the effective date of this article in which there
is work involving additions, alterations or changes of occupancy shall
be made to conform to the requirements of this section and the provisions
of Sections 3403.0 through 3407.0. The provisions in Sections 3408.2.1
through 3408.2.5 shall apply to existing occupancies that will continue
to be, or are proposed to be, in Use Groups A, B, E, M, R and S. These
provisions shall not apply to buildings with occupancies in Use Group
H, I or an R residential care facility.
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In addition to the requirements of Section 108.0
of the BOCA National Building Code, the building official shall examine
applications for permits, same for inspection by the Fire Prevention
Bureau of the city. If after examination, the building official or
the Fire Prevention Bureau finds no objections to the same, and it
appears that the proposed construction or work will be safe and in
compliance with the laws and ordinances applicable thereto, the building
official shall approve such application and issue a permit for the
proposed work as soon as practicable. If objections are found, the
building official shall reject such application and note his findings
in written report, a copy of which be delivered to the applicant.
A.
All residential dwelling units, including but not
limited to L-1, L-2, L-3 and L-3(a) residential dwelling units, which
are to be hereafter constructed, shall be equipped with one approved
smoke detector sensing visible or invisible particles of combustion
for every 800 square feet of floor space per floor.
B.
All residential dwelling units, including but not
limited to L-1, L-2, L-3 and L-3(a) residential dwelling units, which
participate in a housing rehabilitation program, which is funded either
in whole or in part, by federal, state or city moneys, shall be required
to install one approved smoke detector sensing visible or invisible
particles of combustion for every 800 square feet of floor space per
floor.
C.
All residential dwelling units, including but not
limited to L-1, L-2, L-3 and L-3(a) residential dwelling units, which
are hereafter purchased, shall be equipped with one approved smoke
detector sensing visible or invisible particles of combustion for
every 800 square feet of floor space per floor.
D.
All residential dwelling units, including but not
limited to L-1, L-2, L-3 and L-3(a) residential dwelling units, in
which over $100 of repair work or remodeling is done, shall be equipped
with one approved smoke detector sensing visible or invisible particles
of combustion, for every 800 square feet of floor space per floor.
E.
The location and installation of the aforementioned
smoke detecting device shall be in a manner and location approved
by the chief building inspector or his designee.
F.
The word "approved," when used in this section, shall
mean a smoke detector approved by the Underwriters' Laboratory Factory
Mutual Systems, Inc., or the Building Officers and Code Administrators
International Incorporated, commonly referred to as BOCA.
When an application for a permit to erect or
alter a building or structure is made to the Bureau of Building Inspection,
any plans and specifications for such building or structure, which
by the terms of Acts of Assembly approved May 6, 1927, P.L. 820 (63
P.S. § 148 et seq.) and June 27, 1939, P.L. 1188 (63 P.S.
§ 21 et seq.), are required to be prepared by a registered
architect or a registered engineer and shall bear the signature and
seal of a registered architect or the signature and seal of a registered
engineer.
The following fees shall be paid to the Superintendent
of Building Inspections upon filing of an application for a building
permit and shall apply to construction, renovations and demolition:
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Cost
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Charge
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|---|---|
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Up to $500.00
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$15.00
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$500.00 to $1,000.00
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$30.00
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$1,000.00 and over
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$30.00
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Plus, per each additional thousand or fraction
thereof
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$6.00
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A.
The application for a demolition permit shall be on a form prescribed by the Superintendent of Building Inspections in accordance with the fee schedule imposed in § 187-7. At the time of securing the permit, there shall be placed on deposit with the Superintendent of Building Inspections the sum of $200 as a deposit to ensure that the work will be performed in accordance with requirements of this article. The fee for a building permit for the removal of a building or structure from $100 at the estimated cost of moving plus, the cost of new foundations and all work necessary to place the building or structure in its completed condition in the location.
B.
Whenever a demolition permit calls for tearing down
or removal of structures or buildings and such structures or buildings
have a common wall or a fire wall with adjacent buildings or structures
the exposed surface of such common wall or fire wall shall be resurfaced
and finished off in accordance with specifications on file with the
Building Inspectors Office. At the time of securing the permit there
shall be placed on deposit with the Superintendent of Building Inspectors
a sum of $500 as a deposit to ensure that the work be performed in
accordance with the requirements of this section.
A.
Any person or member of partners or corporations who
shall violate the provisions of this article or the BOCA Basic Building
Code or who shall fail to comply with any requirements thereof or
who shall erect, construct, alter or repair, demolish a building or
structure in violation of an approved plan or directive of the Building
Official or of a permit or certification issued under the BOCA Basic
Building Code shall be guilty, and upon conviction thereof in a summary
proceeding, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $500, but
not less than $10 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days or not
less than five days or both. Each day that a violation is continued
shall constitute a separate offense.
B.
Any person who shall continue any work in or about
the building after having been served with a stop-work order, except
such work as he is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe
condition, shall be liable to a fine of not less than $500 nor more
than $10,000 per offense.
[Amended 4-26-1999 by Ord. No. 59-1999]
[Added by Ord. No. 102-1980; amended 10-30-1995 by Ord. Nos. 160-1995 and
161-1995]
A.
Any and all contractors, architects, architects/engineers,
engineers or homeowners who plan to construct, remodel or do any repairs
to their homes or buildings must first submit their floor plans or
blueprints to the Department of Community Development of the City
of Scranton for review and corrections. After these plans or blueprints
have been reviewed and approved by the Master Code Official/BOCA Review
Official a building permit shall be granted. No building, plumbing,
mechanical or electrical permits will be issued until the plans, blueprints
and specifications are reviewed and approved.
B.
Plan review fees. All fees incurred in relationship
to the plan review will be paid by persons submitting their plans
to the Department of Community Development. No permit shall be issued
until such fees are paid. The plan review fee shall be:
(2)
Commercial. Estimated construction value: building
square footage x type of construction factor x gross area modifier.
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Estimated Construction Value
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Fee
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|---|---|---|
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$1.00 to $750,000.00
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0.0015 x estimated construction value ($100.00
minimum)
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$5,000,000.00
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$1,125.00 + (0.0005 x value over $750,000.00)
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(3)
Mechanical, plumbing and electrical.
(a)
Plan review fees: per each, 25% of building
review fee.
(b)
Sprinkler review fee is based on the number
of sprinkler heads. For hydraulically-designed systems, multiply the
fee by two.:
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Number
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Charge
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|---|---|---|
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1 to 100
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$125.00
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101 to 200
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$150.00
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201 to 300
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$175.00
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301 to 400
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$200.00
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401 to 500
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$250.00
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501 to 750
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$275.00
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Over 750
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$275.00, plus $0.02 per sprinkler
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(4)
Certificate of occupancy.
(b)
These fees are based upon one inspection being
performed per site. Any reinspection which is necessary due to the
applicant's failure to pass the first inspection shall be an additional
$50 per inspector per site visit.
(5)
For all additions, renovations or repairs to existing
residential structures up to 1,000 square feet there shall be no plan
review fee.
C.
Violations. Any person, firm or corporation violating
any provision of this section or the codes hereby adopted, shall upon
conviction thereof, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be fined
not to exceed $1,000 for any one offense, recoverable with costs,
together with judgment or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, per
offense if the amount of such fines and costs shall not be promptly
paid. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate
offense.
[Added 9-23-1998 by Ord. No. 86-1998; amended 1-29-2008 by Ord. No. 4-2008]
A.
Certification. A building underwriter inspector must
possess certification in each of the following levels of BOCA examination:
building one- and two-family dwellings, building general, fire protection
general, building plan review and fire protection plan review. Inspectors
not possessing said plan review certifications shall have a period
of 18 months from the date of enactment of this article to complete
this certification process. During this grace period, an inspector
must possess building one- and two-family dwellings, building general
and fire protection general BOCA certifications in order to perform
work as an underwriter. Any person not successfully completing certification
in building and fire protection plan review at the end of the eighteen-month
grace period shall not be eligible for licensure until successful
completion of the building and fire protection plan review test specified.
C.
Proximity. In order to facilitate efficient inspections,
any person performing work as a building underwriter inspector shall
perform said work from a fully staffed office within the City of Scranton.
D.
All building underwriter inspectors need to provide
a public fee schedule detailing the charges for inspection services.
F.
Building underwriters shall have a minimum of 45 hours
of continuing education units (CEU) every three years.
G.
Building underwriters shall not inspect any work where
a permit has not been posted.
H.
Building underwriters shall not inspect any work which
has been performed by a nonlicensed contractor.
I.
The building underwriters agencies shall provide the
City with the names of all qualified inspectors along with their certification
of all qualified inspectors along with their certification of the
required CEU on an annual basis.
J.
The Code Official, with the approval of the Director
of the Department of Community Development, reserves the right to
terminate any building underwriter inspector or building underwriter
agency for cause and after full opportunity to be heard on specific
and relevant charges by the Building Appeals Board.
K.
A building underwriter inspection is not required
for residential buildings.
