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Grace Period for Projects Designed Under Prior PA UCC Ends

Theodore T. Speedy, Attorney at GawthropBy Theodore T. Speedy, Esq.
Gawthrop Greenwood, PC

The “grace period” for projects designed under the prior PA UCC has ended as of July 1, 2026. This means that all municipalities and municipal code officials across the Commonwealth, in addition to designers, contractors and builders who work with them, must ensure compliance with the new code.

The most recent update to the Pennsylvania UCC became effective as of January 1, 2026, implementing the provisions of the International Code Council 2021 Code Series with amendments.

While the new code became effective for all projects initiated after January 1, 2026, the PA UCC provided that projects designed under the old code with a construction contract executed prior to the effective date could proceed as designed, if a permit was sought within six months of the effective date. That “grace period” has now lapsed. All construction projects should be designed and constructed pursuant to the updated PA UCC. For more information on the updates, please see our prior article.

Further Updates?

The PA UCC is updated through the review process conducted by the UCC Review and Advisory Council. This process is initiated each time the ICC issues a new code series, and takes between two to three years to complete.

On May 6, 2026, Governor Shapiro signed Act 16 of 2026, which amended the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act to provide that the Accessibility Advisory Board has the additional responsibility to review accessibility related provisions of updated ICC series codes for adoption into the PA UCC. This may serve to update PA UCC provisions related to general changes in accessibility standards more quickly than would traditionally be implemented through the UCC RAC review process.

A U.S. navy veteran and former civil engineer, Theodore T. Speedy, Jr. is a government and municipal law attorney at Gawthrop Greenwood, PC, where he advises municipalities on a wide range of legal matters, including governance, personnel, compliance, land use, and public policy. For more information, contact Theo at tspeedy@gawthrop.com or 610-696-8225.

Theodore T. Speedy, Attorney at Gawthrop

Theodore T. Speedy, Jr. brings a mission-driven focus and practical mindset to his municipal law and litigation practice. He advises municipalities on a wide range of legal matters, including governance, personnel, compliance and public policy.

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