Frequently Asked Questions

You may contact our Planning and/or Building and Code Department at 724-981-0800. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM

The City of Hermitage does not require contractors to obtain a contractor’s license when performing work for a Hermitage based resident or business. 

Permits are required for windows and doors if there are any structural changes associated with this project (ie. Headers being replaced or resized). For more information, please contact Russell Penn, Building and Code Official, Jeffrey Osborne, Building and Code Inspector, or Nathan Zampogna, Planning Technician 2 at 724-981-0800.

If simply replacing the shingles, then no. If you must replace any sheathing underneath the shingles, which is constituted as a structural change, you will need a permit for that work. For more information, please contact Russell Penn, Building and Code Official, Jeffrey Osborne, Building and Code Inspector, or Nathan Zampogna, Planning Technician 2 at 724-981-0800.

Each building permit undergoes a review process to assess zoning compliance. If the proposed construction occurs within the zoning setbacks as determined by the Hermitage Zoning Ordinance, the application will be denied. You would then be able to ask for a variance through the Hermitage Zoning Hearing Board which is a quasi-judicial board made up of community representatives. The fee to go in front of the Zoning Hearing Board is $500 and does not guarantee approval. For more information, please contact our Planning Department at 724-981-0800.

No, please contact a local surveying or engineering firm from the local phone directory. 

Section 409 of the Hermitage Zoning Ordinance includes fence regulations: 

A wall or fence under 6 feet in height and paved terraces without walls, roofs or other enclosures may be erected within the limits of any yard. Retaining walls, buffer strips and fences required for screening under this Ordinance are not subject to the 6 feet high limitation. The following standards for fences also apply:

1. Fences required for recreational facilities such as tennis courts and baseball fields may be higher than 6 feet; provided, that they are constructed of open type fencing material, such as chain link. 
2. No fence shall be permitted which obstructs a sight triangle measured 30 feet along the edge of any roadway and 30 feet along the edge of any intersecting roadway and/or driveway. 
3. The sight triangle must be free of obstruction by any fence higher than 3 feet. 
4. No fence shall be constructed within the legal right-of-way of any public street.
5. Unless otherwise provided for herein, there is no required setback for fences constructed on the lot of any property owner.
6. The finished side of a fence shall project outward to neighboring property owner(s).

Additionally, there is no permit required to install a fence on your property. For more information, please contact our Planning Department at 724-981-0800. 

This is a private property civil matter between the property owners. If it cannot be settled cooperatively, then the aggrieved person must file their complaint through the District Justice.

Give us a call and we’ll see what we have! We have more information on some properties than on others - it depends on the history of the property. For more information, please contact our Planning Department at 724-981-0800.

In general, we have deed records dating from around 1960. Anything older would need to be retrieved at the Mercer County Courthouse Recorder’s Office. For more information, please contact our Planning Department at 724-981-0800.

You must check with the Building Department, giving them the location and a description of your proposed business as well as any proposed renovations to the unit. The Building Department will work with you to determine the type of permit and submittals needed to meet applicable zoning and building code requirements. Each type of business and each existing unit are unique and so may require different types of approvals depending on the circumstances. For more information, please contact Russell Penn, Building and Code Official at 724-981-0800.

You must obtain a permit for a shed if it is over 120 square feet. Regardless of size, sheds are still subject to setback requirements according to the zoning district your shed will be located in. Sheds over 200 square feet must be placed on a concrete pad. For more information, please contact our Planning Department at 724-981-0800.

Yes! The Backyard Poultry permit can be found here: https://www.hermitage.net/DocumentCenter/View/2020/Poultry-Birds-Zoning-Application-PDF-?bidId=.  There are also additional regulations pertaining to backyard poultry which includes: 

1. A site plan shall be required prior to the issuance of a zoning permit for Backyard Poultry. The site plan shall show all existing and proposed structures (coops, runs, etc.) and lot lines.
2. Backyard Poultry shall be permitted as an accessory use to a single-family dwelling only. 
3. The number of poultry birds permitted on any one lot is as follows:
   1. Lots up to 0.5 acres = 4 birds
   2. One bird for each additional 0.25 acres
   3. A maximum 12 birds shall be permitted on any one lot.
4. All buildings, coops and enclosures for birds must be in the rear yard with a minimum of 30 feet setback from all property lines. 
5. No mature roosters shall be permitted. 
6. Killing or dressing of animals raised on the premises shall be permitted if conducted entirely within an enclosed building and disposed of properly.
7. The keeping of poultry birds shall be permitted within a securely fenced and enclosed area. Only chickens and ducks may be permitted on the property; all other livestock and small farm animals are prohibited.
8. All animal structures and roaming areas shall be kept sanitary and free from accumulations of animal excrement and objectionable odor.
9. All animal feed shall be stored in a secured, rodent-proof container and housed within an enclosed structure.

Please contact our Planning Department at 724-981-0800 if you have any additional questions. 

Yes you do. The permit can be found here: https://www.hermitage.net/DocumentCenter/View/37/-Home-Occupation-Permit--PDF?bidId=. Please contact Nathan Zampogna at 724-981-0800 if you have any additional questions.

No, a permit is not required for yard sales

Beginning June 1, 2021, the City Municipal Offices will re-open to the public from 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, except for holidays. For more information, please call 724-981-0800.

To view a list of days when the City Building will be closed, please visit the 

Of course! You can find us on Facebook @hermitagepa, on Twitter @hermitagepa, on Instagram @city_of_hermitage or on LinkedIn at City of Hermitage. Or click the social media icons located on our home page under the Search bar. 

Now you can help report non-emergency problems to the City of Hermitage  from your smartphone, tablet or computer, thanks to our new partnership with SeeClickFix 

Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/seeclickfix/id322000552

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seeclickfix.ma.android

Or visit https://www.hermitage.net/421/Report-a-Concern

For a map of the City, please click 

The Fire Department does monthly testing of its severe weather warning sirens on the 1st Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. These sirens are a city wide outdoor citizen / emergency alerting system tested on the first Thursday of every month between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. When sirens are activated at any other time, citizens should tune to their local media stations for further emergency information and prepare to take protective action.

For more information, please call 724-981-0800.

Bulk Trash Collection Days are scheduled for the spring and fall. To stay updated on the latest city news, sign up for Notify Me or subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter

The City of Hermitage will follow a Holiday Delay Schedule. No collection will be made on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If your regular collection falls on or after the weekday of the holiday, your collection will occur one day later than normal. No schedule change if the holiday falls on a weekend. 

No! Do NOT place glass in your recycling bins. Glass goes in with your normal trash.

Currently, the City is working with the PRC to host periodic glass recycling events. For more information on the PRC's Glass Recycling Program, please visit : https://prc.org/

Want to know when our next glass recycling event is? Sign up to receive notifications via text and/or email by signing up at https://www.hermitage.net/list.aspx and make sure to follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/hermitagepa/

REMEMBER, when in doubt, throw it out! Current acceptable recyclable items include :

Plastic Bottles & Jugs

Cans - Aluminum &

Steel

Cardboard

Magazines

Newspaper

Junk Mail

Residents can take white goods and old tires (limit 4 tires) to the City Garage at 5250 Virginia Road to dispose of them at no cost. Monday-Friday - 8:00am-3:00 pm. NO TAG REQUIRED 

For more information, please visit the

• Aluminum Cans
• Cardboard
• Junk Mail
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Plastics (Number 1, Number 2)
• Steel, Tin, and Bi-Metallic Cans

For more information, please view the

For more information, please visit the Yard Waste Collection page

For more information, please visit our Electronics Recycling page

Both compact fluorescent lights and fluorescent tubes contain mercury. They are not permitted to be thrown away in regular trash or put out curbside for collection as they are considered to be hazardous waste

What are your options?

1. Contact your garbage service provider for a special collection of hazardous materials

2. Contact your local Lowes or Home Depot regarding special recycling programs

3. Research a mail-back program. We've linked https://recyclelights.com/ 

4. Bring hazardous materials to a local special collection event. This is generally held in September for Mercer County. Registration is available at https://ecsr.net/

5. Visit Mercer County Recycling & Solid Waste website for additional resources

Visit www.hermitage.net for more information on the proper disposal of hard-to-recycle items or visit https://www.hermitage.net/231/Solid-Waste and click the Recycling Fact Sheets link

•. Keep materials clean and dry

• Rinse plastic bottle and cans

• Flatten boxes

• Do NOT put materials into a brown paper bag

• Do NOT place unacceptable items in the cart

• Place shredded paper into a brown paper bag

• Place the cart within 5 feet of the curb or road

• Set your cart out the night before your scheduled day

•. You can recycle at home at your leisure

• No more trips to a drop-off recycling site - saving you time, money, and fuel

• Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced

• Lids keep materials dry and prevent litter

• Carts hold more materials

• Rolling a cart is easier than carrying or dragging a bin without wheels

The Fire Department does monthly testing of its severe weather warning sirens on the 1st Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. These sirens are a city wide outdoor citizen / emergency alerting system tested on the first Thursday of every month between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. When sirens are activated at any other time, citizens should tune to their local media stations for further emergency information and prepare to take protective action.

For more information, please call 724-981-0800.

The severe weather warning sirens are activated when the national weather service issues a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or a Tornado Warning that is going to impact our area. Siren Duration - You will hear the siren sound for 1 minute, be silent for 1 minute and then sound again for 1 minute and be silent for 1 minute and then sound again for 1 minute. This is one cycle that will last a total of 5 minutes.

For more information, please call 724-981-0800.

The severe weather warning sirens are activated when the national weather service issues a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or a Tornado Warning that is going to impact our area.

The Fire Department does monthly testing of its emergency sirens on the 1st Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. These sirens are a city wide outdoor citizen / emergency alerting system tested on the first Thursday of every month between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. When sirens are activated at any other time, citizens should tune to their local media stations for further emergency information and prepare to take protective action.

For more information, please call 724-981-0800.

Residents hearing the sirens should tune in to their local TV stations to determine what the weather emergency is and how it may impact them. Residents can also tune to 1610 a.m. on their radio and listen to the NOAA Weather Radio Report. This is a 24 hour a day broadcast that reports the local weather affecting our area and surrounding communities. The Hermitage Weather Siren System is a joint community system. A total of six sirens are placed throughout the City of Hermitage. The City of Farrell and Boroughs of Clark, Sharpsville, Wheatland and West Middlesex add another six sirens to the system for a total of 12 sirens.

For more information, please call 724-981-0800.

For State Routes, residents may contact 800-FIX-ROAD (PennDOT) or visit the PennDot website HERE. For city roads, please contact the Street Dept. or report a concern via See.Click.Fix mobile app or desktop site 

The City’s Parks & Recreation Department provides a wide variety of recreational programs, including the summer recreation program, fall baseball and more. For more information, please call 724-981-0800 or visit the

If a tree falls onto a public road, the City of Hermitage will remove the portion blocking the roadway to ensure public safety and access. However, if the tree is entirely within your yard or on private property, it is the homeowner's responsibility to handle the removal.

As of December 6, 2012, we are no longer able to accept credit card payments nor do we offer a payment option online. We apologize for the inconvenience. Payments can still be mailed in or placed in the drop box located outside the City Municipal Offices. 

For more information, please call 724-347-4472.

Did You Know? 🏡 If you’re planning to remove a structure from your property, you’ll need a demolition permit from the City! After the demo is completed and verified by a City inspector, we’ll send the details to the county for a property tax reassessment. This can help ensure your property value—and taxes—reflect the change!

The Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program provides rebates to eligible older adults and individuals with disabilities to help with property taxes or rent. Learn more about eligibility and the application process here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/revenue/incentives-credits-and-programs/ptrr.html

When a subdivision plan is approved and recorded, building lots and street right-of-ways are created. Under present day subdivision regulations, the developer of the subdivision is required to complete the construction of the streets at his expense, and then turn them over to the City for perpetual maintenance. Once the construction is completed to City standards, the streets become public streets with the adoption of a Resolution by the Hermitage Board of Commissioners. For more information on paper streets, please reference General Information Regarding Unopened (Paper) Streets (PDF)