Basement Remodeling in Bensalem, PA

Dombrowski Home Improvements finishes basements in Bensalem, PA. We file through the Bensalem Township Building and Planning Department at 2400 Byberry Road and we hold PA HIC No. 212858. Free in-home consultation.

How does the Bensalem permit process work?

Bensalem Township uses a single combined Construction Permit Application, with electrical, plumbing and mechanical handled as disciplines on that one form rather than as separate applications.

That is the opposite of how neighboring Middletown Township does it, where a basement finish typically means four separate applications. It is one fewer thing to coordinate, but it also means the whole package has to be complete before anything moves.

Plans are submitted as one complete set at a maximum of 11 by 17 inches, along with a digital copy emailed to the township's permit center or supplied on a drive. The required sheets include the site plan, foundation plan, floor plan, framing plan, and the electrical, mechanical and plumbing plans. The department is at 215-633-3644, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Bensalem's Director of Building and Planning holds the Building Code Official credential, and inspections are performed by township staff rather than contracted out.

What will the permit cost?

Bensalem's fee schedule prices residential alterations by construction value and charges a $4.50 Pennsylvania UCC surcharge on all applications. A certificate of occupancy for a single family dwelling is $100.

Re-inspections work differently here than in most Bucks County townships. One re-inspection is included in the original fee. Every additional re-inspection is charged at 50 percent of the permit fee, rather than at a flat rate. On a larger permit that adds up quickly, which is a good reason to get the first inspection right.

We pull the current fee schedule and confirm the exact figures with the township before we give you a number. We do not quote permit costs from memory.

Bensalem requires its own contractor license

In addition to Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration, Bensalem Township maintains its own township contractor license. Ask any contractor bidding your Bensalem basement whether they hold one. It is a fast way to sort out who actually works in the township and who is driving in for the first time.

Bensalem is the largest municipality in Bucks County

Bensalem had 62,707 residents at the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in Bucks County and the ninth most populous in Pennsylvania, at a density of about 3,140 people per square mile.

The township contains nine named communities: Andalusia, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Siles, Trappe and Trevose. Worth knowing if you are in Trevose: that community extends into Middletown Township's neighbor jurisdictions, so confirm your municipality before you assume Bensalem issues your permit.

Ceiling height and egress in a Bensalem basement

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code is based on the 2021 International Residential Code, which took effect January 1, 2026.

IRC Section R305 requires at least a 7 foot ceiling in habitable space and hallways, and at least 6 feet 8 inches in bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms. Beams, girders, ducts and other obstructions may project down to within 6 feet 4 inches of the finished floor, which is what makes most older Bensalem basements workable.

IRC Section R310 requires an emergency escape and rescue opening in basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room. The main exception is a basement used only to house mechanical equipment and no larger than 200 square feet. An unfinished basement is not automatically exempt.

We confirm the current dimensional requirements with the Bensalem building department before we cut an opening.

What we do in Bensalem

Full basement finishing from framing through final trim, finished basements with bathrooms and wet bars, kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling. Licensed, insured, and we pull our own permits.