Phoenixville is a Chester County borough of about 18,600 people, built where French Creek meets the Schuylkill River. From our shop in Eagleville it's roughly a twenty-minute drive. Pisasale & Sons is a family-owned, licensed and insured remodeling contractor (PA HIC #186102), and older houses are a good fit for the way we work: one crew, careful demolition, and trim and tile work done by the same people who opened up the wall.
Remodeling a house built by an iron town
For close to two centuries, Phoenixville grew around the Phoenix Iron Works, which opened in 1790 and closed in 1987. As the mills expanded, so did the housing for the people who worked in them. The borough's historic district design guidelines note that Phoenixville has the largest collection of company-built worker housing in Chester County, along with a notable group of high-style homes built for the owners and entrepreneurs. When the Phoenixville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, it covered about 297 acres and 908 contributing buildings, mostly Italianate, Greek Revival and Second Empire. Since the mills closed, condos, apartments and townhomes have filled in around downtown and French Creek, so one neighborhood can hold a pre-war twin, a Victorian and new construction.
Older Phoenixville homes come with a few things we plan for before the first wall opens. Brick and stone walls and original plaster mean we cut carefully and patch to match. Floors in houses this age are rarely level, so new tile and plank floors often start with subfloor work. Original trim, doors and stair parts are usually worth saving, and wiring and plumbing can be several generations old in the same house. We look for all of that at the walkthrough so it's in the estimate instead of showing up as a surprise.
Projects that suit Phoenixville homes
- Kitchen remodeling: new cabinets and counters in a narrow twin kitchen, or opening to the dining room where the structure allows
- Bathroom remodeling: tiled tub surrounds, walk-in showers, and classic hex or patterned tile floors that suit an older house
- Flooring and tile: leveling uneven subfloors, then luxury vinyl plank or tile
- Porches and exterior: front porch repairs, railings, steps and entry doors, built to fit the house
- Handyman services: plaster and drywall repair, doors, trim, fixtures and painting
- Basement finishing: once moisture is under control, usable space in a stone or block basement
- Home additions: rear additions where the lot, zoning and stormwater rules allow
In the historic district, exterior work that can be seen from the street goes through design review before a building permit is issued. Interior kitchens and baths don't. We'll tell you at the walkthrough which applies to your house, and the estimate will spell it out. Request yours below.
Permits from the Phoenixville Borough Codes Department
Phoenixville is its own borough with its own Codes Department at Borough Hall, 351 Bridge Street. The borough issues separate permits for building, deck and patio, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and dumpster or storage container placement, so a single remodel can involve several. The borough asks for applications and drawings to be submitted digitally to speed up review, with paper copies of large drawings only after the digital review is finished. The office lets you know the fee once the permit is processed, and it's paid when the permit is picked up.
Under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, the borough's permit forms say residential applications are approved or denied within 15 days. The borough also points applicants to its newer stormwater management requirements, which matter for additions and other projects that add roof or paved area. We file the applications, answer the reviewer's questions, and schedule inspections. The borough's permits and applications page has the current forms and fee schedule.
Working in the historic district
The borough's Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) reviews exterior changes to properties in the locally designated Phoenixville Downtown Historic District that are visible from a public street, sidewalk or way. That can include porches, doors, windows, siding and additions. HARB does not review interior changes unless they affect the outside of the building, and in-kind repair or replacement may not need review at all. When review is needed, HARB makes a recommendation and Borough Council decides on a Certificate of Appropriateness, and only then is the building permit issued. The borough's design guidelines say to allow at least six to eight weeks from application to permit, and HARB meets on the first Monday of the month. The HARB page has the application and guidelines.
Photos from our job sites
These are from our own job sites around Montgomery County and Philadelphia. See the full gallery for more.
Phoenixville remodeling questions
Does a kitchen or bathroom remodel need HARB approval?
Usually not. HARB reviews exterior changes in the historic district that can be seen from a public street, sidewalk or way, not interior work. A kitchen or bath can still need building, plumbing or electrical permits from the Codes Department, and we handle those.
My address says Phoenixville. Is my home in the borough?
Not necessarily. The 19460 ZIP code reaches well beyond the borough into surrounding townships in both Chester and Montgomery counties, including Schuylkill, Charlestown and East Pikeland townships and Mont Clare in Upper Providence. Each municipality runs its own permits, so we confirm which one covers your home before we estimate.
Can you work with plaster walls and original trim?
Yes. We cut and patch plaster carefully, remove trim and doors we plan to reuse before demolition, and match new work to what's there. If a wall is too far gone, we'll show you and price drywall as an option.
How far are you from Phoenixville?
About twenty minutes. We're based in Eagleville, in Lower Providence Township. We reply within 1 business day. Walkthroughs and written estimates are free.