USA Home Buyers

City of Pittsburgh · Allegheny County · Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Home Seller Resources

Find the county and City record routes for property, probate, deeds, transfer tax, code, and sale questions. Compare those next steps with your options for selling the house.

We buy houses as-is in the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.

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Start with the right local record

Pittsburgh is Allegheny County’s administrative seat, but the City, County, and metropolitan area are different geographies. Use the parcel record to confirm the municipality and school district; a Pittsburgh mailing address alone does not establish either one.

Browse local offices and records →

Find the right help

Start with the question in front of you

This page points Pittsburgh and Allegheny County sellers to property and assessment records, probate contacts, deed recording, and City sale requirements. If you have a tax notice, court paper, estate question, tenant, code issue, or damaged house, use the matching section below and check the exact property address and notice.

Need a sale option as well as an office contact? We can review the house as-is and give you written terms to compare. Call 888-274-5006 or send the address and your question.

Useful offices and records

Allegheny County resources: what each one handles

County assessment, tax collection, deed recording, and court records are separate tasks. Start with the source that matches the document you need, and use the parcel or notice to confirm the correct jurisdiction.

Allegheny County property record search

Allegheny County · parcel and assessment records

Use the county search for the official parcel record and assessment information. Check the parcel itself to confirm its municipality and school district; a Pittsburgh mailing address alone does not establish either one.

An assessment record is not a current tax payoff or a court-judgment search. For an unpaid balance, use the collector named on the current bill or delinquency notice and confirm the live amount and status.

Allegheny County property record search ↗

Allegheny County Department of Court Records — Wills & Orphans Division

Allegheny County · probate and estate records

For an estate matter, use Wills & Orphans to locate the county probate record. A Pittsburgh property address does not establish which county has the estate case, so confirm the estate venue before relying on this contact.

City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, First Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469 · 412-350-4180.

Probate Section appointments: 412-350-4195 or DCRProbate@AlleghenyCounty.us. Scheduled appointments and walk-in service are available.

Allegheny County Wills & Orphans Division ↗Department of Court Records appointment information ↗

Allegheny County recording office

Allegheny County · recording deeds and other property documents

Use the recording office for deeds and other documents recorded against property. A deed search is different from an assessment lookup, a delinquent-tax payoff, or a civil court-judgment search.

County Office Building, Room 101, 542 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 · 412-350-4636, option 2.

Allegheny County recording documents ↗Allegheny County Department of Court Records ↗

For an unpaid tax balance, check the current bill or delinquency notice and contact the collector named there; an assessed value is not the payoff. For a civil judgment, use court records rather than the recording office; the Department of Court Records link above is the place to ask which record route applies. The probate contact above is for Wills & Orphans matters.

Helpful local rules

What to check before a Pittsburgh sale

These rules apply only to the stated jurisdiction and transaction. Confirm the parcel and the actual sale requirements with the City, utility, or closing professional before making plans.

Pittsburgh realty transfer tax depends on the parcel’s school district

For property inside Pittsburgh city limits and in Pittsburgh School District, Allegheny County lists a 5% total realty transfer tax: 3% city, 1% school, and 1% state. Its separate Pittsburgh/Baldwin-Whitehall row totals 4.5%, including state tax.

Before estimating the tax, confirm the parcel’s municipality and school district in the property record. Exemptions and who pays depend on the transaction; ask the title company to confirm the figures and allocation for your sale.

Allegheny County local realty transfer tax rates ↗

City property certification is not a Certificate of Occupancy

For a sale or refinance closing inside Pittsburgh city limits, the City requires a property certification. It reports zoning and use, historic designation, and recorded code violations or unsafe conditions; it does not establish lawful occupancy.

The City does not require a Certificate of Occupancy solely to buy or sell a property. A change in use may require an Occupancy Permit, and an older single-family home may not have an older certificate. Check the actual address and use with the City before deciding what records you need.

City of Pittsburgh property certification ↗City occupancy records guidance ↗

Pittsburgh Water determines whether a dye test is needed

Before a property sale inside Pittsburgh city limits, Pittsburgh Water requires Evidence of Compliance paperwork. The utility determines whether a physical dye test is needed; properties in combined-sewer areas do not need the physical test.

In sanitary-sewer areas, an illegal stormwater connection must be corrected and retested before compliance is issued. Ask Pittsburgh Water to determine the requirements for the property address.

Pittsburgh Water dye-testing and sale guidance ↗

Selling situations

Choose the Pittsburgh situation that fits

Each page focuses on the questions and local records that may matter for that kind of sale.

Foreclosure →

Compare a foreclosure notice, assistance options, and a possible sale path.

Divorce sale →

Review ownership, sale coordination, and the questions to resolve before closing.

Code violations →

Find local record routes and questions to check for a property with a City notice.

Fire damage →

Review property condition, insurance questions, and sale options after a fire.

Read or compare

Guides, local context, and sale planning

Read the Pittsburgh guide and articles, compare the local report, or use the calculator to change your own planning inputs. Your property’s condition, occupancy, title, payoff, and timing still matter.

Pittsburgh, PA Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator

Calculator

Compare what you would keep from listing your house or selling as-is for cash. Change the repair costs, cleanout, monthly bills and closing costs to fit your house.

Pittsburgh seller reviews and contact

What sellers say about USA Home Buyers

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Read more on the Pittsburgh seller reviews page.

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Send the Pittsburgh address and the question you need answered

Tell us whether you are comparing a sale, checking an estate or tax notice, dealing with tenants or code questions, or sorting out damage. We buy houses as-is in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and you can share the property details you already have.

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Pittsburgh and Allegheny County resource questions

How do I check whether a property is in Pittsburgh city limits or Pittsburgh School District?

Use the Allegheny County property record search for the parcel. A Pittsburgh mailing address alone does not establish the municipality or school district, and the estate’s county venue is a separate question.

Which office handles property value, unpaid taxes, deeds, or a court judgment?

Use Allegheny County’s property record search for parcel and assessment information; it is not a current tax payoff. For an unpaid balance, use the collector named on the current bill or delinquency notice and confirm the live amount and status. The County recording office handles deeds and recorded property documents. A court judgment is a court-record question, not a deed search; start with the Department of Court Records and ask which record route applies. Wills & Orphans handles probate and estate records.

Where do I start with an Allegheny County probate or estate record?

Contact the Department of Court Records, Wills & Orphans Division at 412-350-4180, City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, First Floor, Pittsburgh. For Probate Section appointments, call 412-350-4195 or email DCRProbate@AlleghenyCounty.us. Confirm the estate’s county venue; the property’s mailing address alone does not decide it.

How much is Pittsburgh realty transfer tax?

The county lists a 5% total for property inside Pittsburgh city limits and Pittsburgh School District: 3% city, 1% school, and 1% state. A separate Pittsburgh/Baldwin-Whitehall row totals 4.5%. Check the parcel’s municipality and school district, then ask the title company to confirm the transaction’s tax, exemptions, and payer allocation.

Does selling a Pittsburgh house require a Certificate of Occupancy?

The City does not require a Certificate of Occupancy solely to buy or sell property. A changed use may require an Occupancy Permit. Separately, a property certification is required for a sale or refinance closing inside city limits; it reports zoning and use, historic designation, and recorded code violations or unsafe conditions, but does not establish lawful occupancy.

Does every Pittsburgh property need a dye test before sale?

Pittsburgh Water requires Evidence of Compliance paperwork before a sale inside city limits and determines whether a physical dye test is needed. Properties in combined-sewer areas do not need the physical test. Ask Pittsburgh Water about the specific address and any required correction or retest.

Where can I look up City permits or code violations?

For a property inside Pittsburgh city limits, use the City’s address-based OneStopPGH Insights route for permit, license, and violation records. A search with no result is not a City compliance determination.

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