Township of Athens - Code Inspections, Inc.

Township of Athens, Pennsylvania (Bradford County)

city

268 Overton Road (Code Inspections, Inc.), Dushore, PA 18614

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No Athens Township text read for this record names the replacement of a roof covering as permit work or as exempt. The Code of the Township of Athens, as published, contains no chapter adopting the Uniform Construction Code, so this record has not read the Township's adoption ordinance. Its Chapter 62, Building Permits (Ordinance No. 112, 1994, amended 1995), administered by a Township "Building Permit Officer," says "A building permit shall not be required for repairs commonly associated with the maintenance of a building or structure, such as roof repairs or replacing a window with a door or addition of storm windows or siding; for minor or nonextensive repairs costing less than $1,000" and "Any construction to the exterior of a building that adds a roof or steps, however, does require a building permit"; it does not say whether replacing a whole roof covering is a roof repair. Code Inspections, Inc.'s FAQ page lists work that does and does not require a building permit, prefaced "This is not a complete list or exact wording from the codes. Always check with your municipality first, some municipalities have adopted more restrictive requirements," and names no roof work either way; the Township's Permitting FAQ says "A building permit is required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" and "If you have a question as to whether a permit is required, contact the Zoning Office at (570) 888-2325 for a free consultation." Under state law, Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6) list "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" and "Repairs to residential buildings" among work the Act does not apply to, "except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503," and 34 Pa. Code 403.62(c) says "A permit is not required for the exceptions listed in § 403.1(b) (relating to scope) and the following, if the work does not violate a law or ordinance." The Township's zoning permit application says its completion "shall not relieve the Applicant from obtaining such other permits as may be required By other local, state or federal regulations or laws." Code Inspections, Inc. is at (570) 928-9208, and the Township office, 45 Herrick Avenue, Sayre, open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., is at (570) 888-2325. Read for this record: Chapter 62 of the Code of the Township of Athens, Building Permits, in full; the Code's table of contents and disposition list; every page of a search of the whole Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Township's Construction Code Enforcement, Permitting and Licensing, FAQ, Staff and Ordinances pages and its zoning permit application; and Code Inspections, Inc.'s FAQ, Guides, Permits and Contact pages.

The 2021 International Residential Code, as adopted by the State in the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC). 34 Pa. Code 403.21(a)(7) adopts "The 'International Residential Code of 2021,' except that:" followed by the State's list of exclusions and modifications, effective January 1, 2026 (55 Pa.B. 7701). None of the State's changes touches Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, or Section R803, Roof Sheathing, so those apply as the International Code Council publishes them. Work on existing buildings is also pointed to the State's existing-building code: "The repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition and relocation of existing buildings must comply with Chapter 34 of the 'International Building Code of 2021' or with the 'International Existing Building Code of 2021'" (34 Pa. Code 403.21(f)). The UCC is the minimum everywhere in the state: "no municipality may propose or enact any ordinance which is less than the minimum requirement of the Uniform Construction Code" (Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, section 503(b)). The Act also lists work it "shall not apply to", including "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" or to "Repairs to residential buildings," in each case "except as might be required by ordinances" kept in force under section 303(b)(1) or adopted under section 503 (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6); 34 Pa. Code 403.1(b)(8) and (9)). The Act defines a repair as "The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for the purpose of its maintenance." So whether the code's roofing rules reach a given house reroof depends on the municipality's own ordinances. Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, Athens Township's Construction Code Enforcement page says the Township "has partnered with a third party inspection and review agency, Code Inspections INC. to review, inspect and enforce the requirements set forth in the Uniform Construction Code" and "Code Inspections INC will issue building (construction) permits for all construction projects within the township"; the Township's FAQ says "Building permits can be secured through Code Inspections, Inc or by calling (570) 928-9208." The Code of the Township of Athens, as published, contains no chapter adopting the Uniform Construction Code, so this record has not read the Township's adoption ordinance. Its Chapter 62, Building Permits (Ordinance No. 112, 1994, amended 1995), administered by a Township "Building Permit Officer," says "A building permit shall not be required for repairs commonly associated with the maintenance of a building or structure, such as roof repairs or replacing a window with a door or addition of storm windows or siding; for minor or nonextensive repairs costing less than $1,000" and "Any construction to the exterior of a building that adds a roof or steps, however, does require a building permit"; it does not say whether replacing a whole roof covering is a roof repair. Code Inspections, Inc.'s Guides and Codes page lists "International Residential Code 2018" among the UCC codes; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's text was not read for this record.

No Athens Township text read for this record names the replacement of a roof covering as permit work or as exempt. The Code of the Township of Athens, as published, contains no chapter adopting the Uniform Construction Code, so this record has not read the Township's adoption ordinance. Its Chapter 62, Building Permits (Ordinance No. 112, 1994, amended 1995), administered by a Township "Building Permit Officer," says "A building permit shall not be required for repairs commonly associated with the maintenance of a building or structure, such as roof repairs or replacing a window with a door or addition of storm windows or siding; for minor or nonextensive repairs costing less than $1,000" and "Any construction to the exterior of a building that adds a roof or steps, however, does require a building permit"; it does not say whether replacing a whole roof covering is a roof repair. Code Inspections, Inc.'s FAQ page lists work that does and does not require a building permit, prefaced "This is not a complete list or exact wording from the codes. Always check with your municipality first, some municipalities have adopted more restrictive requirements," and names no roof work either way; the Township's Permitting FAQ says "A building permit is required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" and "If you have a question as to whether a permit is required, contact the Zoning Office at (570) 888-2325 for a free consultation." State law sets no square-footage or percentage threshold for roof work; any threshold is set locally. The Uniform Construction Code "does not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as required by ordinances in effect under sections 303(b)(1) or 503 of the act" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as required by ordinances in effect under sections 303(b)(1) and 503 of the act" (34 Pa. Code 403.1(b)(8) and (9)), and "A permit is not required for the exceptions listed in § 403.1(b) (relating to scope) and the following, if the work does not violate a law or ordinance" (34 Pa. Code 403.62(c)). For houses the regulation adds: "An ordinary repair does not require a permit." Its list of work that is not an ordinary repair names cutting away a load-bearing wall, "The removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support," changes to a required means of egress, and new or relocated piping, wiring or mechanical work (34 Pa. Code 403.62(d)); roofing is not named. A municipality may require more: under Act 45 section 503(c) it "may enact ordinances pursuant to this section which adopt additional code requirements for alterations or repairs to residential buildings," after a public hearing and after filing the proposed ordinance with the Department of Labor and Industry. These rules concern a "Residential building," which the regulation defines as "Detached one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses which are not more than three stories above grade plane in height with a separate means of egress and their accessory structures" (34 Pa. Code 401.1). Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, Athens Township's Construction Code Enforcement page says the Township "has partnered with a third party inspection and review agency, Code Inspections INC. to review, inspect and enforce the requirements set forth in the Uniform Construction Code" and "Code Inspections INC will issue building (construction) permits for all construction projects within the township"; the Township's FAQ says "Building permits can be secured through Code Inspections, Inc or by calling (570) 928-9208." Chapter 62's own thresholds are the $1,000 exterior and $5,000 interior cost lines quoted above; no Township text read for this record sets a roof area threshold.

Two layers at most where the state code reaches the job. Pennsylvania adopts the 2021 International Residential Code without changing its reroofing section, R908 (34 Pa. Code 403.21(a)(7); the State's list of changes names no Chapter 9 section). Section R908.3.1.1 says "A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur," and the third condition is "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." So one existing layer may be covered once, and a roof that already has two layers is torn off to the deck. The same section also bars a recover "Where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that the existing roof or roof covering is not adequate as a base for additional roofing" and "Where the existing roof covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile." The existing-building code the State also adopts, the 2021 International Existing Building Code (34 Pa. Code 403.21(f)), carries the same three conditions in Section 705.2.1.1. These rules bind work the Uniform Construction Code reaches. The Act does not apply to "Repairs to residential buildings" or to alterations that make no structural change, "except as might be required by ordinances" (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6)), so whether R908 binds a particular house reroof turns on that exclusion and on the municipality's own ordinances. Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, Athens Township's Construction Code Enforcement page says the Township "has partnered with a third party inspection and review agency, Code Inspections INC. to review, inspect and enforce the requirements set forth in the Uniform Construction Code" and "Code Inspections INC will issue building (construction) permits for all construction projects within the township"; the Township's FAQ says "Building permits can be secured through Code Inspections, Inc or by calling (570) 928-9208." Chapter 62 of the Township Code adds no reroofing rule, and the Township's pages say nothing on roof layers. Code Inspections, Inc.'s Guides and Codes page lists "International Residential Code 2018" among the UCC codes; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's text was not read for this record.

State rules from the base code, where the state code reaches the job. Pennsylvania adopts the 2021 International Residential Code without changing Section R803, Roof Sheathing (34 Pa. Code 403.21(a)(7); the State's changes to Chapter 8 are to ridge framing and attic ventilation). Lumber roof sheathing follows Table R803.1: over rafters or beams 24 inches apart it must be at least 5/8 inch net thick. Wood structural panels "shall be identified for grade, bond classification and performance category by a grade mark or certificate of inspection issued by an approved agency," and their spans "shall not exceed the values set forth in Table R503.2.1.1(1) or APA E30." For shingles, "Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks" (R905.2.1), and on any reroof "The structural roof components shall be capable of supporting the roof covering system and the material and equipment loads that will be encountered during installation of the roof covering system" (R908.2). These rules bind work the Uniform Construction Code reaches; the Act does not apply to "Repairs to residential buildings" or to alterations that make no structural change, "except as might be required by ordinances" (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6)). Act 45 section 104(b)(5) excludes alterations "which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" and says only that "a structural change does not include a minor framing change needed to replace existing windows or doors"; 34 Pa. Code 403.62(d)(2) lists "The removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support" as not an ordinary repair. Neither names roof sheathing; this record does not decide whether replacing it is either. Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, Athens Township's Construction Code Enforcement page says the Township "has partnered with a third party inspection and review agency, Code Inspections INC. to review, inspect and enforce the requirements set forth in the Uniform Construction Code" and "Code Inspections INC will issue building (construction) permits for all construction projects within the township"; the Township's FAQ says "Building permits can be secured through Code Inspections, Inc or by calling (570) 928-9208." Chapter 62 of the Township Code adds no roof sheathing rule. Code Inspections, Inc.'s Guides and Codes page lists "International Residential Code 2018" among the UCC codes; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's text was not read for this record.

6% Pennsylvania sales and use tax, with a local tax added on purchases made in Allegheny County (1%) and Philadelphia (2%). On a reroof the roofer pays the tax on the materials and does not add it to the homeowner's bill. The Department of Revenue says: "The Pennsylvania sales tax rate is 6 percent. By law, a 1 percent local tax is added to purchases made in Allegheny County, and 2 percent local tax is added to purchases made in Philadelphia." Roof work is a construction activity: the rule's list of items "presumed to become a permanent part of real estate" includes "Roofing (repairs)" (61 Pa. Code 31.11). For construction activities, "A contractor shall pay tax upon the purchase price ... of all property, including materials, equipment, components and supplies, which he furnishes and installs" (61 Pa. Code 31.12(a)(1)), and the rule's example says the contractor "does not charge sales tax on this transaction to his customer. The contractor may include the tax he must pay in his bid proposal but not as a separately stated item." Apart from limited exceptions set out in the rule, the same holds on jobs for tax-exempt owners: "a contractor erecting a building, repairing a roof, replacing a door for a governmental agency, ... school district, charitable or religious organization, and the like, shall pay tax upon the property which he consumes" (61 Pa. Code 31.13(a)). Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Athens Township is in Bradford County. The Township's pages and Chapter 62's fee section say nothing on sales tax.