Permitting Authorities / Baldwin Borough - Department of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Borough of Baldwin, PA?
Adopted code
Baldwin Borough - Department of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Borough of Baldwin, PA, issued by Baldwin Borough - Department of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement. Baldwin Borough's Building Permits page lists complete roof replacement as permit work, though the Borough Code says a building permit "is not necessary for" the removal and replacement of roofing shingles. The Borough's Building Permits page (read October 7, 2026) says "A building permit is required for new additions, structural alterations, decks, complete roof replacement, and new construction." The Borough's Planning and Development FAQ says "Building permits must be obtained for all new construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, or destruction of a building or structure." The Borough's fee schedule (Appendix A, revised March 17, 2026) charges residential permits by cost of work and has no roofing line. The Borough Code exempts shingle replacement. Section 168-600 A(1), in the Zoning chapter, says "A building permit shall be required prior to the razing, erection, enlargement and structural alteration of any building, structure or portion thereof" and "A building permit is not necessary for exterior painting or the removal and replacement of lights or roofing shingles, siding, windows, doors, chimneys or entrances." The same chapter defines STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS as "Any change in the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls or partitions, columns, beams or girders, or any substantial change in the roof or in the exterior walls" (Section 168-210). The enacted exemption and the department's page differ; the department's current page lists complete roof replacement as permit work. Chapter 74 of the Borough Code, adopted in 1996, still adopts the BOCA National Building Code (1996 Edition) and the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code (1995 Edition), and Section 74-3 says that before "any work of construction, alteration, extension, repair, demolition or removal of any building, house, edifice or structure is begun, approval of the plans and specifications" is to be obtained from the Zoning Officer; Section 83-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code" in effect. This record does not decide which provisions of Chapter 74 remain in effect. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the code enforcement desk to require a permit for a complete roof replacement. The Building Permits page states no penalty for work done without one, and it does not say whether replacing part of a roof needs a permit. All permits "must come with corresponding plans for project, as well as contractor information"; a building permit is valid for 6 months if work has not begun and for 5 years once construction begins, and residential permits up to $10,000 of work cost 1% of cost plus a $125 review fee and the $4.50 state fee. The Borough's telephone is 412-882-9600. Read for this answer: Chapter 83 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter 74, Building Construction and Housing Standards; Chapter 131, Property Maintenance; Chapter 88, Fees; Article VI (Section 168-600) and the definitions in Article II of Chapter 168, Zoning; a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Building Permits, Department of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement and Planning and Development FAQ pages; its Building Permit Application; and its fee schedule. The permit sections of the 2018 codes adopted by Section 131-2 were not read, and the Borough's three residential and commercial guide files are images that were not read.
Roof code checklist: Borough of Baldwin, PA
Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.
Jurisdiction
Borough of Baldwin, Pennsylvania
Address
3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15227
Contact
- url: https://baldwinborough.org/165/Dept-of-Building-Inspections-and-Code-En
- phone: 412-882-9600
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Baldwin Borough's Building Permits page lists complete roof replacement as permit work, though the Borough Code says a building permit "is not necessary for" the removal and replacement of roofing shingles. The Borough's Building Permits page (read October 7, 2026) says "A building permit is required for new additions, structural alterations, decks, complete roof replacement, and new construction." The Borough's Planning and Development FAQ says "Building permits must be obtained for all new construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, or destruction of a building or structure." The Borough's fee schedule (Appendix A, revised March 17, 2026) charges residential permits by cost of work and has no roofing line. The Borough Code exempts shingle replacement. Section 168-600 A(1), in the Zoning chapter, says "A building permit shall be required prior to the razing, erection, enlargement and structural alteration of any building, structure or portion thereof" and "A building permit is not necessary for exterior painting or the removal and replacement of lights or roofing shingles, siding, windows, doors, chimneys or entrances." The same chapter defines STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS as "Any change in the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls or partitions, columns, beams or girders, or any substantial change in the roof or in the exterior walls" (Section 168-210). The enacted exemption and the department's page differ; the department's current page lists complete roof replacement as permit work. Chapter 74 of the Borough Code, adopted in 1996, still adopts the BOCA National Building Code (1996 Edition) and the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code (1995 Edition), and Section 74-3 says that before "any work of construction, alteration, extension, repair, demolition or removal of any building, house, edifice or structure is begun, approval of the plans and specifications" is to be obtained from the Zoning Officer; Section 83-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code" in effect. This record does not decide which provisions of Chapter 74 remain in effect. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the code enforcement desk to require a permit for a complete roof replacement. The Building Permits page states no penalty for work done without one, and it does not say whether replacing part of a roof needs a permit. All permits "must come with corresponding plans for project, as well as contractor information"; a building permit is valid for 6 months if work has not begun and for 5 years once construction begins, and residential permits up to $10,000 of work cost 1% of cost plus a $125 review fee and the $4.50 state fee. The Borough's telephone is 412-882-9600. Read for this answer: Chapter 83 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter 74, Building Construction and Housing Standards; Chapter 131, Property Maintenance; Chapter 88, Fees; Article VI (Section 168-600) and the definitions in Article II of Chapter 168, Zoning; a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Building Permits, Department of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement and Planning and Development FAQ pages; its Building Permit Application; and its fee schedule. The permit sections of the 2018 codes adopted by Section 131-2 were not read, and the Borough's three residential and commercial guide files are images that were not read.
Adopted code
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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. Section 83-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code of the Borough of Baldwin. Chapter 74 of the Borough Code, adopted in 1996, still adopts the BOCA National Building Code (1996 Edition) and the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code (1995 Edition), and Section 74-3 says that before "any work of construction, alteration, extension, repair, demolition or removal of any building, house, edifice or structure is begun, approval of the plans and specifications" is to be obtained from the Zoning Officer; Section 83-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code" in effect. This record does not decide which provisions of Chapter 74 remain in effect. Section 131-2 of the Borough Code (amended August 20, 2024) adopts the International Residential Code 2018 and the International Existing Building Code 2018, Chapter 74 still names the BOCA 1996 and CABO 1995 codes, and the Borough's pages name no edition; this record has not read the 2018, 1996 or 1995 texts and does not decide which edition the Borough applies. Chapter 83 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions.
Repair permit threshold
Baldwin Borough's Building Permits page lists complete roof replacement as permit work, while the Borough Code exempts the removal and replacement of roofing shingles. The Borough's Building Permits page (read October 7, 2026) says "A building permit is required for new additions, structural alterations, decks, complete roof replacement, and new construction." The Borough's Planning and Development FAQ says "Building permits must be obtained for all new construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, or destruction of a building or structure." The Borough's fee schedule (Appendix A, revised March 17, 2026) charges residential permits by cost of work and has no roofing line. The Borough Code exempts shingle replacement. Section 168-600 A(1), in the Zoning chapter, says "A building permit shall be required prior to the razing, erection, enlargement and structural alteration of any building, structure or portion thereof" and "A building permit is not necessary for exterior painting or the removal and replacement of lights or roofing shingles, siding, windows, doors, chimneys or entrances." The same chapter defines STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS as "Any change in the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls or partitions, columns, beams or girders, or any substantial change in the roof or in the exterior walls" (Section 168-210). The enacted exemption and the department's page differ; the department's current page lists complete roof replacement as permit work. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the code enforcement desk to require a permit for a complete roof replacement. The Building Permits page states no penalty for work done without one, and it does not say whether replacing part of a roof needs a permit. 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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. The department's page draws its line at "complete roof replacement"; the Borough Code's exemption names the removal and replacement of roofing shingles without an area limit, and its permit requirement reaches structural alterations, defined to include "any substantial change in the roof."
Roof layer limit / recover
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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. Chapter 83 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the department's pages say nothing on roof layers. Section 131-2 of the Borough Code (amended August 20, 2024) adopts the International Residential Code 2018 and the International Existing Building Code 2018, Chapter 74 still names the BOCA 1996 and CABO 1995 codes, and the Borough's pages name no edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's reroofing text was not read for this record.
Deck & sheathing requirements
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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. Chapter 83 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions. Chapter 74's amendments to the BOCA National Building Code (1996 Edition) add to its definition of roof structure "and shall contain not less than one-half-inch-by-four-feet-by-eight-feet plywood or greater with clips"; this record does not decide whether that line applies to a house or remains in effect. Section 131-2 of the Borough Code (amended August 20, 2024) adopts the International Residential Code 2018 and the International Existing Building Code 2018, Chapter 74 still names the BOCA 1996 and CABO 1995 codes, and the Borough's pages name no edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's sheathing text was not read for this record.
Sales & use tax
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. Baldwin Borough is in Allegheny County. The Borough's pages and fee schedule say nothing on sales tax.
More roof permit pages in Pennsylvania
Related guides
Baldwin Borough's Department of Building Inspections and Code Enforcement, at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh, issues building permits, and its Building Permits page lists complete roof replacement as work that needs a permit. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code applies statewide, but Act 45 section 104(b) lists "Repairs to residential buildings" and alterations that make no structural or egress change among work it 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."
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Roofing questions: Borough of Baldwin, PA
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Borough of Baldwin, PA?
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Borough of Baldwin, PA. Baldwin Borough's Building Permits page lists complete roof replacement as permit work, while the Borough Code exempts the removal and replacement of roofing shingles. The Borough's Building Permits page (read October 7, 2026) says "A building permit is required for new additions, structural alterations, decks, complete roof replacement, and new construction." The Borough's Planning and Development FAQ says "Building permits must be obtained for all new construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, or destruction of a building or structure." The Borough's fee schedule (Appendix A, revised March 17, 2026) charges residential permits by cost of work and has no roofing line. The Borough Code exempts shingle replacement. Section 168-600 A(1), in the Zoning chapter, says "A building permit shall be required prior to the razing, erection, enlargement and structural alteration of any building, structure or portion thereof" and "A building permit is not necessary for exterior painting or the removal and replacement of lights or roofing shingles, siding, windows, doors, chimneys or entrances." The same chapter defines STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS as "Any change in the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls or partitions, columns, beams or girders, or any substantial change in the roof or in the exterior walls" (Section 168-210). The enacted exemption and the department's page differ; the department's current page lists complete roof replacement as permit work. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the code enforcement desk to require a permit for a complete roof replacement. The Building Permits page states no penalty for work done without one, and it does not say whether replacing part of a roof needs a permit. 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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. The department's page draws its line at "complete roof replacement"; the Borough Code's exemption names the removal and replacement of roofing shingles without an area limit, and its permit requirement reaches structural alterations, defined to include "any substantial change in the roof."
Can you roof over an existing roof in Borough of Baldwin, PA?
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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. Chapter 83 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the department's pages say nothing on roof layers. Section 131-2 of the Borough Code (amended August 20, 2024) adopts the International Residential Code 2018 and the International Existing Building Code 2018, Chapter 74 still names the BOCA 1996 and CABO 1995 codes, and the Borough's pages name no edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's reroofing text was not read for this record.
Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Borough of Baldwin, PA?
Yes.
What building code does Borough of Baldwin, PA use?
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, Baldwin Borough elects to administer the code (Section 83-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough of Baldwin hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Building Permits page says "All building and zoning inquiries must first come through the code enforcement desk to begin processing" and that "Middle Department Inspection Agency, Inc. (MDIA.) assist the Borough's code enforcement officer with plan review, residential alterations and commercial Inspections." Applications are taken at the Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh. Section 83-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code of the Borough of Baldwin. Chapter 74 of the Borough Code, adopted in 1996, still adopts the BOCA National Building Code (1996 Edition) and the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code (1995 Edition), and Section 74-3 says that before "any work of construction, alteration, extension, repair, demolition or removal of any building, house, edifice or structure is begun, approval of the plans and specifications" is to be obtained from the Zoning Officer; Section 83-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code" in effect. This record does not decide which provisions of Chapter 74 remain in effect. Section 131-2 of the Borough Code (amended August 20, 2024) adopts the International Residential Code 2018 and the International Existing Building Code 2018, Chapter 74 still names the BOCA 1996 and CABO 1995 codes, and the Borough's pages name no edition; this record has not read the 2018, 1996 or 1995 texts and does not decide which edition the Borough applies. Chapter 83 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions.