Permitting Authorities / Birmingham Township - Zoning & Building
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Birmingham, PA?
Adopted code
Birmingham Township - Zoning & Building
No, Township of Birmingham, PA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Birmingham Township - Zoning & Building). Birmingham Township's FAQ speaks to roof replacement: it says no building permit is required unless structural repairs are involved, and it counts replacing more than five sheets of roof sheathing as structural. The Township's FAQ asks "Do I need a building permit to replace my roof in Birmingham Township?" and answers "No. A building permit is not required for roof replacement in Birmingham Township unless structural repairs are involved." It goes on: "Roof sheathing (plywood) is considered a structural component of the building. The replacement of up to five (5) sheets of roof sheathing does not require a permit. If more than five sheets are being replaced, or if the entire roof is being re-sheathed, a building permit is required." For a property in the Historic Architectural Review Board district or designated as a historic resource, the FAQ says "additional historic approvals may be required" and "HARB approval is not required when replacing roofing with the same material and color (like-for-like replacement)." No Township ordinance read for this record names roof work on houses either way; the no-permit line is the Township's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the Township's reading of the State's exclusion for house repairs. Chapter 47 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 04-02, June 7, 2004) adopts the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised"; Chapter 48 adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2018 Edition, and Chapter 75 the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, each on the same terms. Their local amendments change the code official, fee and penalty sections and add permits for accessory structures over 250 square feet and for all unenclosed decks; none names roof work. The Township's fee schedule (Resolution #2026-0803B, adopted August 3, 2026) lists, under Building Permit Fees, "Minor Residential: (decks, electrical, fences above five feet, fire alarm system, mechanical, patios, plumbing, porches, roofs, underground fuel storage tanks over 550 gallons)" at a $150 minimum or 1.6% of construction cost; it has no line for roof replacement or reroofing. 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 fee schedule says "Working without a Permit: Fee imposed is twice the normal permit fee for all required permits". The Township's building permit application page asks for the application, plans, "A signed contract or proposal that includes the project cost," the contractor's state license number and a certificate of insurance listing Birmingham Township as certificate holder. The Township office, open by appointment only, is at 610-793-2600. Read for this record: Chapters 47 (Construction Codes, Uniform), 48 (Existing Buildings Standards) and 75 (Residential Standards) of the Township Code in full, and Chapters 54A (Fees) and 88 (Property Maintenance); every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Township's Zoning & Building, Permits & Forms and Building Permit Application pages and its FAQs; and the fee schedule, Resolution #2026-0803B.
Roof code checklist: Township of Birmingham, 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
Township of Birmingham, Pennsylvania
Address
1040 West Street Road, West Chester, PA 19382-8012
Contact
- url: https://www.birminghamtownship.org/1232/Zoning-Building
- phone: 610-793-2600
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Birmingham Township's FAQ speaks to roof replacement: it says no building permit is required unless structural repairs are involved, and it counts replacing more than five sheets of roof sheathing as structural. The Township's FAQ asks "Do I need a building permit to replace my roof in Birmingham Township?" and answers "No. A building permit is not required for roof replacement in Birmingham Township unless structural repairs are involved." It goes on: "Roof sheathing (plywood) is considered a structural component of the building. The replacement of up to five (5) sheets of roof sheathing does not require a permit. If more than five sheets are being replaced, or if the entire roof is being re-sheathed, a building permit is required." For a property in the Historic Architectural Review Board district or designated as a historic resource, the FAQ says "additional historic approvals may be required" and "HARB approval is not required when replacing roofing with the same material and color (like-for-like replacement)." No Township ordinance read for this record names roof work on houses either way; the no-permit line is the Township's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the Township's reading of the State's exclusion for house repairs. Chapter 47 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 04-02, June 7, 2004) adopts the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised"; Chapter 48 adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2018 Edition, and Chapter 75 the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, each on the same terms. Their local amendments change the code official, fee and penalty sections and add permits for accessory structures over 250 square feet and for all unenclosed decks; none names roof work. The Township's fee schedule (Resolution #2026-0803B, adopted August 3, 2026) lists, under Building Permit Fees, "Minor Residential: (decks, electrical, fences above five feet, fire alarm system, mechanical, patios, plumbing, porches, roofs, underground fuel storage tanks over 550 gallons)" at a $150 minimum or 1.6% of construction cost; it has no line for roof replacement or reroofing. 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 fee schedule says "Working without a Permit: Fee imposed is twice the normal permit fee for all required permits". The Township's building permit application page asks for the application, plans, "A signed contract or proposal that includes the project cost," the contractor's state license number and a certificate of insurance listing Birmingham Township as certificate holder. The Township office, open by appointment only, is at 610-793-2600. Read for this record: Chapters 47 (Construction Codes, Uniform), 48 (Existing Buildings Standards) and 75 (Residential Standards) of the Township Code in full, and Chapters 54A (Fees) and 88 (Property Maintenance); every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Township's Zoning & Building, Permits & Forms and Building Permit Application pages and its FAQs; and the fee schedule, Resolution #2026-0803B.
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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." Chapter 47 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 04-02, June 7, 2004) adopts the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised"; Chapter 48 adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2018 Edition, and Chapter 75 the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, each on the same terms. Their local amendments change the code official, fee and penalty sections and add permits for accessory structures over 250 square feet and for all unenclosed decks; none names roof work. The Township's code names the 2018 editions with a clause taking in later ones, and no Township page read for this record names a current edition; this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.
Repair permit threshold
Birmingham Township's FAQ says a building permit is not required for roof replacement unless structural repairs are involved, and it treats replacing more than five sheets of roof sheathing as permit work. The Township's FAQ asks "Do I need a building permit to replace my roof in Birmingham Township?" and answers "No. A building permit is not required for roof replacement in Birmingham Township unless structural repairs are involved." It goes on: "Roof sheathing (plywood) is considered a structural component of the building. The replacement of up to five (5) sheets of roof sheathing does not require a permit. If more than five sheets are being replaced, or if the entire roof is being re-sheathed, a building permit is required." For a property in the Historic Architectural Review Board district or designated as a historic resource, the FAQ says "additional historic approvals may be required" and "HARB approval is not required when replacing roofing with the same material and color (like-for-like replacement)." Chapter 47 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 04-02, June 7, 2004) adopts the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised"; Chapter 48 adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2018 Edition, and Chapter 75 the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, each on the same terms. Their local amendments change the code official, fee and penalty sections and add permits for accessory structures over 250 square feet and for all unenclosed decks; none names roof work. The Township's fee schedule (Resolution #2026-0803B, adopted August 3, 2026) lists, under Building Permit Fees, "Minor Residential: (decks, electrical, fences above five feet, fire alarm system, mechanical, patios, plumbing, porches, roofs, underground fuel storage tanks over 550 gallons)" at a $150 minimum or 1.6% of construction cost; it has no line for roof replacement or reroofing. 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." 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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." The Township's line, quoted at the start, falls at structural repairs, and its FAQ counts replacing more than five sheets of roof sheathing, or re-sheathing the entire roof, as needing a building permit; no Township text read for this record sets a roof area or cost threshold.
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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." Chapters 47, 48 and 75 of the Township Code change nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and no Township text read for this record says anything on roof layers. The Township's code names the 2018 editions with a clause taking in later ones, and no Township page read for this record names a current edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.
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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." The Township's FAQ says "Roof sheathing (plywood) is considered a structural component of the building," that replacing up to five sheets needs no permit, and that "If more than five sheets are being replaced, or if the entire roof is being re-sheathed, a building permit is required." The Township's code names the 2018 editions with a clause taking in later ones, and no Township page read for this record names a current edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.
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. Birmingham Township is in Chester County. No Township text read for this record says anything on sales tax.
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Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, West Chester, and its FAQ says a building permit is not required for roof replacement unless structural repairs are involved. 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: Township of Birmingham, PA
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Birmingham, PA?
No, Township of Birmingham, PA does not require a permit to replace a roof. Birmingham Township's FAQ says a building permit is not required for roof replacement unless structural repairs are involved, and it treats replacing more than five sheets of roof sheathing as permit work. The Township's FAQ asks "Do I need a building permit to replace my roof in Birmingham Township?" and answers "No. A building permit is not required for roof replacement in Birmingham Township unless structural repairs are involved." It goes on: "Roof sheathing (plywood) is considered a structural component of the building. The replacement of up to five (5) sheets of roof sheathing does not require a permit. If more than five sheets are being replaced, or if the entire roof is being re-sheathed, a building permit is required." For a property in the Historic Architectural Review Board district or designated as a historic resource, the FAQ says "additional historic approvals may be required" and "HARB approval is not required when replacing roofing with the same material and color (like-for-like replacement)." Chapter 47 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 04-02, June 7, 2004) adopts the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised"; Chapter 48 adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2018 Edition, and Chapter 75 the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, each on the same terms. Their local amendments change the code official, fee and penalty sections and add permits for accessory structures over 250 square feet and for all unenclosed decks; none names roof work. The Township's fee schedule (Resolution #2026-0803B, adopted August 3, 2026) lists, under Building Permit Fees, "Minor Residential: (decks, electrical, fences above five feet, fire alarm system, mechanical, patios, plumbing, porches, roofs, underground fuel storage tanks over 550 gallons)" at a $150 minimum or 1.6% of construction cost; it has no line for roof replacement or reroofing. 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." 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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." The Township's line, quoted at the start, falls at structural repairs, and its FAQ counts replacing more than five sheets of roof sheathing, or re-sheathing the entire roof, as needing a building permit; no Township text read for this record sets a roof area or cost threshold.
Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Birmingham, 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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." Chapters 47, 48 and 75 of the Township Code change nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and no Township text read for this record says anything on roof layers. The Township's code names the 2018 editions with a clause taking in later ones, and no Township page read for this record names a current edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.
Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Township of Birmingham, PA?
Yes.
What building code does Township of Birmingham, 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, Birmingham Township in Chester County takes building permit applications at its Zoning & Building office, 1040 West Street Road, and its FAQ answers "Who is the Building Code Official?" with "Building Inspection Underwriters of PA"; Section 47-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 47-4 says the code "shall be administered and enforced by the Building Code Official who shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Supervisors." Chapter 47 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 04-02, June 7, 2004) adopts the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised"; Chapter 48 adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2018 Edition, and Chapter 75 the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, each on the same terms. Their local amendments change the code official, fee and penalty sections and add permits for accessory structures over 250 square feet and for all unenclosed decks; none names roof work. The Township's code names the 2018 editions with a clause taking in later ones, and no Township page read for this record names a current edition; this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.