Bristol Borough - Code Enforcement

Borough of Bristol, Pennsylvania (Bucks County)

city

250 Pond Street, Bristol, PA 19007

Required

Required

Bristol Borough lists roofing as work needing a building permit. The Borough's Building Permit Guidelines, linked from its Code Enforcement page (read October 9, 2026), say "Permit approval must be obtained prior to commencing work" and "Building permits are required for, but not limited to, the following:" and list "Additions, roofing, siding, windows (not replacement)," with decks, sheds, fences and other work, adding "If you are in doubt whether or not you may need a permit, please call the inspection office at 215-785-4501." The Borough's building subcode form lists "Roofing" under "Alteration" among its types of work. Chapter 5, Part 1 of the Borough Code (Ord. 1189, May 10, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" and names no roof work either way. 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 Borough to require a permit for a reroof. The Borough's fee schedule, Resolution 2022-09, says "ANY WORK PROCEEDING WITHOUT PERMITS ----DOUBLE THE PERMIT FEES," and prices residential alterations by the cost of construction, with a $50.00 application fee and 2.7% of the cost from $2,001.00 to $20,000.00. Building permits are picked up on the second floor of the Bristol Borough Office, 250 Pond Street, Bristol, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Borough says a permit downloaded from its website "cannot be submitted as a permit to do work," that permits are "reviewed and issued within two to three business days barring any zoning issues or building code issues," and that "All work done with a permit needs an inspection." Its guidelines say "All outside construction work must include a site plan, drawn to scale," and "All Contractors must show proof of Worker's Compensation Insurance." Once paid for, "the green PERMIT card must be displayed in a window visible from the street during construction." Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, Code Enforcement, in full, including Part 1 (the Uniform Construction Code adoption) and Part 2 (the Property Maintenance Code); Chapter 13, Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Code Enforcement page and its How Do I answers; the Building Permit Guidelines; the building subcode form; and the fee schedule, Resolution 2022-09, a scanned document read from its page images.

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, Bristol Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code, and the Borough's Code Enforcement department says building permits "can be picked up on the second floor of the Bristol Borough Office" at 250 Pond Street. Section 5-101 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions, and it keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, without naming them. The Borough's Building Permit Guidelines cite "the 2009 IRC, Section R315" for carbon monoxide detectors, and neither Chapter 5 nor the Borough's pages name a later edition; this record has not read the 2009 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Bristol Borough lists roofing as work needing a building permit. The Borough's Building Permit Guidelines, linked from its Code Enforcement page (read October 9, 2026), say "Permit approval must be obtained prior to commencing work" and "Building permits are required for, but not limited to, the following:" and list "Additions, roofing, siding, windows (not replacement)," with decks, sheds, fences and other work, adding "If you are in doubt whether or not you may need a permit, please call the inspection office at 215-785-4501." The Borough's building subcode form lists "Roofing" under "Alteration" among its types of work. Chapter 5, Part 1 of the Borough Code (Ord. 1189, May 10, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" and names no roof work either way. 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 Borough to require a permit for a reroof. The Borough's fee schedule, Resolution 2022-09, says "ANY WORK PROCEEDING WITHOUT PERMITS ----DOUBLE THE PERMIT FEES," and prices residential alterations by the cost of construction, with a $50.00 application fee and 2.7% of the cost from $2,001.00 to $20,000.00. 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, Bristol Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code, and the Borough's Code Enforcement department says building permits "can be picked up on the second floor of the Bristol Borough Office" at 250 Pond Street. The Borough's pages and fee schedule set no area or percentage threshold for roof work: its guidelines list roofing as permit work without qualification.

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, Bristol Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code, and the Borough's Code Enforcement department says building permits "can be picked up on the second floor of the Bristol Borough Office" at 250 Pond Street. Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Borough's pages say nothing on roof layers. The Borough's Building Permit Guidelines cite "the 2009 IRC, Section R315" for carbon monoxide detectors, and neither Chapter 5 nor the Borough's pages name a later edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, the 2009 edition's reroofing text was not read for this record, and this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

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, Bristol Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code, and the Borough's Code Enforcement department says building permits "can be picked up on the second floor of the Bristol Borough Office" at 250 Pond Street. Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions, and the Borough's pages draw no separate line for roof sheathing. The Borough's Building Permit Guidelines cite "the 2009 IRC, Section R315" for carbon monoxide detectors, and neither Chapter 5 nor the Borough's pages name a later edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, the 2009 edition's sheathing text was not read for this record, and this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

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. Bristol Borough is in Bucks County. The Borough's permit pages and fee schedule say nothing on sales tax.