Buffalo Township - Building Permits

Township of Buffalo, Pennsylvania (Washington County)

city

400 Buffalo Center Lane, Washington, PA 15301

Not required

Required

Buffalo Township's Building Permits page lists "Roofing Surfaces (shingles/metal surfaces. NOT sheathing or truss work)" among items for which "A UCC Permit is not required." The Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page (read October 12, 2026) says "A UCC Permit is not required for the following items:" and its list includes "Roofing Surfaces (shingles/metal surfaces. NOT sheathing or truss work)." The page also says "If you have a question as to whether a home project requires a Township permit" to call the Township Office. Chapter 103 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 42, 2004), adopts the Uniform Construction Code in Section 103-2 "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of this Municipality," keeps in effect only building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code (Section 103-5), and names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own. A search of the whole Township Code for "roof" returned only definitions and stormwater, solar and floodplain provisions, none requiring a permit for roof work, and a search for "reroofing" returned nothing. The zoning chapter (Section 265-61) says a zoning permit shall be obtained before any person may "Occupy or use any structure hereafter constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered or enlarged"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a structure altered under that clause. The Township's fee schedule is posted only as a link the record could not open, so its text was not read, and the Township's own list quoted above is the permit-type list read. 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." Read for this answer: Chapter 103 of the Township Code (Sections 103-1 to 103-8) in full; Sections 265-59 to 265-61 of the zoning chapter; every result of searches of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; and the Building Permits and Subdivisions, Zoning and Code Enforcement, Township Ordinances and Contact pages. Ask the Township office (724-222-2711) or its building official (724-993-4505) before starting work that touches sheathing or trusses, which the list above does not cover.

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, Buffalo Township administers the Uniform Construction Code through a retained third party: Section 103-1 of the Township Code says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 103-3 allows "By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Municipality," and the Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page lists Harshman CE Group, LLC, 2455 Park Avenue, Washington (724-993-4505), under "UCC Building Official." The Township office is at 400 Buffalo Center Lane, Washington (724-222-2711). Section 103-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time," and Chapter 103 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Neither the Township's pages nor Chapter 103 names a code edition.

Not required — No impact-resistance requirement under state law. The State's adoption of the 2021 International Residential Code (34 Pa. Code 403.21) contains no hail or impact rule, and it makes no change to the code's roof assemblies chapter, which itself has no UL 2218, Class 4 or hail-impact requirement for roof coverings. A municipality could add one only by an ordinance that equals or exceeds the Uniform Construction Code under Act 45 section 503, filed with the Department of Labor and Industry; none of the filings on the Department's register of municipal code change ordinances mentions hail or impact resistance. An owner may still choose an impact-rated roof covering. Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, Buffalo Township administers the Uniform Construction Code through a retained third party: Section 103-1 of the Township Code says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 103-3 allows "By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Municipality," and the Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page lists Harshman CE Group, LLC, 2455 Park Avenue, Washington (724-993-4505), under "UCC Building Official." The Township office is at 400 Buffalo Center Lane, Washington (724-222-2711). Chapter 103 of the Township Code adds no impact-resistance rule, and the pages read name none. Neither the Township's pages nor Chapter 103 names a code edition.

Buffalo Township's Building Permits page lists roofing surfaces among work that needs no UCC permit, and excludes sheathing and truss work. The Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page (read October 12, 2026) says "A UCC Permit is not required for the following items:" and its list includes "Roofing Surfaces (shingles/metal surfaces. NOT sheathing or truss work)." The page also says "If you have a question as to whether a home project requires a Township permit" to call the Township Office. Chapter 103 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 42, 2004), adopts the Uniform Construction Code in Section 103-2 "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of this Municipality," keeps in effect only building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code (Section 103-5), and names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own. A search of the whole Township Code for "roof" returned only definitions and stormwater, solar and floodplain provisions, none requiring a permit for roof work, and a search for "reroofing" returned nothing. The zoning chapter (Section 265-61) says a zoning permit shall be obtained before any person may "Occupy or use any structure hereafter constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered or enlarged"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a structure altered under that clause. The Township's fee schedule is posted only as a link the record could not open, so its text was not read, and the Township's own list quoted above is the permit-type list read. 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, Buffalo Township administers the Uniform Construction Code through a retained third party: Section 103-1 of the Township Code says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 103-3 allows "By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Municipality," and the Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page lists Harshman CE Group, LLC, 2455 Park Avenue, Washington (724-993-4505), under "UCC Building Official." The Township office is at 400 Buffalo Center Lane, Washington (724-222-2711). The Township's line, quoted at the start, stops at sheathing and truss work; no Township text sets an area or cost threshold for roof work.

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, Buffalo Township administers the Uniform Construction Code through a retained third party: Section 103-1 of the Township Code says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 103-3 allows "By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Municipality," and the Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page lists Harshman CE Group, LLC, 2455 Park Avenue, Washington (724-993-4505), under "UCC Building Official." The Township office is at 400 Buffalo Center Lane, Washington (724-222-2711). Chapter 103 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Township's Building Permits page lists roofing surfaces among work needing no UCC permit; its pages say nothing on roof layers. Neither the Township's pages nor Chapter 103 names a code edition.

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, Buffalo Township administers the Uniform Construction Code through a retained third party: Section 103-1 of the Township Code says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 103-3 allows "By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Municipality," and the Township's Building Permits and Subdivisions page lists Harshman CE Group, LLC, 2455 Park Avenue, Washington (724-993-4505), under "UCC Building Official." The Township office is at 400 Buffalo Center Lane, Washington (724-222-2711). Chapter 103 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions. The Building Permits page excludes "sheathing or truss work" from its no-permit roofing line and gives no other sheathing rule.

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. Buffalo Township is in Washington County, which has no local sales tax add-on. The Township's permit pages say nothing on sales tax.