Conway Borough - Code Enforcement and Zoning (third-party UCC agency)

Borough of Conway, Pennsylvania (Beaver County)

city

801 First Avenue, Conway, PA 15027

Not required

Required

Conway Borough's Building Permits page says re-roofing, listed among "Maintenance work, minor repairs, or alterations that do not affect the basic structure of an existing building," does "not require a permit," and its posted residential application excludes sheathing and truss work ("NOT SHEETHING or TRUSS WORK"). Conway Borough's Building Permits page, read October 12, 2026, says "In general, building and/or zoning permits are required for any change of use" or for construction activity "that involves rebuilding" or "physically altering a building or other structure," lists "Changes to roofline" among the examples, and then says "Maintenance work, minor repairs, or alterations that do not affect the basic structure of an existing building or increase the lot area coverage such as painting, landscaping, re-roofing, new siding, replacement doors or windows (unless of a different size than the original) do not require a permit." The page adds "This is not a complete list. Please contact the Borough Officer at (724) 869-5550 for specific answers to questions regarding your project," and the same text appears on the Borough's Building Permits and Regulations page under Ordinances. The residential UCC building permit application the Borough posts there says "A UCC permit is not required for the following items" and lists "Roofing Wear Surfaces" with "(shingles / metal surfaces. NOT SHEETHING or TRUSS WORK)" (read from the rendered page image). The Borough's Code, Chapter 68, Article I, Section 68-2 (Ord. 189 of 1955, amended 1968 and 1976), says "No person shall cause or permit any building to be constructed, altered or razed" without "first having obtained a permit therefor" and sets fees by construction value ("Up to $2,000" at "$5"); it names no roof work and defines no repair or maintenance relief. The Borough's Zoning Ordinance, Section 1202 (read from the rendered page image, page 12-2), says "A Building Permit shall be required prior to the" "Exterior Alteration or Reconstruction of a building or structure," and "No Building Permit shall be required in cases of" "Normal maintenance activities" or "alterations which do not change the exterior dimension(s) of a building"; it names no roof work either way. Chapter 70 (Ord. 490, April 21, 2004) adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa Code, Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time," keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code," and adds no roof provision and no amendment to the State regulation. Chapter 93 adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, which is a property maintenance code and not a building or residential code, and has no permit wording. Chapter 85 requires an "occupancy permit" from the Borough Secretary for establishing a residence, and Chapter 76 requires a permit for development "within any identified floodplain area"; neither names roof work. The enacted texts name no roof work either way; the no-permit line quoted at the start is the Borough's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the Borough's reading of the relief in Section 1202. The Borough's fee schedule is Section 68-2's value table; the Borough posts no separate fee sheet on its Building Permits, Permits/Applications or Forms pages, and the Zoning Permit application asks "Payment in the amount of $65.00 for the review of the application." Neither the value table nor the posted applications has a line naming a roof, reroofing or roof replacement; the building permit application lists as project types "New Structure," "Demolition," "Alteration or Renovation," "Addition" and pools, and its plan review checklist asks for "Roof Construction" details for new work. 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: the Borough's Code Enforcement and Zoning, Building Permits, Building Permits and Regulations, Ordinances, Permits/Applications and Forms pages; Chapters 70, 68, 85, 93 and 76 of its Code on ecode360; its Zoning Ordinance Section 1202; the residential building permit application and the zoning permit application it posts; and the fee table in Section 68-2. The Borough's Code Chapter 124 says the Zoning Ordinance is "available for review in the Borough offices" and is not codified on ecode360. Call the Borough office at 724-869-5550 before starting: its page says "Please contact the Borough Officer at (724) 869-5550 for specific answers to questions regarding your project," and a zoning permit may still apply, since the page also says "A Zoning Permit Application is always required prior to the Building Permit Application review being conducted."

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, Conway Borough's Code Enforcement and Zoning page says its code enforcement officer is a third-party firm appointed by Council and that the officer "issues building permits as well as certificates of occupancy"; the Borough's Code, Chapter 70, says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and Section 70-3 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough posts that agency's residential UCC building permit application on its own Building Permits page, headed "Borough Of Conway, 801 1st Avenue Conway PA 15027," and the Borough's page says "Before starting any construction, contact the Code Enforcement Officer or the Borough Secretary's Office." The Borough office is at 801 First Avenue, Conway (724-869-5550, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm); the agency's number on the posted forms is 724-993-4505. The Borough's pages and Chapter 70 name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

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, Conway Borough's Code Enforcement and Zoning page says its code enforcement officer is a third-party firm appointed by Council and that the officer "issues building permits as well as certificates of occupancy"; the Borough's Code, Chapter 70, says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and Section 70-3 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough posts that agency's residential UCC building permit application on its own Building Permits page, headed "Borough Of Conway, 801 1st Avenue Conway PA 15027," and the Borough's page says "Before starting any construction, contact the Code Enforcement Officer or the Borough Secretary's Office." The Borough office is at 801 First Avenue, Conway (724-869-5550, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm); the agency's number on the posted forms is 724-993-4505. The Borough's pages and Chapter 70 name no impact-resistance rule and no code edition.

Conway Borough's Building Permits page, read October 12, 2026, says "In general, building and/or zoning permits are required for any change of use" or for construction activity "that involves rebuilding" or "physically altering a building or other structure," lists "Changes to roofline" among the examples, and then says "Maintenance work, minor repairs, or alterations that do not affect the basic structure of an existing building or increase the lot area coverage such as painting, landscaping, re-roofing, new siding, replacement doors or windows (unless of a different size than the original) do not require a permit." The page adds "This is not a complete list. Please contact the Borough Officer at (724) 869-5550 for specific answers to questions regarding your project," and the same text appears on the Borough's Building Permits and Regulations page under Ordinances. The residential UCC building permit application the Borough posts there says "A UCC permit is not required for the following items" and lists "Roofing Wear Surfaces" with "(shingles / metal surfaces. NOT SHEETHING or TRUSS WORK)" (read from the rendered page image). The Borough's Code, Chapter 68, Article I, Section 68-2 (Ord. 189 of 1955, amended 1968 and 1976), says "No person shall cause or permit any building to be constructed, altered or razed" without "first having obtained a permit therefor" and sets fees by construction value ("Up to $2,000" at "$5"); it names no roof work and defines no repair or maintenance relief. The Borough's Zoning Ordinance, Section 1202 (read from the rendered page image, page 12-2), says "A Building Permit shall be required prior to the" "Exterior Alteration or Reconstruction of a building or structure," and "No Building Permit shall be required in cases of" "Normal maintenance activities" or "alterations which do not change the exterior dimension(s) of a building"; it names no roof work either way. Chapter 70 (Ord. 490, April 21, 2004) adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa Code, Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time," keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code," and adds no roof provision and no amendment to the State regulation. The enacted texts name no roof work either way; the no-permit line quoted at the start is the Borough's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the Borough's reading of the relief in Section 1202. 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, Conway Borough's Code Enforcement and Zoning page says its code enforcement officer is a third-party firm and "issues building permits," and the Borough posts that agency's residential UCC building permit application on its Building Permits page. The Borough's line, quoted at the start, lists re-roofing without limiting it by area or cost, and the posted application's line is limited to shingles and metal surfaces and excludes sheathing and truss work; no Borough 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, Conway Borough's Code Enforcement and Zoning page says its code enforcement officer is a third-party firm appointed by Council and that the officer "issues building permits as well as certificates of occupancy"; the Borough's Code, Chapter 70, says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and Section 70-3 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough posts that agency's residential UCC building permit application on its own Building Permits page, headed "Borough Of Conway, 801 1st Avenue Conway PA 15027," and the Borough's page says "Before starting any construction, contact the Code Enforcement Officer or the Borough Secretary's Office." The Borough office is at 801 First Avenue, Conway (724-869-5550, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm); the agency's number on the posted forms is 724-993-4505. Chapter 70 adds nothing to the code's reroofing provisions, and the Borough's pages say nothing on roof layers. The Borough's pages and Chapter 70 name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; 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, Conway Borough's Code Enforcement and Zoning page says its code enforcement officer is a third-party firm appointed by Council and that the officer "issues building permits as well as certificates of occupancy"; the Borough's Code, Chapter 70, says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and Section 70-3 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough posts that agency's residential UCC building permit application on its own Building Permits page, headed "Borough Of Conway, 801 1st Avenue Conway PA 15027," and the Borough's page says "Before starting any construction, contact the Code Enforcement Officer or the Borough Secretary's Office." The Borough office is at 801 First Avenue, Conway (724-869-5550, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm); the agency's number on the posted forms is 724-993-4505. Chapter 70 adds nothing to the code's roof sheathing provisions. The Borough's posted application lists "Roofing Wear Surfaces" as not requiring a UCC permit with the limit "NOT SHEETHING or TRUSS WORK," which is the Borough's own sheathing line. The Borough's pages and Chapter 70 name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; 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. Conway Borough is in Beaver County. The Borough's permit pages and fee table say nothing on sales tax.