Jurisdiction
Township of East Goshen, Pennsylvania
Address
1580 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380
Contact
- url: https://eastgoshen.org/services/permits-inspections/
- phone: 610-692-7171
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
East Goshen Township's Code Department lists roofing as permit work. The Code Department's sheet "Construction Activities Which Require a Permit," linked from its Permits & Inspections page (read October 7, 2026, https://eastgoshen.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Construction-That-Requires-Permit.pdf), lists "Roofing," and its 2026 "Do I Need a Permit?" sheet lists "Roofing" among "Construction Activities that require a Permit"; both add "This list is a guide and does not reflect every activity that requires a permit." The Township's 2026 fee schedule (Exhibit A for Resolution 2026-03) lists under Residential Building Fees "Re-roof and Re-siding Fee 1% of cost - with minimum fee $200.00." The Township Code itself names no roof work either way. Chapter 100, Building Construction, keeps in force, as Township law in effect on or before July 1, 1999, the rule that "All repairs and alterations to residential buildings shall comply with the Township's Building Code adopted on May 4, 2004, and any successor code adopted by the Township pursuant to Act 45 of 1999" (Section 100-4 C(1)), and Section 100-5 deletes two of the state regulation's permit exemptions, saying "The Township shall require a building permit for the replacement of existing siding" and "The Township shall require a building permit for the installation of all decks." Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the Code Department to require a permit for a reroof. The 2026 fee schedule charges a "Work without a permit fee Double Permit Fee with minimum fee $250.00," and the Township's amended Section 113.4 makes it a summary offense, "punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 per day," to build in violation of a permit or a directive of the Building Official. Applications go to the Code Department on the Township's Building & Zoning Permit Application, with a copy of the contract signed by the owner and contractor; every contractor's insurance certificate must list East Goshen Township as certificate holder, and the application asks for each contractor's Pennsylvania home improvement contractor number. Chapter 124 of the Township Code requires building contractors, including roofers, to register with the Township, but exempts those required to register under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, who instead file "a copy of his or her certificate of registration with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to engaging in any home improvement in the Township." The Township's telephone is 610-692-7171; office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Read for this answer: Chapters 100 (Building Construction), 160 (One- and Two-Family Dwellings), 133 (Existing Building Code), 124 (Contractors) and 137 (Fees) of the Township Code, in full; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which finds roof text only in zoning, stormwater, sewer and subdivision provisions and none on permits; the Permits & Inspections page and its two permit lists; the Building & Zoning Permit Application; and the 2026 fee schedule.
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, East Goshen Township administers the code itself: Section 100-1 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 100-3 says "The Building Code shall be administered and enforced by the Code Department." The Code Department is at the Township Building, 1580 Paoli Pike, West Chester. Section 100-1 adopts the Act and its regulations, "as the same are amended from time to time, as the Township's Building Code." Section 100-4 keeps in force, as Township law in effect on or before July 1, 1999, the rule that "All repairs and alterations to residential buildings shall comply with the Township's Building Code," and Section 100-5 deletes the state regulation's permit exemptions for siding replacement and decks. Section 160-3 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Chapter 160 of the Township Code adopts the "International Residential Code, 2003 Edition," "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised," and Chapter 100 adopts the 2003 International Building Code on the same terms, while the Code Department's pages name no edition and its permit application says only that construction "shall comply with all applicable township codes and the Adopted ICC Building Codes"; this record has not read the 2003 edition's text.
Repair permit threshold
East Goshen Township's Code Department lists roofing as permit work and charges a re-roof fee. The Code Department's sheet "Construction Activities Which Require a Permit," linked from its Permits & Inspections page (read October 7, 2026, https://eastgoshen.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Construction-That-Requires-Permit.pdf), lists "Roofing," and its 2026 "Do I Need a Permit?" sheet lists "Roofing" among "Construction Activities that require a Permit"; both add "This list is a guide and does not reflect every activity that requires a permit." The Township's 2026 fee schedule (Exhibit A for Resolution 2026-03) lists under Residential Building Fees "Re-roof and Re-siding Fee 1% of cost - with minimum fee $200.00." The Township Code itself names no roof work either way. Chapter 100, Building Construction, keeps in force, as Township law in effect on or before July 1, 1999, the rule that "All repairs and alterations to residential buildings shall comply with the Township's Building Code adopted on May 4, 2004, and any successor code adopted by the Township pursuant to Act 45 of 1999" (Section 100-4 C(1)), and Section 100-5 deletes two of the state regulation's permit exemptions, saying "The Township shall require a building permit for the replacement of existing siding" and "The Township shall require a building permit for the installation of all decks." Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the Code Department to require a permit for a reroof. The 2026 fee schedule charges a "Work without a permit fee Double Permit Fee with minimum fee $250.00," and the Township's amended Section 113.4 makes it a summary offense, "punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 per day," to build in violation of a permit or a directive of the Building Official. 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, East Goshen Township administers the code itself: Section 100-1 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 100-3 says "The Building Code shall be administered and enforced by the Code Department." The Code Department is at the Township Building, 1580 Paoli Pike, West Chester. No Township text or Code Department statement sets an area, percentage or cost threshold for roof work; the re-roof fee is 1% of cost with a $200 minimum.
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, East Goshen Township administers the code itself: Section 100-1 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 100-3 says "The Building Code shall be administered and enforced by the Code Department." The Code Department is at the Township Building, 1580 Paoli Pike, West Chester. The Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Code Department's pages say nothing on roof layers; the department lists roofing as permit work. Chapter 160 of the Township Code adopts the "International Residential Code, 2003 Edition," "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised," and Chapter 100 adopts the 2003 International Building Code on the same terms, while the Code Department's pages name no edition and its permit application says only that construction "shall comply with all applicable township codes and the Adopted ICC Building Codes"; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record has not read the 2003 edition's reroofing text.
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, East Goshen Township administers the code itself: Section 100-1 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the Act," and Section 100-3 says "The Building Code shall be administered and enforced by the Code Department." The Code Department is at the Township Building, 1580 Paoli Pike, West Chester. The Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions, and the Code Department's pages draw no separate line for roof sheathing. Chapter 160 of the Township Code adopts the "International Residential Code, 2003 Edition," "as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised," and Chapter 100 adopts the 2003 International Building Code on the same terms, while the Code Department's pages name no edition and its permit application says only that construction "shall comply with all applicable township codes and the Adopted ICC Building Codes"; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record has not read the 2003 edition's sheathing text.
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. East Goshen Township is in Chester County. The Township's permit pages and fee schedule say nothing on sales tax.