Jurisdiction
Borough of Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Address
61 North 3rd Street, Hamburg, PA 19526
Contact
- url: https://hamburgboro.com/administration-2/
- phone: 610-562-7821
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
The Borough of Hamburg's code says "Reroofing not involving structural elements" is among the residential repairs that "shall continue to be exempt and no permit will be required." Section 5-602 of the Borough Code (Ord. 778-10, August 23, 2010) requires Borough permits for "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings that are exempt from the UCC by Act 92 of 2004; provided, however, that the following types of alterations and repairs shall continue to be exempt and no permit will be required:" and the second item on that list is "(2) Reroofing not involving structural elements." The Borough's fee schedule on its Public Documents page prices residential "ALTERATIONS & REPAIRS" under the IRC at "1.5% of total cost" and has no roofing line, and its Building Permit Application lists New, Addition, Alteration, Repair and Other as types of work and names no roof 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." The Borough's line falls at the roof's structural elements: reroofing that involves none is named as exempt, and reroofing that does falls under the Borough's general permit rule for residential repairs and alterations. The Building Code Official's monthly report in the Borough Council minutes of April 23, 2024 lists building permits issued in March 2024 for work described as "Roof Replacement"; the report does not say whether those jobs involved structural elements. Section 5-901 says an application for a construction permit "shall not be submitted unless and until the applicant has properly obtained a zoning permit," a step it ties to "new construction, structural or site alteration, or changes in the use of a building or lot." The Building Codes and Zoning Office is at 61 North 3rd Street, Hamburg, PA 19526, phone (610) 562-7821, extension 211. Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Borough Code in the parts that bear on building permits (Part 1, Code Enforcement Office; Part 2, International Building Code; Part 5, International Residential Code; Part 6, Uniform Construction Code; Part 9, General Procedure) in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code and its posted documents for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Administration and Public Documents pages, including its fee schedule; its 2025 Building Permit Application; and its 2026 Zoning Permit Application.
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, The Borough of Hamburg administers the code itself: Section 5-601 of the Borough Code (Ord. 722-2004, June 28, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of the Borough of Hamburg," and the Borough's Administration page lists its Building Codes and Zoning Office at the Hamburg Municipal Center, 61 North 3rd Street, with a "Building Code Official, Codes Administrator, and Zoning Officer." Part 5 of the same chapter adopts the International Residential Code "as amended from time to time in the future" without naming an edition, and the Borough has published no statement of which edition it enforces; nothing read for this record changes the code's roofing provisions.
Impact-resistant roofing
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, The Borough of Hamburg administers the code itself: Section 5-601 of the Borough Code (Ord. 722-2004, June 28, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of the Borough of Hamburg," and the Borough's Administration page lists its Building Codes and Zoning Office at the Hamburg Municipal Center, 61 North 3rd Street, with a "Building Code Official, Codes Administrator, and Zoning Officer." Chapter 5 of the Borough Code adds no UL 2218, Class 4 or hail-impact provision.
Repair permit threshold
The Borough of Hamburg's code names reroofing not involving structural elements as exempt from its permit rule for residential repairs. Section 5-602 of the Borough Code (Ord. 778-10, August 23, 2010) requires Borough permits for "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings that are exempt from the UCC by Act 92 of 2004; provided, however, that the following types of alterations and repairs shall continue to be exempt and no permit will be required:" and the second item on that list is "(2) Reroofing not involving structural elements." The Borough's fee schedule on its Public Documents page prices residential "ALTERATIONS & REPAIRS" under the IRC at "1.5% of total cost" and has no roofing line, and its Building Permit Application lists New, Addition, Alteration, Repair and Other as types of work and names no roof 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." The Borough's line falls at the roof's structural elements: reroofing that involves none is named as exempt, and reroofing that does falls under the Borough's general permit rule for residential repairs and alterations. 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, The Borough of Hamburg administers the code itself: Section 5-601 of the Borough Code (Ord. 722-2004, June 28, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of the Borough of Hamburg," and the Borough's Administration page lists its Building Codes and Zoning Office at the Hamburg Municipal Center, 61 North 3rd Street, with a "Building Code Official, Codes Administrator, and Zoning Officer." The Borough's line, quoted at the start, falls at the roof's structural elements, and no Borough text sets an area, percentage or cost threshold for roof work.
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, The Borough of Hamburg administers the code itself: Section 5-601 of the Borough Code (Ord. 722-2004, June 28, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of the Borough of Hamburg," and the Borough's Administration page lists its Building Codes and Zoning Office at the Hamburg Municipal Center, 61 North 3rd Street, with a "Building Code Official, Codes Administrator, and Zoning Officer." Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Borough's pages say nothing on roof layers.
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, The Borough of Hamburg administers the code itself: Section 5-601 of the Borough Code (Ord. 722-2004, June 28, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of the Borough of Hamburg," and the Borough's Administration page lists its Building Codes and Zoning Office at the Hamburg Municipal Center, 61 North 3rd Street, with a "Building Code Official, Codes Administrator, and Zoning Officer." Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions; its only roof line, Section 5-602's exemption for "Reroofing not involving structural elements," says nothing on sheathing by name.
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. The Borough of Hamburg is in Berks County. The Borough's permit pages say nothing on sales tax.