Jurisdiction
Borough of Kane, Pennsylvania
Address
112 Bayard Street, Kane, PA 16735
Contact
- url: https://kanepa.com/assessment-building-and-demolition-permits/
- phone: 814-837-9240
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
A change of roofing material (for example shingle to metal) is listed for a $25.00 Borough assessment permit; roof replacement with the same materials is not. Chapter 94 of the Borough's Code (Building Construction, amended in its entirety in 2018 and section 94-3 amended November 8, 2023 by Ord. No. A-1070) says in section 94-3B: "No permit will be required for the replacement of windows (same size), soffit, fascia and roof replacement with the same materials." Its list of residential work needing a building permit from the Building Code Official (section 94-4A) names additions, high or roofed porches and decks, accessory buildings over 1,000 square feet, pools and hot tubs, larger replacement windows and demolition, and no roof work. The Borough's permits page and its permit guidelines sheet say the same in the Borough's own words: "No permit will be required for the replacement of windows (same size), siding, soffit, fascia and roof replacement with the same materials." A change of roofing material is a narrower case: section 94-3A(1) lists "Minor alterations, including siding and roof replacement of different materials" for a Borough assessment permit with a $25 incentive payment, and the permits page lists "Replacement of Roofing (different material only, example: shingle to metal)" under the $25.00 assessment permit; under section 94-3C, work on that list "started without first obtaining the assessment permit will forfeit the incentive and the property owner will be charged a fee of $25." Separately, in the Borough's designated Fire Zone, section 138-6 says "Any wooden, shingle or other non-fire-resistant roof within said limits hereafter damaged by fire, decay or otherwise shall not be repaired, but shall be replaced by a roof of fire resistant covering." The Borough's 1984 Fire Prevention chapter also asks anyone "desiring to build, rebuild or remodel any building or structure of any size or character within said fire zone, or at any other place within the limits of the Borough of Kane" to file plans with the Borough Manager for a Building Committee permit (section 138-12); it names no roof work, and Chapter 116 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted "on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the code." Chapter 116 leaves UCC fees to Council resolution; the Borough's permits page says building permit fees "vary" and lists no roofing permit type. 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." A violation of Chapter 94 carries, on conviction, "a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $300, or to undergo imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both" (section 94-5). The Building Code Official can be reached at (814) 929-5138 and the Borough Office at 814-837-9240. Read for this answer: the Borough's Code Chapter 116 (Uniform Construction Code adoption, no amendments to the code's provisions), Chapter 94 (Building Construction, the Borough's permit-type list) and Chapter 138 (Fire Prevention), in full, and the Code's search results for "roof" and "reroofing"; the Borough's permits page, its permit guidelines sheet and its assessment 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 Kane administers the Uniform Construction Code itself: Chapter 116 of its Code says "The Borough of Kane 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, and the Borough's permits page says a building permit comes "from the Kane Borough Building Code Official" and can be had at the Kane Borough Office, 112 Bayard Street. Chapter 116 adds no amendments to the code's provisions, and neither the Code nor the Borough's pages name a code edition.
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 Kane administers the Uniform Construction Code itself: Chapter 116 of its Code says "The Borough of Kane 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, and the Borough's permits page says a building permit comes "from the Kane Borough Building Code Official" and can be had at the Kane Borough Office, 112 Bayard Street. Chapter 116 adds no UL 2218, Class 4 or hail-impact provision; the Fire Zone rule in Chapter 138 concerns fire-resistant roof coverings, not impact.
Repair permit threshold
The Borough of Kane's Code says no permit will be required for roof replacement with the same materials. Chapter 94 of the Borough's Code (Building Construction, amended in its entirety in 2018 and section 94-3 amended November 8, 2023 by Ord. No. A-1070) says in section 94-3B: "No permit will be required for the replacement of windows (same size), soffit, fascia and roof replacement with the same materials." Its list of residential work needing a building permit from the Building Code Official (section 94-4A) names additions, high or roofed porches and decks, accessory buildings over 1,000 square feet, pools and hot tubs, larger replacement windows and demolition, and no roof work. The Borough's permits page and its permit guidelines sheet say the same in the Borough's own words: "No permit will be required for the replacement of windows (same size), siding, soffit, fascia and roof replacement with the same materials." A change of roofing material is a narrower case: section 94-3A(1) lists "Minor alterations, including siding and roof replacement of different materials" for a Borough assessment permit with a $25 incentive payment, and the permits page lists "Replacement of Roofing (different material only, example: shingle to metal)" under the $25.00 assessment permit; under section 94-3C, work on that list "started without first obtaining the assessment permit will forfeit the incentive and the property owner will be charged a fee of $25." Separately, in the Borough's designated Fire Zone, section 138-6 says "Any wooden, shingle or other non-fire-resistant roof within said limits hereafter damaged by fire, decay or otherwise shall not be repaired, but shall be replaced by a roof of fire resistant covering." The Borough's 1984 Fire Prevention chapter also asks anyone "desiring to build, rebuild or remodel any building or structure of any size or character within said fire zone, or at any other place within the limits of the Borough of Kane" to file plans with the Borough Manager for a Building Committee permit (section 138-12); it names no roof work, and Chapter 116 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted "on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the code." Chapter 116 leaves UCC fees to Council resolution; the Borough's permits page says building permit fees "vary" and lists no roofing permit type. 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." A violation of Chapter 94 carries, on conviction, "a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $300, or to undergo imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both" (section 94-5). 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 Kane administers the Uniform Construction Code itself: Chapter 116 of its Code says "The Borough of Kane 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, and the Borough's permits page says a building permit comes "from the Kane Borough Building Code Official" and can be had at the Kane Borough Office, 112 Bayard Street. The Borough's exemption, quoted at the start, turns on replacement "with the same materials"; no Borough text read for this record 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 Kane administers the Uniform Construction Code itself: Chapter 116 of its Code says "The Borough of Kane 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, and the Borough's permits page says a building permit comes "from the Kane Borough Building Code Official" and can be had at the Kane Borough Office, 112 Bayard Street. Chapter 116 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference with no amendments, and no Borough text read for this record says anything 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 Kane administers the Uniform Construction Code itself: Chapter 116 of its Code says "The Borough of Kane 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, and the Borough's permits page says a building permit comes "from the Kane Borough Building Code Official" and can be had at the Kane Borough Office, 112 Bayard Street. No Borough ordinance or page read for this record draws a line for roof sheathing.
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 Kane is in McKean County. No Borough text read for this record says anything on sales tax.