Lower Yoder Township - Zoning/Codes Enforcement

Township of Lower Yoder, Pennsylvania (Cambria County)

city

128 J Street, Johnstown, PA 15906

Required

Required

The Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page lists permits for re-roofing. Lower Yoder Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page, read October 12, 2026, says "The PA UCC requires a building code review and compliance for any new dwelling unit or addition thereto, or for accessory structures that are more than 1,000 SF in size, along with permits for re-roofing and metal roofing systems." The same page says "Ordinance #77 (Zoning Ordinance) of the Township requires building permits to be obtained prior to construction for items including, but not limited to, new or altered construction, swimming pools, fences, and storage sheds," and "Once applications are received they are reviewed by our zoning officer who then issues the actual building permit." It adds "This process may take up to 30 days." 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 Township to require a permit for a reroof, and to answer through its zoning officer at 814-255-3413. Chapter 64 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. No. 135, April 14, 2004), names no roof work either way. Section 64-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Section 64-5 says "All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of Lower Yoder Township not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect." Chapter 51, Building Construction, carries only a note that the former chapter was superseded by Ord. No. 135. The Zoning chapter's definition of "BUILDING PERMIT" speaks of a permit "issued by the Zoning officer or agency appointed by the Township, pursuant to the Lower Yoder Township BOCA Building Codes, as amended," and its Section 163-12 says "No structure shall be used or occupied that is not in conformity with the Lower Yoder Township BOCA Basic Building Code, as amended"; this record has not read the BOCA code's text. A search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no section requiring or exempting a permit for roof work. Read for this answer: Chapter 64 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 64-1 to 64-8), Chapter 51, Building Construction, and Chapter 119, Property Maintenance, in full; Sections 163-7 and 163-12 of the Zoning chapter; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; the Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement, Forms and Officials pages; and its Building Permit Application, read from the rendered page. No Township fee schedule or residential roofing form was found published. The Township office is open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, at 814-539-2883.

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, Lower Yoder Township administers the code itself: Section 64-1 of the Township Code says "Lower Yoder Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page (read October 12, 2026) says "The Township has adopted and is enforcing the PA Uniform Construction Code (PA UC), as well as, Lower Yoder Township Zoning and Land Development Regulations." Its Officials page lists Zoning/Codes Enforcement at 814-255-3413, and the Township's building permit application is approved by a "Building Codes Official" and is taken at the Township office, 128 J Street, Johnstown. The Township's pages name no code edition: the Zoning/Codes Enforcement page says only "PA UCC," and Chapter 64 adopts the Code "as amended from time to time," while the Zoning chapter refers to the "BOCA Basic Building Code, as amended"; this record has not read the BOCA code's text and does not decide which edition of any code the Township applies.

The Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page lists permits for re-roofing. Lower Yoder Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page, read October 12, 2026, says "The PA UCC requires a building code review and compliance for any new dwelling unit or addition thereto, or for accessory structures that are more than 1,000 SF in size, along with permits for re-roofing and metal roofing systems." The same page says "Ordinance #77 (Zoning Ordinance) of the Township requires building permits to be obtained prior to construction for items including, but not limited to, new or altered construction, swimming pools, fences, and storage sheds," and "Once applications are received they are reviewed by our zoning officer who then issues the actual building permit." It adds "This process may take up to 30 days." Chapter 64 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. No. 135, April 14, 2004), names no roof work either way. Section 64-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Section 64-5 says "All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of Lower Yoder Township not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect." Chapter 51, Building Construction, carries only a note that the former chapter was superseded by Ord. No. 135. The Zoning chapter's definition of "BUILDING PERMIT" speaks of a permit "issued by the Zoning officer or agency appointed by the Township, pursuant to the Lower Yoder Township BOCA Building Codes, as amended," and its Section 163-12 says "No structure shall be used or occupied that is not in conformity with the Lower Yoder Township BOCA Basic Building Code, as amended"; this record has not read the BOCA code's text. A search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no section requiring or exempting a permit for roof work. 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). The Township's page states no penalty for reroofing without a permit. 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, Lower Yoder Township administers the code itself: Section 64-1 of the Township Code says "Lower Yoder Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page (read October 12, 2026) says "The Township has adopted and is enforcing the PA Uniform Construction Code (PA UC), as well as, Lower Yoder Township Zoning and Land Development Regulations." Its Officials page lists Zoning/Codes Enforcement at 814-255-3413, and the Township's building permit application is approved by a "Building Codes Official" and is taken at the Township office, 128 J Street, Johnstown. The Township's page quoted at the start sets no area or cost threshold for roof work, and no Township text read for this record sets one.

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, Lower Yoder Township administers the code itself: Section 64-1 of the Township Code says "Lower Yoder Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page (read October 12, 2026) says "The Township has adopted and is enforcing the PA Uniform Construction Code (PA UC), as well as, Lower Yoder Township Zoning and Land Development Regulations." Its Officials page lists Zoning/Codes Enforcement at 814-255-3413, and the Township's building permit application is approved by a "Building Codes Official" and is taken at the Township office, 128 J Street, Johnstown. Chapter 64 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page lists permits for re-roofing; its pages say nothing on roof layers. The Township's pages name no code edition: the Zoning/Codes Enforcement page says only "PA UCC," and Chapter 64 adopts the Code "as amended from time to time," while the Zoning chapter refers to the "BOCA Basic Building Code, as amended"; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record does not decide which edition the Township 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, Lower Yoder Township administers the code itself: Section 64-1 of the Township Code says "Lower Yoder Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Zoning/Codes Enforcement page (read October 12, 2026) says "The Township has adopted and is enforcing the PA Uniform Construction Code (PA UC), as well as, Lower Yoder Township Zoning and Land Development Regulations." Its Officials page lists Zoning/Codes Enforcement at 814-255-3413, and the Township's building permit application is approved by a "Building Codes Official" and is taken at the Township office, 128 J Street, Johnstown. Chapter 64 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions, and the Township's pages draw no separate line for roof sheathing. The Township's pages name no code edition: the Zoning/Codes Enforcement page says only "PA UCC," and Chapter 64 adopts the Code "as amended from time to time," while the Zoning chapter refers to the "BOCA Basic Building Code, as amended"; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record does not decide which edition the Township 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. Lower Yoder Township is in Cambria County. The Township's permit pages say nothing on sales tax.