Permitting Authorities / Palmer Township - Codes and Zoning Department
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Palmer, PA?
Adopted code
Palmer Township - Codes and Zoning Department
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Palmer, PA, issued by Palmer Township - Codes and Zoning Department. Palmer Township's enacted code and its permit office both treat a reroof as permit work. Section 55-12 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 2023-479, read October 7, 2026) says "In addition to all types of construction, placement of structures, repairs, and alterations for which the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code requires a permit, pursuant to the authorization of Act 92 of 2004, as amended, the Township of Palmer shall require persons to obtain permits under the Municipal Building Code of Palmer Township for all of the following," including "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings and replacement of residential equipment, which 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 item (7) of that list is "Reroofing of less than 25% of the total existing roof square footage." The Township's Building Codes and Permits page (read October 7, 2026), under "When is a Permit Required?", lists "Reroofing" among "Activities requiring permits include:"; the Township publishes a Residential Re-Roofing Application; and the 2026 Fee Schedule lists a "Roofing permit" at "Under 10 square $60.00" and "10 square and over $75.00." A reroof of 25% or more of the roof is outside the Section 55-12 exemption. 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 Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists two Palmer Township filings: one that "Requires a building permit for all structural and non-structural changes to residential basements," with an approval letter mailed June 10, 2005 and "Enacted 7 / 18 / 05," and one on provisions of the 2009 International Fire Code, approved by letter mailed October 24, 2012, whose later revisions were disapproved by letter mailed April 7, 2014; neither names roof work. In practice, expect the Township to require a permit for a reroof of 25% or more of the roof. The 2026 Fee Schedule says "In the event that a landowner or tenant begins construction activities without receiving the required permits, the permit fee shall be 200% of the applicable permit fee for the construction, use, or activity which commenced without permit," and Section 55-63 sets, on conviction, a fine "in an amount not less than $10 nor more than $1,000" for violating the code. The Residential Re-Roofing Application asks for the number of squares, whether the existing covering is being replaced or recovered, the roof material, pitch, underlayment and ventilation, and says "Any replacement of structural components (i.e. rafters) may require an additional permit and inspections." The Building Codes and Permits page says "Permits will not be issued until the contractor obtains a business privilege license" and "It is not the intent of this site to allow one to apply for the various permits on line." Read for this answer: Chapter 55 of the Township Code, Code Enforcement (Articles I to XI, Sections 55-1 to 55-63), in full; Chapter 128, Property Maintenance; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no other permit provision naming roof work; the Township's Building Codes and Permits and Forms & Documents pages; the Residential Re-Roofing Application; the Residential Inspection Procedures; and the 2026 Fee Schedule. The Permit Department offers in-person assistance on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed 12:00 to 1:00 PM), and completed applications with payment may be dropped off at the Township Building during business hours; the Codes and Zoning Department's telephone is 610-253-7191.
Roof code checklist: Township of Palmer, PA
Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.
Jurisdiction
Township of Palmer, Pennsylvania
Address
3 Weller Place, Palmer, PA 18045
Contact
- url: https://palmertwp.com/codes-about.html
- phone: 610-253-7191
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Palmer Township's enacted code and its permit office both treat a reroof as permit work. Section 55-12 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 2023-479, read October 7, 2026) says "In addition to all types of construction, placement of structures, repairs, and alterations for which the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code requires a permit, pursuant to the authorization of Act 92 of 2004, as amended, the Township of Palmer shall require persons to obtain permits under the Municipal Building Code of Palmer Township for all of the following," including "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings and replacement of residential equipment, which 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 item (7) of that list is "Reroofing of less than 25% of the total existing roof square footage." The Township's Building Codes and Permits page (read October 7, 2026), under "When is a Permit Required?", lists "Reroofing" among "Activities requiring permits include:"; the Township publishes a Residential Re-Roofing Application; and the 2026 Fee Schedule lists a "Roofing permit" at "Under 10 square $60.00" and "10 square and over $75.00." A reroof of 25% or more of the roof is outside the Section 55-12 exemption. 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 Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists two Palmer Township filings: one that "Requires a building permit for all structural and non-structural changes to residential basements," with an approval letter mailed June 10, 2005 and "Enacted 7 / 18 / 05," and one on provisions of the 2009 International Fire Code, approved by letter mailed October 24, 2012, whose later revisions were disapproved by letter mailed April 7, 2014; neither names roof work. In practice, expect the Township to require a permit for a reroof of 25% or more of the roof. The 2026 Fee Schedule says "In the event that a landowner or tenant begins construction activities without receiving the required permits, the permit fee shall be 200% of the applicable permit fee for the construction, use, or activity which commenced without permit," and Section 55-63 sets, on conviction, a fine "in an amount not less than $10 nor more than $1,000" for violating the code. The Residential Re-Roofing Application asks for the number of squares, whether the existing covering is being replaced or recovered, the roof material, pitch, underlayment and ventilation, and says "Any replacement of structural components (i.e. rafters) may require an additional permit and inspections." The Building Codes and Permits page says "Permits will not be issued until the contractor obtains a business privilege license" and "It is not the intent of this site to allow one to apply for the various permits on line." Read for this answer: Chapter 55 of the Township Code, Code Enforcement (Articles I to XI, Sections 55-1 to 55-63), in full; Chapter 128, Property Maintenance; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no other permit provision naming roof work; the Township's Building Codes and Permits and Forms & Documents pages; the Residential Re-Roofing Application; the Residential Inspection Procedures; and the 2026 Fee Schedule. The Permit Department offers in-person assistance on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed 12:00 to 1:00 PM), and completed applications with payment may be dropped off at the Township Building during business hours; the Codes and Zoning Department's telephone is 610-253-7191.
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, Palmer Township administers the code itself: Section 55-1 of the Township Code says "Palmer Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building Codes and Permits page sends applicants to the Codes and Zoning Department at the Municipal Building, 3 Weller Place, Palmer, to obtain the permit. Section 55-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the Municipal Building Code of Palmer Township. Section 55-23 fills in the design data of Table R301.2(1), including "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required: Yes," and Section 55-12 adds the permit list quoted under the repair threshold; Chapter 55 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Article IV of Chapter 55 (Section 55-22) adopts the "International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings/2018" and Article VI (Section 55-33) the "International Existing Building Code/2018," while Section 55-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; the Township's pages name no code edition; this record has not read the 2018 editions' text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.
Repair permit threshold
Palmer Township exempts from its permit only reroofing of less than 25% of the roof. Section 55-12 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 2023-479, read October 7, 2026) says "In addition to all types of construction, placement of structures, repairs, and alterations for which the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code requires a permit, pursuant to the authorization of Act 92 of 2004, as amended, the Township of Palmer shall require persons to obtain permits under the Municipal Building Code of Palmer Township for all of the following," including "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings and replacement of residential equipment, which 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 item (7) of that list is "Reroofing of less than 25% of the total existing roof square footage." The Township's Building Codes and Permits page (read October 7, 2026), under "When is a Permit Required?", lists "Reroofing" among "Activities requiring permits include:"; the Township publishes a Residential Re-Roofing Application; and the 2026 Fee Schedule lists a "Roofing permit" at "Under 10 square $60.00" and "10 square and over $75.00." A reroof of 25% or more of the roof is outside the Section 55-12 exemption. 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 Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists two Palmer Township filings: one that "Requires a building permit for all structural and non-structural changes to residential basements," with an approval letter mailed June 10, 2005 and "Enacted 7 / 18 / 05," and one on provisions of the 2009 International Fire Code, approved by letter mailed October 24, 2012, whose later revisions were disapproved by letter mailed April 7, 2014; neither names roof work. 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, Palmer Township administers the code itself: Section 55-1 of the Township Code says "Palmer Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building Codes and Permits page sends applicants to the Codes and Zoning Department at the Municipal Building, 3 Weller Place, Palmer, to obtain the permit. The Township's threshold is the 25% line in Section 55-12 quoted at the start; below it no permit is required, and at or above it the reroof is on the Township's permit list. The Township's 2026 Fee Schedule prices a roofing permit by size, under 10 squares or 10 squares and over.
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, Palmer Township administers the code itself: Section 55-1 of the Township Code says "Palmer Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building Codes and Permits page sends applicants to the Codes and Zoning Department at the Municipal Building, 3 Weller Place, Palmer, to obtain the permit. Chapter 55 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions. The Township's Residential Re-Roofing Application says "existing roof covering may not have 2 or more applications of any type of roof covering," which agrees with the recover rule quoted above. Article IV of Chapter 55 (Section 55-22) adopts the "International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings/2018" and Article VI (Section 55-33) the "International Existing Building Code/2018," while Section 55-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; the Township's pages name no code edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's reroofing text was not read for this record, and this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.
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, Palmer Township administers the code itself: Section 55-1 of the Township Code says "Palmer Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building Codes and Permits page sends applicants to the Codes and Zoning Department at the Municipal Building, 3 Weller Place, Palmer, to obtain the permit. Chapter 55 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions; Section 55-12's no-permit list includes "The repair or replacement of any nonstructural member," and the Residential Re-Roofing Application says "Any replacement of structural components (i.e. rafters) may require an additional permit and inspections"; neither draws a separate line for roof sheathing. Article IV of Chapter 55 (Section 55-22) adopts the "International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings/2018" and Article VI (Section 55-33) the "International Existing Building Code/2018," while Section 55-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; the Township's pages name no code edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2018 edition's sheathing text was not read for this record, and this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.
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. Palmer Township is in Northampton County. The Township's pages, Re-Roofing Application and 2026 Fee Schedule say nothing on sales tax.
More roof permit pages in Pennsylvania
Related guides
Palmer Township's Codes and Zoning Department, at the Municipal Building, 3 Weller Place, Palmer, issues building permits; the Township Code exempts from its permit only reroofing of less than 25% of the roof, and the Township publishes a Residential Re-Roofing Application and a roofing permit fee. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code applies statewide, but Act 45 section 104(b) lists "Repairs to residential buildings" and alterations that make no structural or egress change among work it 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."
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