Penn Township - Community Development Department

Township of Penn, Pennsylvania (Westmoreland County)

city

2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City, PA 15636

Required

The Penn Township code and pages read for this record do not say in terms whether a house reroof needs a permit. Article II of Chapter 63 of the Township Code, Building Permits, says in Section 63-5 "It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake or cause to be undertaken any construction or development anywhere within the Township of Penn unless an approved building permit has been obtained from the Zoning Officer," and in Section 63-9 "Building permits shall be required before any proposed construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of Penn, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania." Section 63-6 defines CONSTRUCTION as "The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension, expansion, alteration or relocation of a building or structure, including the placement of mobile homes." The article names no roof work and has no exemption for minor or ordinary repairs. It is the Township's flood-damage article: its stated intent includes to "Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices to minimize flood damage in the future," and several of its application rules apply only in flood-prone areas. Section 63-19 says "Applications for a building permit shall be accompanied by a fee, payable to the Township of Penn, based upon the current township fee schedule," and no fee schedule is linked from the Township's Permits page. This record does not decide whether Article II reaches an ordinary house reroof outside flood-prone areas. The Township's Permits and Community Development pages (read October 7, 2026) say nothing on roofing either way; the department's notice of its online permit process says "If you have any questions, please contact the Community Development Department at 724-744-2171 ext. 210." 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." Before starting a reroof, ask the Community Development Department whether it requires a permit for the job. The department's notice says "Beginning Friday, March 13th, all permit applications will be handled online," through the Township's GovWell portal. Read for this answer: Chapter 63 of the Township Code, Building Construction (Article I, Construction Activities; Article II, Building Permits; Article III, Construction Codes, Uniform; Sections 63-1 to 63-37), in full; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; and the Township's Permits and Community Development pages and its online permit notice. The Township office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 724-744-2171.

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, Penn Township administers the code itself: Section 63-32 of the Township Code says "The Township of Penn hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of this Article III," and the Township's Community Development page says "The Director of Community Development Department supervises and coordinates building code enforcement, zoning, sewage enforcement," with a Chief Building Inspector/Zoning Officer who "issues permits for new homes, additions, decks, and other residential and commercial structures." The Township office is at 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City. Section 63-31 fills in the design data of Table R301.2(1), including "ICE SHIELD UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED: Yes," and Chapter 63 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 63-30 of the Township Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended and supplemented from time to time" and lists "The International Residential Code 2003 Chapter 43, Referenced Standards and Appendices A, B, C, D, G and L" among its parts, and the Township's pages name no code edition; this record has not read the 2003 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Penn Township's code and pages set no permit line for roof work in terms. Article II of Chapter 63 of the Township Code, Building Permits, says in Section 63-5 "It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake or cause to be undertaken any construction or development anywhere within the Township of Penn unless an approved building permit has been obtained from the Zoning Officer," and in Section 63-9 "Building permits shall be required before any proposed construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of Penn, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania." Section 63-6 defines CONSTRUCTION as "The construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, extension, expansion, alteration or relocation of a building or structure, including the placement of mobile homes." The article names no roof work and has no exemption for minor or ordinary repairs. It is the Township's flood-damage article: its stated intent includes to "Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices to minimize flood damage in the future," and several of its application rules apply only in flood-prone areas. Section 63-19 says "Applications for a building permit shall be accompanied by a fee, payable to the Township of Penn, based upon the current township fee schedule," and no fee schedule is linked from the Township's Permits page. This record does not decide whether Article II reaches an ordinary house reroof outside flood-prone areas. The Township's Permits and Community Development pages (read October 7, 2026) say nothing on roofing either way; the department's notice of its online permit process says "If you have any questions, please contact the Community Development Department at 724-744-2171 ext. 210." 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." 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, Penn Township administers the code itself: Section 63-32 of the Township Code says "The Township of Penn hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of this Article III," and the Township's Community Development page says "The Director of Community Development Department supervises and coordinates building code enforcement, zoning, sewage enforcement," with a Chief Building Inspector/Zoning Officer who "issues permits for new homes, additions, decks, and other residential and commercial structures." The Township office is at 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City. Chapter 63 sets no area or cost threshold for roof work, and the Township's pages state none.

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, Penn Township administers the code itself: Section 63-32 of the Township Code says "The Township of Penn hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of this Article III," and the Township's Community Development page says "The Director of Community Development Department supervises and coordinates building code enforcement, zoning, sewage enforcement," with a Chief Building Inspector/Zoning Officer who "issues permits for new homes, additions, decks, and other residential and commercial structures." The Township office is at 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City. Chapter 63 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Township's pages say nothing on roof layers. Section 63-30 of the Township Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended and supplemented from time to time" and lists "The International Residential Code 2003 Chapter 43, Referenced Standards and Appendices A, B, C, D, G and L" among its parts, and the Township's pages name no code edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2003 edition's reroofing text was not read for this record, 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, Penn Township administers the code itself: Section 63-32 of the Township Code says "The Township of Penn hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of this Article III," and the Township's Community Development page says "The Director of Community Development Department supervises and coordinates building code enforcement, zoning, sewage enforcement," with a Chief Building Inspector/Zoning Officer who "issues permits for new homes, additions, decks, and other residential and commercial structures." The Township office is at 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City. Chapter 63 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions and draws no separate line for roof sheathing. Section 63-30 of the Township Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended and supplemented from time to time" and lists "The International Residential Code 2003 Chapter 43, Referenced Standards and Appendices A, B, C, D, G and L" among its parts, and the Township's pages name no code edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2003 edition's sheathing text was not read for this record, 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. Penn Township is in Westmoreland County. The Township's permit pages say nothing on sales tax.