Richmond Township (Tioga County) - Permits (Township Office, third-party UCC agency)

Township of Richmond, Pennsylvania (Tioga County)

city

563 Valley Road, Mansfield, PA 16933

Required

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, Richmond Township's Code, Section 5-101, says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Section 5-103 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." A third-party code agency's own Municipalities page says "We Currently Or Soon Service the Following Areas," lists "Richmond Township" under Tioga County, and the agency's home page says it provides "PA Uniform Construction Code Services to Bradford County, Lycoming County, McKean County, Potter County, and Tioga County Pennsylvania"; that agency's residential application says "Before Our Office Can Issue ANY Permit We Will Need Approval From Your Municipality i.e. Township or Borough." The Township's own page says its Secretary "handles permitting of multiple kinds of permits" and its Zoning Officer "issues permits for Zoning, Signage and Demolition"; the Township building is at 563 Valley Road, Mansfield (570-662-3774, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm), and "forms are available in office, mail, email etc." Chapter 5, Part 1 of the Township's Code (Ord. 1-04, June 1, 2004), read in full on ecode360, adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 24 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code, keeps in force building code ordinances "adopted by this Municipality on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code," and adds no roof provision and no amendment to the State regulation. It names no code edition. The Township's pages and Chapter 5 name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.

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, Richmond Township's Code, Section 5-101, says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Section 5-103 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." A third-party code agency's own Municipalities page says "We Currently Or Soon Service the Following Areas," lists "Richmond Township" under Tioga County, and the agency's home page says it provides "PA Uniform Construction Code Services to Bradford County, Lycoming County, McKean County, Potter County, and Tioga County Pennsylvania"; that agency's residential application says "Before Our Office Can Issue ANY Permit We Will Need Approval From Your Municipality i.e. Township or Borough." The Township's own page says its Secretary "handles permitting of multiple kinds of permits" and its Zoning Officer "issues permits for Zoning, Signage and Demolition"; the Township building is at 563 Valley Road, Mansfield (570-662-3774, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm), and "forms are available in office, mail, email etc." The Township's pages and Chapter 5 name no impact-resistance rule and no code edition.

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 Township's website, read October 12, 2026, names no roof work, reroofing or roof replacement on any page, and says "Please note Richmond Township has adopted Tioga County's Solar Ordinance and Data Centers Ordinance." The Township's zoning ordinance, Section 27-802, says "A zoning permit shall be required prior to the erection, addition or alteration of any building or portion thereof" and "No zoning permit shall be required in cases of normal maintenance activities, minor repairs and alterations which do not structurally change a building or structure." It names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a minor repair or an alteration under it. The Township's floodplain chapter, Section 8-302, says "A permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of Richmond"; it sits in the floodplain chapter, names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether it reaches a house reroof outside a floodplain. The Township's fee resolution (Code Section 1-401, last amended April 7, 2026) lists zoning permits ("Decks under 30 inches above ground and without roof," "Unattached accessory building under 1,000 square feet"), demolition, driveway, sign and other fees and has no line naming a roof, reroofing or roof replacement. The agency's fee schedule effective March 1, 2022 prices construction by square foot or project cost and, for work where square footage is not feasible, says it "Includes - Alterations, Renovations, Small Buildings, Irregular Structures, Repairs, replacements, etc."; it has no roofing line. The agency's residential application lists "Porch Roof vs. No Roof" among its project types and names no roof-covering replacement. Richmond Township's Code, Section 5-101, says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Section 5-103 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." A third-party code agency's own Municipalities page says "We Currently Or Soon Service the Following Areas," lists "Richmond Township" under Tioga County, and the agency's home page says it provides "PA Uniform Construction Code Services to Bradford County, Lycoming County, McKean County, Potter County, and Tioga County Pennsylvania"; that agency's residential application says "Before Our Office Can Issue ANY Permit We Will Need Approval From Your Municipality i.e. Township or Borough." The Township's own page says its Secretary "handles permitting of multiple kinds of permits" and its Zoning Officer "issues permits for Zoning, Signage and Demolition"; the Township building is at 563 Valley Road, Mansfield (570-662-3774, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm), and "forms are available in office, mail, email etc." The Township's pages state no area, percentage or cost threshold for roof work, and this record does not decide whether a reroof needs a permit in Richmond Township. Chapter 5, Part 1 of the Township's Code (Ord. 1-04, June 1, 2004), read in full on ecode360, adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 24 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code, keeps in force building code ordinances "adopted by this Municipality on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code," and adds no roof provision and no amendment to the State regulation. It names no code edition. 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.

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, Richmond Township's Code, Section 5-101, says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Section 5-103 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." A third-party code agency's own Municipalities page says "We Currently Or Soon Service the Following Areas," lists "Richmond Township" under Tioga County, and the agency's home page says it provides "PA Uniform Construction Code Services to Bradford County, Lycoming County, McKean County, Potter County, and Tioga County Pennsylvania"; that agency's residential application says "Before Our Office Can Issue ANY Permit We Will Need Approval From Your Municipality i.e. Township or Borough." The Township's own page says its Secretary "handles permitting of multiple kinds of permits" and its Zoning Officer "issues permits for Zoning, Signage and Demolition"; the Township building is at 563 Valley Road, Mansfield (570-662-3774, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm), and "forms are available in office, mail, email etc." Chapter 5 adds nothing to the code's reroofing provisions, and the Township's pages say nothing on roof layers. The Township's pages and Chapter 5 name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; 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, Richmond Township's Code, Section 5-101, says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Section 5-103 lets it do so by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." A third-party code agency's own Municipalities page says "We Currently Or Soon Service the Following Areas," lists "Richmond Township" under Tioga County, and the agency's home page says it provides "PA Uniform Construction Code Services to Bradford County, Lycoming County, McKean County, Potter County, and Tioga County Pennsylvania"; that agency's residential application says "Before Our Office Can Issue ANY Permit We Will Need Approval From Your Municipality i.e. Township or Borough." The Township's own page says its Secretary "handles permitting of multiple kinds of permits" and its Zoning Officer "issues permits for Zoning, Signage and Demolition"; the Township building is at 563 Valley Road, Mansfield (570-662-3774, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm), and "forms are available in office, mail, email etc." Chapter 5 adds nothing to the code's roof sheathing provisions, and the Township's fee resolution draws no line for roof sheathing. The Township's pages and Chapter 5 name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; 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. Richmond Township is in Tioga County. The Township's pages and fee resolution say nothing on sales tax.