Spring Grove Borough - Zoning & Codes Department

Borough of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania (York County)

city

1 Campus Avenue, Spring Grove, PA 17362

Required

Spring Grove Borough's code and forms read for this record do not say in one voice whether a house reroof needs a permit. Article I of Chapter 175 of the Borough Code (read October 12, 2026) says "The UCC is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference" and names no edition. Article II of the same chapter, Permits, dates from Ord. No. 2-1957, and Section 175-11A says "It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, remove or demolish any building and/or structure within the limits of the Borough of Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania, without a permit." Section 175-11B titles that permit "renovation/demolition permit," and Section 175-11C says "The permit required pursuant to this section is required only in the event no permit is required by Article I." Section 175-12 defines "REPAIR" as "Those repairs or replacements identified as exempted from permitting requirements by § 403.62 of the UCC regulations, or such other comparable provisions of those regulations," and Section 175-22B says "No fee shall be required for maintenance or for repairs as defined in § 175-12." The chapter names no roof work. This record does not decide whether a house reroof is a repair as Section 175-12 defines it, or whether the Section 175-11 permit reaches it. The Borough's Zoning Permit Procedures say "A Zoning Permit application is used for all items NOT falling under the PA UCC Building Code," and the Borough's Application for Zoning Permit, headed "USE THIS FORM FOR ALL PA UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE EXEMPT PROJECTS," lists "Roof Replacement*" among its types of work beside siding, windows and gutters, with the note "*MUST MEET THE EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS OF PA ACT 45 UCC, OR A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION IS REQUIRED." The Borough's zoning chapter, Section 400-54B, says "Ordinary repairs and maintenance to existing structures shall not by themselves be regulated by this Zoning Chapter. Examples of such work include replacement of a roof or porch that does not involve enclosure of space. However, such activity may be regulated by the Borough's Building Code." The Borough's Building Permit Procedures say "A Building Permit application is used for all items falling under the PA UCC Building Code," and its building permit application lists no roofing type of work. Both procedures say "IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE." 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." Ask the Borough office (717-225-5791) before starting. Section 175-25 sets "a penalty of not more than $1,000, and the costs thereof" for violating Article II, and Section 175-9 sets a fine "of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution" for violating Article I or the UCC. Read for this answer: Chapter 175 of the Borough Code, Building Construction, in full (Article I, Uniform Construction Code, and Article II, Permits); Section 400-54 of the zoning chapter; both pages of an eCode360 search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and a search for "reroofing," which found no other permit provision naming roof work; the Borough's staff, contact and General Borough Forms pages; its Building Permit Procedures and application, Zoning Permit Procedures and application, and Renovation-Demolition Permit application. The Borough's fee resolution was not found on its site.

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, Spring Grove Borough administers the code: Section 175-1 of the Borough Code says "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Borough's staff page lists a Building Code Official, and its Building Permit Procedures, issued by its Zoning & Codes Department at 1 Campus Avenue, tell the applicant to make out a check "payable to Commonwealth Code for the total of the inspections and plan review fees" and to "contact Commonwealth Code directly to arrange all building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections." Section 175-2 adopts the UCC by reference as the Borough's building code and the chapter names no edition of the International Residential Code, and the Borough's pages name none.

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's Code Chapter 175, read in full, and its permit pages contain no UL 2218, Class 4 or hail-impact requirement, and name no code edition.

Spring Grove Borough's Code carries a general permit clause and its offices speak to roof replacement in terms that point two ways. Article I of Chapter 175 of the Borough Code (read October 12, 2026) says "The UCC is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference" and names no edition. Article II of the same chapter, Permits, dates from Ord. No. 2-1957, and Section 175-11A says "It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, remove or demolish any building and/or structure within the limits of the Borough of Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania, without a permit." Section 175-11B titles that permit "renovation/demolition permit," and Section 175-11C says "The permit required pursuant to this section is required only in the event no permit is required by Article I." Section 175-12 defines "REPAIR" as "Those repairs or replacements identified as exempted from permitting requirements by § 403.62 of the UCC regulations, or such other comparable provisions of those regulations," and Section 175-22B says "No fee shall be required for maintenance or for repairs as defined in § 175-12." The chapter names no roof work. This record does not decide whether a house reroof is a repair as Section 175-12 defines it, or whether the Section 175-11 permit reaches it. The Borough's Zoning Permit Procedures say "A Zoning Permit application is used for all items NOT falling under the PA UCC Building Code," and the Borough's Application for Zoning Permit, headed "USE THIS FORM FOR ALL PA UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE EXEMPT PROJECTS," lists "Roof Replacement*" among its types of work beside siding, windows and gutters, with the note "*MUST MEET THE EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS OF PA ACT 45 UCC, OR A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION IS REQUIRED." The Borough's zoning chapter, Section 400-54B, says "Ordinary repairs and maintenance to existing structures shall not by themselves be regulated by this Zoning Chapter. Examples of such work include replacement of a roof or porch that does not involve enclosure of space. However, such activity may be regulated by the Borough's Building Code." The Borough's Building Permit Procedures say "A Building Permit application is used for all items falling under the PA UCC Building Code," and its building permit application lists no roofing type of work. Both procedures say "IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE." 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, Spring Grove Borough administers the code: Section 175-1 of the Borough Code says "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Borough's staff page lists a Building Code Official, and its Building Permit Procedures, issued by its Zoning & Codes Department at 1 Campus Avenue, tell the applicant to make out a check "payable to Commonwealth Code for the total of the inspections and plan review fees" and to "contact Commonwealth Code directly to arrange all building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections." No Borough text read for this record sets an area or cost threshold for roof work.

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, Spring Grove Borough administers the code: Section 175-1 of the Borough Code says "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Borough's staff page lists a Building Code Official, and its Building Permit Procedures, issued by its Zoning & Codes Department at 1 Campus Avenue, tell the applicant to make out a check "payable to Commonwealth Code for the total of the inspections and plan review fees" and to "contact Commonwealth Code directly to arrange all building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections." Chapter 175 changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Borough's pages say nothing on roof layers; no edition of the International Residential Code is named locally, and this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies to a house.

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, Spring Grove Borough administers the code: Section 175-1 of the Borough Code says "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Borough's staff page lists a Building Code Official, and its Building Permit Procedures, issued by its Zoning & Codes Department at 1 Campus Avenue, tell the applicant to make out a check "payable to Commonwealth Code for the total of the inspections and plan review fees" and to "contact Commonwealth Code directly to arrange all building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections." Chapter 175 changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions, and the Borough's pages draw no line for roof sheathing; no edition of the International Residential Code is named locally.

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. Spring Grove Borough is in York County. The Borough's pages read for this record say nothing on sales tax.