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Permitting Authorities / Swissvale Borough - Fire Department, Building Code Official

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Borough of Swissvale, PA?

Adopted code

Swissvale Borough - Fire Department, Building Code Official

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Borough of Swissvale, PA, issued by Swissvale Borough - Fire Department, Building Code Official. Swissvale Borough requires its own re-roof permit for a house reroof. The Borough publishes a Re-Roof Permit Application (updated 2025, read October 9, 2026) with the box "RESIDENTIAL" and the fee line "PERMIT FEES: RESIDENTIAL RE-ROOF $40.00 COMMERCIAL RE-ROOF $60.00", and its Required Permits and Application Types sheet says "RE-ROOF PERMIT- This application is to be used when a re-roof project is being done when there is no more than 32 square feet of decking replacement. This will primarily be used for shingle replacement projects." The Borough's 2025 comprehensive fee schedule lists "Re-Roofing" at "$40.00" among residential building and other permits. Where more decking is replaced, the same sheet says "If more than 32 square feet of decking is going to be replaced, a Commercial or Residential Building Permit Application must be used and “alteration” box checked," and the re-roof application says "If more than minor decking repair is needed, a Building Permit must be filed. Minor decking repair is defined as less than 32 square feet." Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, the Borough's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. 04-03, June 2, 2004, read October 9, 2026), names no roof work; Section 5-106 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, none of which is published with the chapter. The re-roof application's office-use block shows its PA UCC fee as "-0-", where the residential building permit application shows "4.50". 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 Borough to require its re-roof permit before a house reroof. The Borough's page says "Failure to obtain a required Building Permit may result in fines of up to $1,000 per day and 30 days in jail," and the 2025 fee schedule says "Should the owner or contractor fail to obtain the required building, zoning or other permits, fees are doubled at the discretion of the Code Official." The re-roof application asks for the contractor's PA Home Improvement Contractor Registration Number and says "Applicant shall provide and attach hereto a copy of the construction contract with the licensed contractor," proof of current general liability insurance and a signed Workers' Compensation Addendum. The Borough's page says "When in doubt if you require a permit for your project, simply call us"; the Borough office is at 7600 Evans Street, 412-271-7101. Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, Code Enforcement (Parts 1 to 3), Chapter 4, Buildings, and Chapter 13, Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations, in full; the Codes & Ordinances, Forms & Permits and Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections pages; the Re-Roof Permit Application; the Required Permits and Application Types sheet; the Residential Building Permit Application; and the 2025 comprehensive fee schedule, read from its scanned pages.

Roof code checklist: Borough of Swissvale, PA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesswissvaleborough.com2026-10-09
Repair permit thresholdPublishedpacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-09
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-09
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-09
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNopacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-09
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 5-101pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-09
Contractor license / registrationYespalegis.us2026-10-09
Sales & use taxPublishedpa.gov2026-10-09

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
Borough of Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
7600 Evans Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Contact
  • url: https://www.swissvaleborough.com/241/Code-Enforcement-Permits-Inspections
  • phone: 412-271-7101
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Swissvale Borough requires its own re-roof permit for a house reroof. The Borough publishes a Re-Roof Permit Application (updated 2025, read October 9, 2026) with the box "RESIDENTIAL" and the fee line "PERMIT FEES: RESIDENTIAL RE-ROOF $40.00 COMMERCIAL RE-ROOF $60.00", and its Required Permits and Application Types sheet says "RE-ROOF PERMIT- This application is to be used when a re-roof project is being done when there is no more than 32 square feet of decking replacement. This will primarily be used for shingle replacement projects." The Borough's 2025 comprehensive fee schedule lists "Re-Roofing" at "$40.00" among residential building and other permits. Where more decking is replaced, the same sheet says "If more than 32 square feet of decking is going to be replaced, a Commercial or Residential Building Permit Application must be used and “alteration” box checked," and the re-roof application says "If more than minor decking repair is needed, a Building Permit must be filed. Minor decking repair is defined as less than 32 square feet." Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, the Borough's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. 04-03, June 2, 2004, read October 9, 2026), names no roof work; Section 5-106 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, none of which is published with the chapter. The re-roof application's office-use block shows its PA UCC fee as "-0-", where the residential building permit application shows "4.50". 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 Borough to require its re-roof permit before a house reroof. The Borough's page says "Failure to obtain a required Building Permit may result in fines of up to $1,000 per day and 30 days in jail," and the 2025 fee schedule says "Should the owner or contractor fail to obtain the required building, zoning or other permits, fees are doubled at the discretion of the Code Official." The re-roof application asks for the contractor's PA Home Improvement Contractor Registration Number and says "Applicant shall provide and attach hereto a copy of the construction contract with the licensed contractor," proof of current general liability insurance and a signed Workers' Compensation Addendum. The Borough's page says "When in doubt if you require a permit for your project, simply call us"; the Borough office is at 7600 Evans Street, 412-271-7101. Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, Code Enforcement (Parts 1 to 3), Chapter 4, Buildings, and Chapter 13, Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations, in full; the Codes & Ordinances, Forms & Permits and Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections pages; the Re-Roof Permit Application; the Required Permits and Application Types sheet; the Residential Building Permit Application; and the 2025 comprehensive fee schedule, read from its scanned pages.
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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. Section 5-102 says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa.Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this Borough," naming no edition, and Chapter 5 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; the Borough's permit pages and applications name no edition.
Impact-resistant roofing
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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, read in full, adds no impact-resistance rule; no UL 2218 or Class 4 requirement appears in it or in the re-roof application.
Repair permit threshold
Swissvale Borough has a dedicated re-roof permit, used where no more than 32 square feet of decking is replaced; more decking replacement needs a building permit. The Borough publishes a Re-Roof Permit Application (updated 2025, read October 9, 2026) with the box "RESIDENTIAL" and the fee line "PERMIT FEES: RESIDENTIAL RE-ROOF $40.00 COMMERCIAL RE-ROOF $60.00", and its Required Permits and Application Types sheet says "RE-ROOF PERMIT- This application is to be used when a re-roof project is being done when there is no more than 32 square feet of decking replacement. This will primarily be used for shingle replacement projects." The Borough's 2025 comprehensive fee schedule lists "Re-Roofing" at "$40.00" among residential building and other permits. Where more decking is replaced, the same sheet says "If more than 32 square feet of decking is going to be replaced, a Commercial or Residential Building Permit Application must be used and “alteration” box checked," and the re-roof application says "If more than minor decking repair is needed, a Building Permit must be filed. Minor decking repair is defined as less than 32 square feet." Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, the Borough's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. 04-03, June 2, 2004, read October 9, 2026), names no roof work; Section 5-106 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, none of which is published with the chapter. The re-roof application's office-use block shows its PA UCC fee as "-0-", where the residential building permit application shows "4.50". 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 Borough to require its re-roof permit before a house reroof. The Borough's page says "Failure to obtain a required Building Permit may result in fines of up to $1,000 per day and 30 days in jail," and the 2025 fee schedule says "Should the owner or contractor fail to obtain the required building, zoning or other permits, fees are doubled at the discretion of the Code Official." 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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. The Borough's line, quoted at the start, falls at 32 square feet of decking: a reroof with no more than 32 square feet of decking replacement takes the re-roof permit, and one with more takes a residential building permit for an alteration.
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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Borough's pages and re-roof application say nothing on roof layers.
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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions. The Borough draws its own permit line at decking: Where more decking is replaced, the same sheet says "If more than 32 square feet of decking is going to be replaced, a Commercial or Residential Building Permit Application must be used and “alteration” box checked," and the re-roof application says "If more than minor decking repair is needed, a Building Permit must be filed. Minor decking repair is defined as less than 32 square feet."
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. Swissvale Borough is in Allegheny County, where the 1% local tax described above applies. The Borough's permit pages and 2025 fee schedule say nothing on sales tax.

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Swissvale Borough's Fire Chief serves as its Building Code Official and issues building permits, and the Borough publishes a dedicated Re-Roof Permit Application with a $40 residential 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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Roofing questions: Borough of Swissvale, PA

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Borough of Swissvale, PA?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Borough of Swissvale, PA. Swissvale Borough has a dedicated re-roof permit, used where no more than 32 square feet of decking is replaced; more decking replacement needs a building permit. The Borough publishes a Re-Roof Permit Application (updated 2025, read October 9, 2026) with the box "RESIDENTIAL" and the fee line "PERMIT FEES: RESIDENTIAL RE-ROOF $40.00 COMMERCIAL RE-ROOF $60.00", and its Required Permits and Application Types sheet says "RE-ROOF PERMIT- This application is to be used when a re-roof project is being done when there is no more than 32 square feet of decking replacement. This will primarily be used for shingle replacement projects." The Borough's 2025 comprehensive fee schedule lists "Re-Roofing" at "$40.00" among residential building and other permits. Where more decking is replaced, the same sheet says "If more than 32 square feet of decking is going to be replaced, a Commercial or Residential Building Permit Application must be used and “alteration” box checked," and the re-roof application says "If more than minor decking repair is needed, a Building Permit must be filed. Minor decking repair is defined as less than 32 square feet." Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Borough Code, the Borough's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. 04-03, June 2, 2004, read October 9, 2026), names no roof work; Section 5-106 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, none of which is published with the chapter. The re-roof application's office-use block shows its PA UCC fee as "-0-", where the residential building permit application shows "4.50". 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 Borough to require its re-roof permit before a house reroof. The Borough's page says "Failure to obtain a required Building Permit may result in fines of up to $1,000 per day and 30 days in jail," and the 2025 fee schedule says "Should the owner or contractor fail to obtain the required building, zoning or other permits, fees are doubled at the discretion of the Code Official." 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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. The Borough's line, quoted at the start, falls at 32 square feet of decking: a reroof with no more than 32 square feet of decking replacement takes the re-roof permit, and one with more takes a residential building permit for an alteration.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Borough of Swissvale, PA?

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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. Chapter 5 of the Borough Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Borough's pages and re-roof application say nothing on roof layers.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Borough of Swissvale, PA?

Yes.

What building code does Borough of Swissvale, PA use?

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, Swissvale Borough administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Borough Code says "This Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement, Permits & Inspections page says "All Building Permits are issued by the Fire Chief, who also serves as the borough's “Building Code Official.”" Commercial and electrical inspections go to the Borough's contracted agency, CEA Code Enforcement Associates, and plumbing to the Allegheny County Health Department. Section 5-102 says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa.Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this Borough," naming no edition, and Chapter 5 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; the Borough's permit pages and applications name no edition.