The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Upper Merion Township - Code Enforcement Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Upper Merion, PA?

Adopted code

Upper Merion Township - Code Enforcement Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Upper Merion, PA, issued by Upper Merion Township - Code Enforcement Department. Upper Merion Township lists roofing as permit work. Its Work That Requires a Permit page, read October 6, 2026, says "Permits are required for these activities, events, construction projects, and/or items:" and lists "Construction: All new construction, additions, alterations, roofing, siding, decks, replacement windows, and demolitions in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities" and, separately, "Roofs." Its Residential Permits, Procedures & Documents page, read the same day, lists for a roof "Building Permit Application (PDF) with Roof Addendum (PDF)" and says "All permits must be submitted with payment." The roof addendum and the Township's permit fee schedule could not be read for this record. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists an Upper Merion Township filing on building, plumbing and fire code sections, with an approval letter mailed 5/13/04 and enacted 6/17/04; it names no roof work. In practice, expect the Township to require a permit for a reroof, as its pages state; the pages read state no penalty for starting without one. Roofers also need the Township's contractor registration: Section 70-6 of the Township Code makes it "unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of constructing, altering, repairing, roofing, remodeling, siding, demolishing or moving the whole or any part of a building, structure or any improvement for which a building permit is required" without a Township licence, with a $25 annual fee for residential contractors (Section 70-9) and a certificate of insurance (Section 70-8). The Residential Permits page says "All residential contractors need to be registered with the State of Pennsylvania and provide their Pennsylvania HIC Number on the application and current Certificate of Insurance." The Permits Desk at the Township Building, 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, "is open from 8:15 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday," at 610-205-8507 or 610-205-8508; "Permit fees are due at the time of permit application submission," applications are also accepted by mail with a check, the Township asks to "allow up to 15 business days" for review, and inspections need 24 hours' notice to the Building Official named on the issued permit.

Roof code checklist: Township of Upper Merion, PA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesumtownship.org2026-10-06
Repair permit thresholdPublishedpacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-06
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-06
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-06
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNot published
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 69-1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-06
Contractor license / registrationYespalegis.us2026-10-06
Sales & use taxPublishedpa.gov2026-10-06

Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.

Jurisdiction
Township of Upper Merion, Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Contact
  • url: https://www.umtownship.org/174/Code-Enforcement
  • phone: 610-205-8507
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Upper Merion Township lists roofing as permit work. Its Work That Requires a Permit page, read October 6, 2026, says "Permits are required for these activities, events, construction projects, and/or items:" and lists "Construction: All new construction, additions, alterations, roofing, siding, decks, replacement windows, and demolitions in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities" and, separately, "Roofs." Its Residential Permits, Procedures & Documents page, read the same day, lists for a roof "Building Permit Application (PDF) with Roof Addendum (PDF)" and says "All permits must be submitted with payment." The roof addendum and the Township's permit fee schedule could not be read for this record. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists an Upper Merion Township filing on building, plumbing and fire code sections, with an approval letter mailed 5/13/04 and enacted 6/17/04; it names no roof work. In practice, expect the Township to require a permit for a reroof, as its pages state; the pages read state no penalty for starting without one. Roofers also need the Township's contractor registration: Section 70-6 of the Township Code makes it "unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of constructing, altering, repairing, roofing, remodeling, siding, demolishing or moving the whole or any part of a building, structure or any improvement for which a building permit is required" without a Township licence, with a $25 annual fee for residential contractors (Section 70-9) and a certificate of insurance (Section 70-8). The Residential Permits page says "All residential contractors need to be registered with the State of Pennsylvania and provide their Pennsylvania HIC Number on the application and current Certificate of Insurance." The Permits Desk at the Township Building, 175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, "is open from 8:15 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday," at 610-205-8507 or 610-205-8508; "Permit fees are due at the time of permit application submission," applications are also accepted by mail with a check, the Township asks to "allow up to 15 business days" for review, and inspections need 24 hours' notice to the Building Official named on the issued permit.
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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Section 69-1 of the Township Code, as codified (Ordinance No. 2022-881), adopts the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Existing Building Code. The same Code Enforcement page says "Effective April 9, 2026, Upper Merion Township approved Ordinance 2026-907 to amend the Upper Merion Township Code, Chapter 69," Construction Codes, Uniform, "to adopt the 2021 International Building Code," and names no residential code edition; the text of Ordinance 2026-907 and the Township's 2026 list of adopted codes could not be read for this record. The text above is the 2021 edition's; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text. Section 69-7 amends the residential code's Table R301.2(1) climatic and geographic design criteria and its sprinkler section; none of Chapter 69's amendments touches roofing. Chapter 69 names no roof work as permit work or as exempt; the Township names roofing as permit work on its own pages (see the permit entries). Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.
Repair permit threshold
Upper Merion Township lists roofing as permit work and states no size threshold for it. Its Work That Requires a Permit page, read October 6, 2026, says "Permits are required for these activities, events, construction projects, and/or items:" and lists "Construction: All new construction, additions, alterations, roofing, siding, decks, replacement windows, and demolitions in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities" and, separately, "Roofs." Its Residential Permits, Procedures & Documents page, read the same day, lists for a roof "Building Permit Application (PDF) with Roof Addendum (PDF)". The roof addendum and the Township's permit fee schedule could not be read for this record. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists an Upper Merion Township filing on building, plumbing and fire code sections (International Building Code sections 202, 403.1, 907.9.9, 907.2.12.1 thru 907.2.12.6 and 1802), with an approval letter mailed 5/13/04 and enacted 6/17/04; it names no roof work. In practice, expect the Township to require a permit for a reroof, as its pages state; the pages read state no penalty for starting without one. 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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Its permit list and roof permit documents are quoted at the start of this entry. Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.
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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Its permit pages read for this record say nothing on roof layers, and Chapter 69 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 69-1 of the Township Code, as codified (Ordinance No. 2022-881), adopts the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Existing Building Code; the Code Enforcement page says "Effective April 9, 2026, Upper Merion Township approved Ordinance 2026-907 to amend the Upper Merion Township Code, Chapter 69," Construction Codes, Uniform, "to adopt the 2021 International Building Code," and names no residential code edition; the text of Ordinance 2026-907 and the Township's 2026 list of adopted codes could not be read for this record. The text above is the 2021 edition's; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text. Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.
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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Its permit pages read for this record say nothing on roof sheathing, and Chapter 69 of the Township Code states no roof sheathing rule of its own. Section 69-1 of the Township Code, as codified (Ordinance No. 2022-881), adopts the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Existing Building Code; the Code Enforcement page says "Effective April 9, 2026, Upper Merion Township approved Ordinance 2026-907 to amend the Upper Merion Township Code, Chapter 69," Construction Codes, Uniform, "to adopt the 2021 International Building Code," and names no residential code edition; the text of Ordinance 2026-907 and the Township's 2026 list of adopted codes could not be read for this record. The text above is the 2021 edition's; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text. Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.
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. Upper Merion Township is in Montgomery County. Its Code Enforcement Department, which administers the Uniform Construction Code there, states nothing on sales tax on the permit pages read for this record.

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Upper Merion Township's Code Enforcement Department, at 175 West Valley Forge Road in King of Prussia, issues construction permits in the Township and lists roofing among the work that needs one. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code applies statewide, but the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (Act 45 of 1999) says the Act "shall not apply 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)(6)).

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Roofing questions: Township of Upper Merion, PA

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Upper Merion, PA?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Upper Merion, PA. Upper Merion Township lists roofing as permit work and states no size threshold for it. Its Work That Requires a Permit page, read October 6, 2026, says "Permits are required for these activities, events, construction projects, and/or items:" and lists "Construction: All new construction, additions, alterations, roofing, siding, decks, replacement windows, and demolitions in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities" and, separately, "Roofs." Its Residential Permits, Procedures & Documents page, read the same day, lists for a roof "Building Permit Application (PDF) with Roof Addendum (PDF)". The roof addendum and the Township's permit fee schedule could not be read for this record. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists an Upper Merion Township filing on building, plumbing and fire code sections (International Building Code sections 202, 403.1, 907.9.9, 907.2.12.1 thru 907.2.12.6 and 1802), with an approval letter mailed 5/13/04 and enacted 6/17/04; it names no roof work. In practice, expect the Township to require a permit for a reroof, as its pages state; the pages read state no penalty for starting without one. 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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Its permit list and roof permit documents are quoted at the start of this entry. Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Upper Merion, 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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Its permit pages read for this record say nothing on roof layers, and Chapter 69 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 69-1 of the Township Code, as codified (Ordinance No. 2022-881), adopts the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Existing Building Code; the Code Enforcement page says "Effective April 9, 2026, Upper Merion Township approved Ordinance 2026-907 to amend the Upper Merion Township Code, Chapter 69," Construction Codes, Uniform, "to adopt the 2021 International Building Code," and names no residential code edition; the text of Ordinance 2026-907 and the Township's 2026 list of adopted codes could not be read for this record. The text above is the 2021 edition's; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text. Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Township of Upper Merion, PA?

Yes.

What building code does Township of Upper Merion, 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, Upper Merion Township administers the code through its own Code Enforcement Department, whose page, read October 6, 2026, says "This office processes and issues all construction and use-related permits." Section 69-1 of the Township Code, as codified (Ordinance No. 2022-881), adopts the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Existing Building Code. The same Code Enforcement page says "Effective April 9, 2026, Upper Merion Township approved Ordinance 2026-907 to amend the Upper Merion Township Code, Chapter 69," Construction Codes, Uniform, "to adopt the 2021 International Building Code," and names no residential code edition; the text of Ordinance 2026-907 and the Township's 2026 list of adopted codes could not be read for this record. The text above is the 2021 edition's; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text. Section 69-7 amends the residential code's Table R301.2(1) climatic and geographic design criteria and its sprinkler section; none of Chapter 69's amendments touches roofing. Chapter 69 names no roof work as permit work or as exempt; the Township names roofing as permit work on its own pages (see the permit entries). Chapter 69 (Construction Codes, Uniform), Chapter 70 (Contractor Licensing) and Chapter 127 (Property Maintenance) of the Township Code, and a search of the whole Code for roof provisions, were read for this record.