Warwick Township - Zoning & Building

Township of Warwick, Pennsylvania (Lancaster County)

city

315 Clay Road, Lititz, PA 17543

Required

Required

Warwick Township's construction code requires a permit for a reroof of 25% or more of the roof. Section 120-4.H.4 of the Township Code says the Township "shall require persons to obtain permits under the Warwick Township Construction Code" for "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings which are exempt from the UCC by Act 92 of 2004; provided, however, that the following types of alterations and repairs shall continue to be exempt and no permit will be required," and item (2) of that list is "Reroofing of less than 25% of the total existing roof square footage." A full reroof is outside that exemption. The Township's fee resolution, Resolution 01-05-2026-06 (adopted January 5, 2026), and Section A350-14 of the Township Code list a fee for "Roofs (structural improvements not considered repairs or maintenance)" at $.15 per square foot, minimum $100; neither names a fee for a covering-only reroof, and the Zoning / Building Permits page says "Building permit fees will be calculated by the Code and Zoning Officer." 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 a Warwick Township (Lancaster County) filing that "Requires a building permit for all residential alterations and repairs, and establishes 9 exceptions," found in compliance with an approval letter mailed May 2, 2005 and enacted June 15, 2005. In practice, expect the Township to require a building permit for a reroof of 25% or more of the roof. Section 120-4.J says a person who starts work before obtaining the permit "shall be subject to an additional fee for expedited processing which shall be equal to the fee which should have been paid at permit application," and the code's Section 113.4 sets "a penalty of not less than $200 and not more than $1,000 for each violation plus all costs of prosecution." Section 120-4 says "It shall be the joint responsibility of the owner, lessee, if any, and the contractor to determine that a Construction Code permit (and all other required permits and approvals) has been obtained before performing any work," and the permit is posted where the public can see it. The Township says "a list of required inspections is included with the permit." The Township's telephone is 717-626-8900. Read for this answer: Chapter 120 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter A350, Fee Schedule; Chapter 232, Article II, Property Maintenance; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," which finds no other permit provision naming roof work, and for "reroofing"; the Zoning / Building Permits page, the Inspection Guidelines & Agencies page and the residential inspection guidelines; the residential building permit application; and Resolution 01-05-2026-06.

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, Warwick Township administers the code itself: its Inspection Guidelines & Agencies page says "Warwick Township issues all building permits" and "Currently, the Township staff performs all residential inspections, with the exception of electric, plumbing, and mechanical inspections," which the third-party agencies listed on that page perform on the Township's behalf. The Township Building is at 315 Clay Road, Lititz. Section 120-3 adopts the standards the State made part of the Uniform Construction Code in 34 Pa. Code 403.21 as the Warwick Township Construction Code. Its Table R301.2(1) entries include a ground snow load of 30 pounds per square foot and "Ice shield underlayment required: Yes," and Chapter 120 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Chapter 120 adds to the "International Building Code/2003" and fills in Table R301.2(1) of the "International Residential Code/2003," and the Township's Zoning / Building Permits page says "The 2009 International Residential Code is the new standard for residential construction"; this record has not read the 2003 or 2009 edition's text.

Warwick Township's construction code requires a permit for residential repairs and exempts only reroofing of less than 25% of the roof. Section 120-4.H.4 of the Township Code says the Township "shall require persons to obtain permits under the Warwick Township Construction Code" for "All alterations or repairs to residential buildings which are exempt from the UCC by Act 92 of 2004; provided, however, that the following types of alterations and repairs shall continue to be exempt and no permit will be required," and item (2) of that list is "Reroofing of less than 25% of the total existing roof square footage." A full reroof is outside that exemption. The Township's fee resolution, Resolution 01-05-2026-06 (adopted January 5, 2026), and Section A350-14 of the Township Code list a fee for "Roofs (structural improvements not considered repairs or maintenance)" at $.15 per square foot, minimum $100; neither names a fee for a covering-only reroof, and the Zoning / Building Permits page says "Building permit fees will be calculated by the Code and Zoning Officer." 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 a Warwick Township (Lancaster County) filing that "Requires a building permit for all residential alterations and repairs, and establishes 9 exceptions," found in compliance with an approval letter mailed May 2, 2005 and enacted June 15, 2005. In practice, expect the Township to require a building permit for a reroof of 25% or more of the roof. Section 120-4.J says a person who starts work before obtaining the permit "shall be subject to an additional fee for expedited processing which shall be equal to the fee which should have been paid at permit application," and the code's Section 113.4 sets "a penalty of not less than $200 and not more than $1,000 for each violation plus all costs of prosecution." 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, Warwick Township administers the code itself: its Inspection Guidelines & Agencies page says "Warwick Township issues all building permits" and "Currently, the Township staff performs all residential inspections, with the exception of electric, plumbing, and mechanical inspections," which the third-party agencies listed on that page perform on the Township's behalf. The Township Building is at 315 Clay Road, Lititz. The Township's threshold is the 25% line in Section 120-4.H.4 quoted at the start.

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, Warwick Township administers the code itself: its Inspection Guidelines & Agencies page says "Warwick Township issues all building permits" and "Currently, the Township staff performs all residential inspections, with the exception of electric, plumbing, and mechanical inspections," which the third-party agencies listed on that page perform on the Township's behalf. The Township Building is at 315 Clay Road, Lititz. Chapter 120 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Township's pages say nothing on roof layers; Section 120-4.H.4 requires a permit for reroofing of 25% or more of the roof. Chapter 120 adds to the "International Building Code/2003" and fills in Table R301.2(1) of the "International Residential Code/2003," and the Township's Zoning / Building Permits page says "The 2009 International Residential Code is the new standard for residential construction"; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2003 and 2009 editions' text was not read for this record.

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, Warwick Township administers the code itself: its Inspection Guidelines & Agencies page says "Warwick Township issues all building permits" and "Currently, the Township staff performs all residential inspections, with the exception of electric, plumbing, and mechanical inspections," which the third-party agencies listed on that page perform on the Township's behalf. The Township Building is at 315 Clay Road, Lititz. Chapter 120 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions. Its fee resolution prices "Roofs (structural improvements not considered repairs or maintenance)" separately, but no Township text draws a separate permit line for roof sheathing. Chapter 120 adds to the "International Building Code/2003" and fills in Table R301.2(1) of the "International Residential Code/2003," and the Township's Zoning / Building Permits page says "The 2009 International Residential Code is the new standard for residential construction"; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and the 2003 and 2009 editions' text was not read for this record.

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. Warwick Township is in Lancaster County. The Township's permit pages and fee resolution say nothing on sales tax.