The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / West Manchester Township - Zoning Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of West Manchester, PA?

Adopted code

West Manchester Township - Zoning Department

No, Township of West Manchester, PA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (West Manchester Township - Zoning Department). West Manchester Township's Zoning Department lists "Replacing the shingles on the roof" among work for which no permit is required; its answer does not speak to other roof coverings or to replacing roof sheathing, and Chapter 75 of the Township Code, its floodplain ordinance, has a permit of its own. The Zoning & Codes page (read October 7, 2026), under "NO permit is required for:", lists "Replacing the shingles on the roof," beside "Replacing or installing siding on the house" and replacing doors and windows of the same size, and says "Call the Zoning Department at 717-792-3505 if you are unsure which permit you need." Its building permit examples name no roof work other than a porch roof or "lean-to" on an attached garage, carport or portico. Chapter 136 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs; its Section 136-6A repealed the Township's earlier building permit ordinance, Section 150-363 et seq., for buildings permitted after it took effect, and Section 136-6C keeps zoning permits. Section 150-363A of the Zoning chapter requires a permit for "the erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure or portion thereof" and says "No building permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided that such repairs do not change the use the exterior dimensions of the structure or otherwise violate the provisions of this chapter." The residential building permit application lists a roofing contractor among the contractors on a job, and the Township's 2026 fee resolution (Resolution 26-02) has no roofing line. Chapter 75, Floodplain Management, has a permit of its own: "A permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of West Manchester," and "A permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures." The enacted text names no roof work either way; the no-permit line is the department's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the State's exclusion for house repairs. 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." Read for this answer: Chapter 136 of the Township Code, Uniform Building Code, in full, which is the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance; Article XXXII, Permits, of Chapter 150, Zoning (Sections 150-363 to 150-370), in full; Chapter 59, Buildings, Dangerous; Chapter 75, Floodplain Management; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," which found no permit provision naming roof replacement; the Zoning & Codes page; the residential building permit and zoning permit applications; and the 2026 fee resolution. Work that does need a building permit is applied for at the Zoning Department with a site plan, two sets of construction plans, the total cost and every contractor on the job; fees are collected when the permit is issued, and the Township says a residential application takes 15 business days on average. Section 136-9 sets a fine "of up to $1,000, plus costs" for each violation of the Township's building code. The Zoning Department's telephone is 717-792-3505.

Roof code checklist: Township of West Manchester, PA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNowestmanchestertownship.com2026-10-07
Repair permit thresholdPublishedpacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-07
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-07
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-07
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNopacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-07
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 136-2pacodeandbulletin.gov2026-10-07
Contractor license / registrationYespalegis.us2026-10-07
Sales & use taxPublishedpa.gov2026-10-07

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 West Manchester, Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
380 East Berlin Road, York, PA 17408
Contact
  • url: https://westmanchestertownship.com/departments/zoning-codes/
  • phone: 717-792-3505
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
West Manchester Township's Zoning Department lists "Replacing the shingles on the roof" among work for which no permit is required; its answer does not speak to other roof coverings or to replacing roof sheathing, and Chapter 75 of the Township Code, its floodplain ordinance, has a permit of its own. The Zoning & Codes page (read October 7, 2026), under "NO permit is required for:", lists "Replacing the shingles on the roof," beside "Replacing or installing siding on the house" and replacing doors and windows of the same size, and says "Call the Zoning Department at 717-792-3505 if you are unsure which permit you need." Its building permit examples name no roof work other than a porch roof or "lean-to" on an attached garage, carport or portico. Chapter 136 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs; its Section 136-6A repealed the Township's earlier building permit ordinance, Section 150-363 et seq., for buildings permitted after it took effect, and Section 136-6C keeps zoning permits. Section 150-363A of the Zoning chapter requires a permit for "the erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure or portion thereof" and says "No building permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided that such repairs do not change the use the exterior dimensions of the structure or otherwise violate the provisions of this chapter." The residential building permit application lists a roofing contractor among the contractors on a job, and the Township's 2026 fee resolution (Resolution 26-02) has no roofing line. Chapter 75, Floodplain Management, has a permit of its own: "A permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of West Manchester," and "A permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures." The enacted text names no roof work either way; the no-permit line is the department's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the State's exclusion for house repairs. 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." Read for this answer: Chapter 136 of the Township Code, Uniform Building Code, in full, which is the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance; Article XXXII, Permits, of Chapter 150, Zoning (Sections 150-363 to 150-370), in full; Chapter 59, Buildings, Dangerous; Chapter 75, Floodplain Management; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," which found no permit provision naming roof replacement; the Zoning & Codes page; the residential building permit and zoning permit applications; and the 2026 fee resolution. Work that does need a building permit is applied for at the Zoning Department with a site plan, two sets of construction plans, the total cost and every contractor on the job; fees are collected when the permit is issued, and the Township says a residential application takes 15 business days on average. Section 136-9 sets a fine "of up to $1,000, plus costs" for each violation of the Township's building code. The Zoning Department's telephone is 717-792-3505.
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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. Section 136-3 adopts the code, defined as the Act and 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as the Building Code of the Township, and Chapter 136 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Chapter 136 names no code edition, and the Township's pages name none.
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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. Chapter 136 of the Township Code, read in full, contains no UL 2218, Class 4 or hail-impact requirement, and neither it nor the Township's pages name a code edition.
Repair permit threshold
West Manchester Township's Zoning Department lists replacing the shingles on the roof among work that needs no permit; the Township's floodplain ordinance has a permit of its own, which is not required for minor repairs. The Zoning & Codes page (read October 7, 2026), under "NO permit is required for:", lists "Replacing the shingles on the roof," beside "Replacing or installing siding on the house" and replacing doors and windows of the same size, and says "Call the Zoning Department at 717-792-3505 if you are unsure which permit you need." Its building permit examples name no roof work other than a porch roof or "lean-to" on an attached garage, carport or portico. Chapter 136 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs; its Section 136-6A repealed the Township's earlier building permit ordinance, Section 150-363 et seq., for buildings permitted after it took effect, and Section 136-6C keeps zoning permits. Section 150-363A of the Zoning chapter requires a permit for "the erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure or portion thereof" and says "No building permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided that such repairs do not change the use the exterior dimensions of the structure or otherwise violate the provisions of this chapter." The residential building permit application lists a roofing contractor among the contractors on a job, and the Township's 2026 fee resolution (Resolution 26-02) has no roofing line. Chapter 75, Floodplain Management, has a permit of its own: "A permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of West Manchester," and "A permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures." The enacted text names no roof work either way; the no-permit line is the department's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the State's exclusion for house repairs. 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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. The department's no-permit line, quoted at the start, names replacing the shingles; no Township text sets an area or cost threshold for roof work.
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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. Chapter 136 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Zoning Department lists replacing the shingles on the roof among work that needs no permit; its pages 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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. Chapter 136 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's roof sheathing provisions, and the Zoning Department's no-permit line names replacing the shingles; it draws no separate line for roof sheathing.
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. West Manchester Township is in York County. The Township's pages and fee resolution say nothing on sales tax.

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West Manchester Township's Zoning Department, at 380 East Berlin Road, York, issues the Township's permits, with Code Administrators, Inc. doing the Uniform Construction Code plan review and inspections, and its Zoning & Codes page lists replacing the shingles on the roof among work that needs no permit. 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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Sources

Roofing questions: Township of West Manchester, PA

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of West Manchester, PA?

No, Township of West Manchester, PA does not require a permit to replace a roof. West Manchester Township's Zoning Department lists replacing the shingles on the roof among work that needs no permit; the Township's floodplain ordinance has a permit of its own, which is not required for minor repairs. The Zoning & Codes page (read October 7, 2026), under "NO permit is required for:", lists "Replacing the shingles on the roof," beside "Replacing or installing siding on the house" and replacing doors and windows of the same size, and says "Call the Zoning Department at 717-792-3505 if you are unsure which permit you need." Its building permit examples name no roof work other than a porch roof or "lean-to" on an attached garage, carport or portico. Chapter 136 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs; its Section 136-6A repealed the Township's earlier building permit ordinance, Section 150-363 et seq., for buildings permitted after it took effect, and Section 136-6C keeps zoning permits. Section 150-363A of the Zoning chapter requires a permit for "the erection, construction, improvement or alteration of any structure or portion thereof" and says "No building permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided that such repairs do not change the use the exterior dimensions of the structure or otherwise violate the provisions of this chapter." The residential building permit application lists a roofing contractor among the contractors on a job, and the Township's 2026 fee resolution (Resolution 26-02) has no roofing line. Chapter 75, Floodplain Management, has a permit of its own: "A permit shall be required before any construction or development is undertaken within any area of the Township of West Manchester," and "A permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures." The enacted text names no roof work either way; the no-permit line is the department's stated practice, and this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the State's exclusion for house repairs. 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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. The department's no-permit line, quoted at the start, names replacing the shingles; no Township text sets an area or cost threshold for roof work.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of West Manchester, 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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. Chapter 136 of the Township Code changes nothing in the code's reroofing provisions, and the Zoning Department lists replacing the shingles on the roof among work that needs no permit; its pages say nothing on roof layers.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Township of West Manchester, PA?

Yes.

What building code does Township of West Manchester, 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, West Manchester Township administers the code through its Zoning Department and a third-party agency: Section 136-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Township's Zoning & Codes page says "The Zoning Department issues all permits for West Manchester Township, except Burning Permits," and it says that on April 27, 2023 the Board of Supervisors "appointed Code Administrators, Inc. as the Township's third-party PA UCC plan review and inspection agency." The office is at 380 East Berlin Road, York. Section 136-3 adopts the code, defined as the Act and 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as the Building Code of the Township, and Chapter 136 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Chapter 136 names no code edition, and the Township's pages name none.