Roofing in Alburtis, Pennsylvania

Required

Required

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, Alburtis Borough administers the code itself. Section 30-105(a) of the Borough Code says "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and Section 30-105(b) says the Borough "shall contract with one or more construction code officials and/or third-party agencies"; the Borough's Administration page lists a contracted firm under "Codes Enforcement," and the Borough's Forms page posts an "APPLICATION FOR PA UCC CONSTRUCTION PERMIT" under a "Code Services" heading. Borough Hall is at 260 Franklin St, Alburtis (610-966-4777). Section 30-102 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, 34 Pa. Code chapters 401 to 405, "as they may be amended from time to time," as the building code of the Borough. Chapter 30 names no code edition (it adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as they may be amended from time to time"), and the Borough's Chapter 31 still adopts a model code: it says "The 1996 BOCA National Building Code is modified" for the Borough, while Section 31-103 says "the provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the construction, alteration, repair, movement" of buildings from April 9, 2004 except as Chapter 30 provides. The Borough's pages name no edition; this record has not read the 1996 BOCA text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Alburtis Borough's code prices a reroof as building permit work. Section 30-202 of the Borough Code, in Chapter 30 (Uniform Construction Code, Ord. 473, April 30, 2008, read October 12, 2026), sets the base fees "for a building permit for residential construction (one and two family dwellings)," and subsection (h) lists "To re-roof a residential unit (non-structural): $85.00." Section 30-201 says a fee for each "building permit" under the chapter "shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of this Article II." Section 30-104 says "This Chapter applies to the construction, alteration, repair, movement, equipment" of buildings from April 9, 2004, "except as otherwise provided in 34 PA. CODE § 403.1." 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 a building permit for a reroof and to charge the $85.00 re-roof fee. Chapter 30 as read states no penalty for work without a permit, and the Borough's pages read state none. The Borough's application is the "APPLICATION FOR PA UCC CONSTRUCTION PERMIT" on its Forms page, and Borough Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at 610-966-4777. Read for this answer: Chapter 30 of the Borough Code, Uniform Construction Code (Sections 30-101 to 30-213), in full; Chapter 31, Building Construction, in full; Chapter 35, Property Maintenance, and Chapter 24, Floodplain Management, searched for roof text (none that makes roofing permit work or exempt); the Borough's Forms, Administration, Planning/Zoning, FAQs and Contact pages; and the Borough's UCC permit application. The zoning chapter and the Borough's zoning permit form (a scanned image) were not read.