Roofing in Aldan, 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, Aldan Borough's own Building & Zoning office, at the Municipal Building, 1 W. Providence Road, takes applications for construction permits and issues them; the Borough's Application for Permit carries a portion "to be completed by Borough" with the permit number and fee. Chapter 97 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 485, June 9, 2004) says "The Borough of Aldan hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as "the building code of and for the Borough of Aldan," and Section 97-3 designates the Borough's Code Enforcement Officer(s), Building Inspector and Zoning Officer to serve as the Municipal Code Official. Section 97-5 keeps in force "All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances, where adopted by the Borough on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code." Chapter 85 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 398, 1984) still adopts the "Basic Building Code," 1981 Edition, of the Building Officials and Code Administrators International as the Building Code of the Borough, while Chapter 97 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; the Borough's building pages and fee schedule name no residential code edition; this record has not read the 1981 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Aldan Borough's fee schedule lists a roofing permit for houses. The Borough's Schedule of Building Permit Fees (November 2022), under RESIDENTIAL, lists "Roofing, Siding Permits" at "$35 per $1,000 or fraction thereof", with a "$104* min.", beside a separate line for "Residential repairs, conversions, alterations, renovations"; its note says "*Includes a $4.00 state fee". Section 85-2 of the Borough Code (amended by Ord. No. 532, November 16, 2022) says "A fee for each plan examination, building permit and inspection shall be paid in accordance with a fee schedule passed by resolution of the Borough Council from time to time." A search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no section that names roof work as permit work or as exempt; the hits are definitions, zoning height and sign rules, satellite dishes, stormwater and property maintenance. 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 permit for a reroof. The same fee schedule says "If work, for which a permit is required, is started prior to obtaining the required permit, the appropriate fee will be doubled. The payment of the double fine will not dismiss any person from Borough Code requirements." The Application for Permit asks for the estimated cost of all trades and "definite particulars as to work proposed and materials used," says permits must be picked up within 30 days, and the fee schedule says "A contractor's administration form is required as well as a current Certificate of Insurance before a permit can be issued." The Building & Zoning office is at 610-626-3554, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Read for this record: Chapter 85, Building Construction, and Chapter 97, Construction Codes, Uniform, of the Borough Code in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Building & Zoning and Code Enforcement pages; the Schedule of Building Permit Fees; and the Application for Permit.