Roofing in Bear Creek Township (Luzerne County), Pennsylvania

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, Bear Creek Township keeps its Township office at 3333 Bear Creek Boulevard and a Code / Zoning Enforcement office (570-824-2299). Chapter 58 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 1-2004, June 7, 2004) says in Section 58-1 that the Township "elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and in Section 58-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" by reference "as the municipal building code of the Township of Bear Creek," Section 6-13 makes a Building Code Official "responsible for enforcing and overseeing all issues and permits with regard to the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code," and the Township's Contacts/Links page lists "BHW, UCC Code Enforcement – 570-270-3900," the number on the Township's UCC building permit application. Chapter 58 names no code edition and neither do the Township's pages, applications or fee schedules read for this record.

Bear Creek Township's own pages and code name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. Chapter 64, Article I of the Township Code (adopted May 3, 1983, Section 64-2 amended 1995) says in Section 64-2 "All construction work within the Township must be duly recorded by filing for a permit and paying a permit fee," defines in Section 64-3 construction work as "all types of work related to and directly involving the erection of, addition to and improvement of structures," and sets in Section 64-5 "a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $600, plus costs of prosecution." The clause uses neither the word repair nor the word alteration and names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is construction work or an improvement of structures. The Township's Forms page lists a "Non-Structural Building Permit Application" and a "UCC Structural Building Permit Application," and neither names roofing. The Township's zoning chapter says in Section 127-144 that "Normal and routine maintenance and repairs to a structure shall be exempt from obtaining a zoning permit," and defines "ALTERATION, STRUCTURAL" to include a change "in the dimensions or configuration the roof and exterior walls." This record does not decide whether a reroof is maintenance, a repair or a structural alteration under that chapter. 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." Ask the Code / Zoning Enforcement office (570-824-2299, Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) or the Township office (570-822-2260) before starting. Read for this answer: the Township's home, Code / Zoning Enforcement, Forms and Contacts/Links pages; its non-structural and UCC building permit applications, UCC fee schedule, 2022 fee schedule and 2026 contractor licence application (scanned pages transcribed with OCR); and on eCode360 Chapter 58 in full, Chapter 64 in full, Section 6-13, Article II of the zoning chapter and Section 127-144, plus code-wide searches for "roof" (12 results, none a permit or exemption), "reroofing" (none), "repair" and "building permit."