Roofing in Berwick, 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, The Borough of Berwick administers the code through its own Codes Enforcement office at 1800 N. Market Street: the Borough's Uniform Construction Code fee schedule says permits "issued by the Codes Official" are required before listed work, and the Borough's inspection procedures refer to the "Borough of Berwick UCC inspector." The Borough's Ordinances page says "The Code of the Borough of Berwick is not available in digital format at this time. Specific ordinances are available by request," so the Borough's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, any permit or exemption section in it, and any older building ordinance it keeps in force were not read for this record. The Borough's fee schedule says "All inspections per current state codes, the 2009 IBC codes and 2008 NEC code" and names no edition of the International Residential Code; this record has not read the 2009 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

No Borough of Berwick text read for this record names reroofing as permit work or as exempt. The Borough's Uniform Construction Code fee schedule, effective January 16, 2023 (read October 9, 2026), says a permit issued by the Codes Official "is required prior to" a list of work that begins "Constructing or altering a structure" and names no roof work, and its residential fees have a "RESIDENTIAL ALTERATIONS" line and no roofing line. The Permits and Codes & Zoning pages list no roofing permit or form. The Borough's 2026 Zoning Ordinance, Section 1302.1, says "Normal and routine maintenance and repairs to a structure shall be exempt from obtaining a zoning permit"; it does not name roof work. The Borough's Ordinances page says "The Code of the Borough of Berwick is not available in digital format at this time. Specific ordinances are available by request," so the Borough's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, any permit or exemption section in it, and any older building ordinance it keeps in force were not read for this record. 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." The Borough's pages read for this record do not name reroofing either way and its code could not be read, so this record does not decide whether the Borough requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. Ask the Codes Enforcement office at 570-752-2723 before work starts. The Permits page says blank applications "can also be obtained at City Hall" and completed ones "can be submitted in person at City Hall, or electronically." The Borough's contractor's licence application has the contractor certify "it is my responsibility to make sure a building permit is issued prior to the start of any work within the Borough of Berwick or my license may be revoked and the project shut down." Read for this answer: the Codes & Zoning, Permits and Ordinances pages; the Uniform Construction Code fee schedule; the building permit application; the Uniform Construction Code inspection procedures; the contractor's licence application; and the 2026 Zoning Ordinance.