Roofing in Bloomsburg, 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 Town of Bloomsburg administers the code itself: Section 5-301 of the Town Code says "The Town of Bloomsburg hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 5-102 gives the Town's Code Enforcement Officer "the issuance of permits," and the Town's Code Enforcement page tells readers to "contact the Building Code Official for clarification." The Code Enforcement & Zoning Office is at 301 E. Second Street, Bloomsburg. Section 5-302 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. The Town's 2026 fee resolution says "Residential UCC permits are for one and two-family dwellings, as defined by the 2018 IRC definition of a residential building, and any subsequent revisions," and Part 3 of Chapter 5 names no edition; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Town applies.

No Town of Bloomsburg text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt; the Town requires a building permit for replacing roof sheathing. The Code Enforcement page's "What kind of permits do I need?" list for one- and two-family dwellings covers decks, porches, accessory structures, fences, retaining walls, pools, signs, additions (including "adding a roof to a porch or deck"), alterations, new homes and demolition, and under Alterations requires a building permit for "Removal, cutting, reinforcement, drilling, or replacement of a load-bearing beam, header, roof sheathing, or wall." It does not name reroofing or roof covering replacement, and it adds "Please see the BCO with any questions about exemptions or exclusionary work." The Town's 2026 fee resolution (Resolution No. 06.22.2026.01) prices "Alterations, Renovations and Repairs to Existing Residential Buildings" by the cost of construction and has no residential roofing line; it lists "Roof Replacements" only among commercial projects. The Town's permit application offers "New Construction," "Repairs/Renovations" and "Alterations" and has no roofing box. Part 3 of Chapter 5 of the Town Code (Ord. 874, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," by reference as the municipal building code, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own; Section 5-305 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code," and Chapter 4, Buildings, is reserved. Section 5-103 requires a permit application "in accordance with the provisions of those other applicable codes and ordinances" the Office of Code Enforcement administers and sets no permit rule of its own. In the Historic District, Section 27-1310 of the zoning chapter says "all repairs, alterations, restorations, enlargements, demolitions, new construction or razing of structures in the Historic District shall require a building permit"; that clause reaches only the Historic District. 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." So no Town text read answers whether the ordinary reroof of a house outside the Historic District needs a permit; for that, the Town says "If you are unsure, contact the Building Code Official for clarification." Applications for building, zoning and demolition permits can be made through the Town's online portal. The fee resolution says "Work performed without approved permits will be assessed at double of the normal permit fee rate," and the Code Enforcement page says performing work regulated by the Uniform Construction Code without a permit "commits a summary offense." The Code Enforcement & Zoning Office telephone is 570-784-7123. Read for this answer: Parts 1 and 3 of Chapter 5 of the Town Code, Code Enforcement, in full; Chapter 4, Buildings (reserved); Part 2 of Chapter 8, Floodplains, and Sections 27-1006 and 27-1310 of the zoning chapter, whose permit clauses sit in those chapters; every page of a search of the whole Town Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work on houses; the Code Enforcement and Forms pages; the 2026 fee resolution; the Town's paper permit application and its online Building/Zoning Application.