Roofing in Brownsville, 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's Code Enforcement page says "K2 Engineering, Inc. handles the Borough" occupancy permits (phone 724-439-3440), and the Borough's Forms & Permits page posts a K2 Engineering, Inc. "Uniform Construction Code" residential building permit application (234 Pittsburgh Street, Uniontown) whose swimming pool companion form says "No work may be concealed from view until it has been approved by a K2 Engineering Inspector" and that the Building Code Official "shall not accept an inspection from any inspector other than the approved K2 inspector." The Borough office is at 200 Second Street, Brownsville, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (phone 724-785-5761). K2 Engineering's residential application says only that structures must be built to "the currently adopted International Residential Code (IRC)" and the Borough's pages name no edition and post no building code ordinance, so this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Brownsville Borough's published permit documents name no ordinary reroof as permit work or as exempt. The Borough's Code Enforcement page says "K2 Engineering, Inc. handles the Borough" occupancy permits (phone 724-439-3440), and the Borough's Forms & Permits page posts a K2 Engineering, Inc. "Uniform Construction Code" residential building permit application (234 Pittsburgh Street, Uniontown) whose swimming pool companion form says "No work may be concealed from view until it has been approved by a K2 Engineering Inspector" and that the Building Code Official "shall not accept an inspection from any inspector other than the approved K2 inspector." The Borough office is at 200 Second Street, Brownsville, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (phone 724-785-5761). The Borough's posted K2 residential application has a type-of-improvement list of check boxes, among them "NEW ROOF" and "JOINING ROOF (House to Garage)," under the heading "NEW CONSTRUCTION, IMPROVEMENTS OR MODULAR HOMES," and its zoning permit application lists "ROOF" among its "TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS" boxes beside new construction, addition, alteration and repair. Each is a box on a form that serves many kinds of work, and neither page says a permit is or is not needed to replace the covering on an existing roof. The Borough's Ordinances page posts four ordinances, on the tax rate, domestic animals, fire escrow and occupancy permits, and its Resolutions page lists "R-07-2024 Inspection Fees for Occupancy"; none is a building code, permit-chapter or building fee schedule, so no Borough ordinance text was read for this record and it does not say whether any ordinance reaches a house reroof. 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." Read for this answer, October 12, 2026: the Borough's Code Enforcement, Forms & Permits, Ordinances, Resolutions and Contact pages, the posted residential, zoning, pool and demolition applications and the occupancy permit ordinance; none names an ordinary reroof as permit work or as exempt. No Borough code was found on ecode360, General Code, American Legal Publishing, Municode or Code Publishing.