Roofing in Centre Township, 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, Centre Township, Berks County, elected to administer and enforce the Uniform Construction Code by Ordinance 129-2010, which provides for "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Municipality"; the Township's Building Permits page says "Please contact Kraft Municipal Group: 610-775-7185," and its building permit packet tells applicants to contact Kraft Code Services at that number. Ordinance 129-2010, read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of this Municipality," says "All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of this Municipality not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect," and names no roof work. The Township also posts older building ordinances adopted before the Uniform Construction Code: Ordinance 5 of 1970, Ordinance 5-01-87 (adopting the BOCA National Building Code of 1987) and Ordinance 70 of 1993 (adopting "The BOCA National Building Code/1993"). This record does not decide whether any part of them remains in force, and it has not read the BOCA code texts they adopt. No Township page names a code edition.

Centre Township's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Ordinance 129-2010, read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as "the municipal building code of this Municipality," says "All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of this Municipality not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect," and names no roof work. The Township also posts older building ordinances adopted before the Uniform Construction Code: Ordinance 5 of 1970, Ordinance 5-01-87 (adopting the BOCA National Building Code of 1987) and Ordinance 70 of 1993 (adopting "The BOCA National Building Code/1993"). This record does not decide whether any part of them remains in force, and it has not read the BOCA code texts they adopt. The Township's Building Permits page gives only the agency's phone number, and the Township's building permit packet, whose type-of-improvement boxes include "Repair/replacement" and "Alteration", names no roof work. No Township page says whether a house reroof needs a permit. 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." This record does not state whether the Township requires a permit for a house reroof; ask Kraft Municipal Group (610-775-7185) before starting. The permit packet says "No construction may begin without paying for and receiving your approved permit. Performing work without a permit will result in the doubling of all permit fees." Read for this answer: Ordinance 129-2010 in full; Ordinances 5 of 1970, 5-01-87 and 70 of 1993 as posted; the Township's ordinance list, Building Permits, Zoning and directory pages; and the Township's building permit packet. The Township has posted no permit fee schedule.