Roofing in Chambersburg, 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 Chambersburg elects to administer the code (Section 113-1 of the Borough Code: "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code, Act 45 of 1999"), and its Land Use and Community Development Department says the Uniform Construction Code "is enforced by the Borough's state-certified third party code enforcement agency, Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance (PMCA)." Section 113-6 C requires a Borough land use permit first: "Issuance by the Borough of a land use permit for the specific project shall be a prerequisite to make application for a construction permit." The Borough's Land Use Permit Application says the applicant must then contact PMCA, at 1013 Wayne Avenue, to obtain a "UCC Permit." Section 113-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the Municipal Building Code of the Borough of Chambersburg. Chapter 113 of the Borough Code and the Borough's pages name no code edition; PMCA's ice barrier sheet, marked revised October 20, 2020, says "All Municipalities Served by PMCA follow and enforce the provisions of the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC)," and its re-roof letter of July 20, 2018 refers to the 2015 edition; this record has not read the 2018 or 2015 edition's text and does not decide which edition PMCA applies. Chapter 113 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions.

The Borough of Chambersburg issues a land use permit first, and its third-party agency, Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance (PMCA), issues Uniform Construction Code permits; the Borough's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 113 of the Borough Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Municipal Building Code, requires the land use permit before a construction permit (Section 113-6 C), and names no roof work; it adds no permit requirement for repairs or alterations of its own. The Borough's Applications & Permits page lists a Land Use/Use & Occupancy permit for "Construction of buildings, additions to or remodeling of existing buildings," and names no roof work. PMCA's own website, which does not name the Borough on the pages read, answers the question "I am re-roofing my residential structure - do I need a building permit?" with a letter dated July 20, 2018 and addressed "Dear Municipal Official," which says "a residential Re-roof still requires compliance with the provisions of the UCC but does not require a building permit" and "If structural work is required such as replacing studs, headers, rafters or trusses a permit would now be required"; the letter refers to the 2015 International Residential Code. PMCA's Re-Roof Application Packet says "A Building Permit is required if there is a structural repair." The Borough's Master Fee Schedule resolution (changes of May 11, 2026) reproduces PMCA's 2026 Supplemental Fee Schedule, which lists "Residential Re-Roof" at $160 "(with structural repairs, framing & final)." The Borough's own pages say nothing on reroofing. 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 Borough requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Land Use and Community Development Department (717-251-2417) or PMCA (717-496-4996) before starting. Section 113-5 sets a fine of "not less than $250 nor more than $1,000" for violating Chapter 113, and there is no fee for a Borough land use permit. Read for this answer: Chapter 113 of the Borough Code, Building Construction (Sections 113-1 to 113-8), in full; Chapter 221, Property Maintenance; a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work on private property; the Borough's Land Use and Community Development and Applications & Permits pages; its 2026 Land Use Permit Application; its Master Fee Schedule resolution, including PMCA's 2026 Residential and Supplemental Fee Schedules in it; and PMCA's home, Permit Applications and FAQ pages, Re-Roof Application Packet, re-roof letter and ice barrier sheet.