Roofing in Chester Township (Delaware County), 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, Chester Township, in Delaware County, takes building permit applications at its township office, 1150 Engle Street, Chester; its staff page lists a Code Officer and a Building and Plumbing Inspector, and its fee schedule, updated August 7, 2025, sets the Township's building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit fees. The Township's code of ordinances is not posted on its website or on a public code library found for this record, so its construction code ordinance was not read; this record does not know whether that ordinance says anything on house repairs or roof work. No Township page read for this record names a code edition.

Chester Township's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's building permit application is headed "BUILDING, PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL APPLICATION: ALTERATIONS, REPAIRS, FENCES, DEMOLITION, ETC." and asks the applicant to "GIVE DEFINITE PARTICULARS AS TO PROPOSED WORK AND MATERIALS USED"; it has no roofing entry. The fee schedule's building permit fees list residential construction, commercial construction, deck construction and demolitions, with no roofing line. The Township's code of ordinances is not posted on its website or on a public code library found for this record, so its construction code ordinance was not read; this record does not know whether that ordinance says anything on house repairs or roof work. 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 the township office (610-494-4149, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm) before starting. The application says that before a permit is issued the applicant must supply the contractor's license number, proof of public liability and workers' compensation coverage, and a "COPY OF CONTRACTOR'S PROPOSAL TO OWNER," and it says "$4.50 STATE FEE REQUIRED ON ALL PERMITS"; the fee schedule also lists an annual building construction license. Read for this answer: the Township's Forms & Applications, Staff, Contact and Resident Resources pages; its fee schedule (updated August 7, 2025); its building permit application; and its certificate of compliance application.