Roofing in Clinton Township (Butler 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, Clinton Township administers the code itself: Section 65-2 of the Township Code says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's management page says its Township Manager, Treasurer, Zoning Officer and Code Officer position "Handles Zoning Questions/Building Permits/Road Occupancies/Driveway Permits etc." (read October 10, 2026). The Township's Zoning Information page says "Clinton Township follows Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code" and that building permit forms "must be picked up at the municipal office," at 711 Saxonburg Blvd., Saxonburg, and its Applications & Permits page lists "Permit Guidelines From Our Third Party Inspector." Section 65-3 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Section 65-6 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code." The Township's pages and Chapter 65 name no residential code edition.

Clinton Township's own pages name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. Its Applications & Permits page says "Please call the Clinton Township Office to verify you have all the correct building permits for your project," and the guidelines it posts from its third-party inspector cover single-family dwellings, additions, decks, accessory structures, demolition, signs, pools and solar arrays, with none for re-roofing. The Township's 2026 Fee Schedule has a "MDIA Building Permit Fees Assessed" line and no roofing line, and its Butler County building permit application has no roofing box. Section 185-83 of the zoning chapter requires a zoning certificate "prior to the occupancy or use of any structure hereafter constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered or enlarged," which names no roof work and does not decide whether a house reroof needs a permit. Section 65-3 of the Township Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" and Chapter 65 adds no permit clause of its own. No page read says whether a house reroof needs a building 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." Ask the Township office (724-352-9000, Monday through Thursday 9 am to 3 pm, Friday 9 am to noon) before starting. Read for this answer: the Township's Home, Zoning Information, Applications & Permits, Township Management and Contact pages; the 2026 Fee Schedule; the Butler County building permit application and the Single Family Dwelling and Residential Additions guidelines; Chapter 65 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 65-1 to 65-8), in full; Sections 185-82 and 185-83 of the zoning chapter; the Disposition List; and every page of searches of the whole Township Code for "roof," "reroofing," "repair" and "building permit," which found no permit provision naming roof work on houses.