Roofing in Connellsville, 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 City of Connellsville administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of its codified ordinances (Ordinance 1437 of July 14, 2004) says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" "as the Municipal Building Code of the Municipality," and the City's Health, Zoning and Code page lists a "Uniform Construction Code Officer" among its staff, at City Hall, 110 North Arch Street. The City's pages name no code edition.

The City of Connellsville's pages and ordinances do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The City of Connellsville administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of its codified ordinances (Ordinance 1437 of July 14, 2004) says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" "as the Municipal Building Code of the Municipality," and the City's Health, Zoning and Code page lists a "Uniform Construction Code Officer" among its staff, at City Hall, 110 North Arch Street. Chapter 5, Part 1 of the codified ordinances (Sections 5-101 to 5-104 on the Uniform Construction Code, and the demolition permit sections) adds no permit requirement for repairs or alterations of its own and names no roof work, and a search of the whole codified ordinances for "roof" found no permit provision naming roof work. The City's Applications/Ordinances page also posts a Uniform Construction Code ordinance, Bill No. 9 introduced December 21, 2021, whose enactment date and ordinance number are left blank on the posted copy; it adopts the code the same way and says "All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by this Municipality on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code shall continue in full force and effect." No City fee schedule for building permits was found published. 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 a permit is required for a house reroof in Connellsville; ask the Health, Zoning and Code office (724-628-2020, extension 207) before starting. The office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and the City says cash is not accepted in any office in City Hall. Read for this answer: the City's Health, Zoning and Code page, its Applications/Ordinances page, the posted Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Bill No. 9), and the City's codified ordinances (Chapter 5, Part 1, and a search of the whole text for roof words). No City building permit application or fee schedule was found published.