Roofing in Dallas Township (Luzerne 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, Dallas Township in Luzerne County (not Dallas Borough) administers the code: Section 45-1 of the Township Code says "Dallas Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code," and building permit applications are taken at the Township building, 105 Lt. Michael Cleary Drive, Dallas, on the Township's own application, whose fee schedule is the Township's and whose inspections are made by a building inspector and a plumbing and HVAC inspector it lists. Section 45-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "contained in 34 Pa Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Chapter 45 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions and names no edition; the Township's pages and application name no edition either.

Dallas Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's building permit application (read October 9, 2026) offers types of work for new buildings, foundations, alterations, demolition, relocation, additions, change of use and the trades, and prices residential permits by cost of work, saying "FEES WILL BE DOUBLED FOR THOSE FAILING TO SECURE PERMIT PRIOR TO START OF WORK"; it names roof work only in a construction detail sheet for new building envelopes. The Board of Supervisors' fee schedule, Resolution 2025-5, has no roofing line. Neither says whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 45 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 2004-3, June 15, 2004), read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" (Section 45-2), names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs. Section 45-5A keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code"; the published Township Code contains no other building code chapter, and this record has read none. Section 95-135 of the Zoning chapter requires a zoning permit before any building is "erected, constructed, moved, added to or structurally altered" and names no roof work. A search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no provision naming a roofing permit; Chapter 45A lists "roofing" only as contractor work that needs a Township contractor registration. 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 Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer (570-674-2000, extension 105) before starting. The Township's pages say "All contract workers in Dallas Township must register with the Zoning & Code Enforcement Officer." The application says to schedule inspections through the office at 570-270-3900; office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. Read for this answer: Chapter 45 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 45-1 to 45-6), and Chapter 45A, Contractors, in full; Section 95-135 of the Zoning chapter; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Planning, Zoning & Code Enforcement and Township Ordinances, Documents & Forms pages; the building permit, zoning permit and contractor registration forms; and Resolution 2025-5, the Schedule of Fees.