Roofing in Derry Township (Mifflin 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, Derry Township in Mifflin County administers the Uniform Construction Code through a third-party agency: the Township's Building Permits page says "Derry Township has contracted with Bureau Veritas, 75 Reserve Lane, Lewistown, PA 17044, a third-party agency, to administer and grant Building Permits as required by Pennsylvania State Law," and Chapter 97 of the Township Code elects to administer and enforce the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. Section 97-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code of the Township of Derry, Mifflin County; Chapter 97 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions and names no edition, and the Township's pages name none.

Derry Township's Building Permits page sends owners to Bureau Veritas for building permits "for any new construction, renovations and demolition," without naming roof work. Chapter 97 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 2004-2), adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference and names no roof work either way; its only permit requirement is the one the Uniform Construction Code itself carries. The Building Permits page (read October 9, 2026) says "Property Owners, or their agents, must apply for building permits at the Bureau Veritas office for any new construction, renovations and demolition" and "If you are unsure if you need to apply for a building permit, please check with the Township Zoning Officer before proceeding with your project," and names no roof work. Bureau Veritas's Residential Fee Schedule for Mifflin and Centre Counties, posted on the Township's page, has no roofing line; its nearest line is "Alterations, Renovations (decks, etc)." The Township's zoning permit pages say "No zoning permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided such repairs do not change the use or the exterior dimensions of the structure." 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." The Township's zoning permit application says "A Building Permit may also be required. Please contact the Bureau Veritas office (717-242-0992) for UCC Building Permit requirements." Bureau Veritas's fee schedule says it may, with the Township's approval, charge an additional $77.00 per hour to process a building permit for work started or completed before the permit was issued. Bureau Veritas is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at 717-242-0992, and inspections need 24 hours' notice. The Township office, 73 Reserve Lane, is at 717-248-8151. Read for this answer: Chapter 97 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter 116, Fees; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Building Permits and Zoning Permits pages; Bureau Veritas's Residential Fee Schedule; the Township's 2026 zoning fee schedule; and the Residential/Agricultural zoning permit application, the last three scanned documents read from their page images.