Roofing in East Hanover Township (Dauphin 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, East Hanover Township, in Dauphin County, uses a third-party agency: the Township's Planning, Codes and Zoning page says "Light-Heigel and Associates, Inc. has been appointed by East Hanover Township to provide residential and commercial building permit review and inspections. To apply for a permit, please contact the Light-Heigel office directly at 717-838-1351," and the agency's own East Hanover Township page lists "Building Permit" and "Residential Inspection" among the services the Township contracts for. The Township publishes no codified code online; its Applications and Ordinances page posts its subdivision, stormwater, floodplain, driveway, sidewalk, small wireless and zoning ordinances, but not the ordinance by which it adopts the Uniform Construction Code, so that ordinance was not read for this record. The Township and agency pages read for this record name no code edition.

No East Hanover Township text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt. The Township's Planning, Codes and Zoning and Apply for a Building Permit pages send applicants to Light-Heigel and name no roof work. Light-Heigel's East Hanover Township building permit application has Type of Work boxes for "New Building Addition Alteration Change of Use Relocation" and a Residential Fee Schedule Sheet with no reroofing line, and the Township's Resolution 2026-06, which sets the UCC plan review and inspection fees of "LIGHT-HEIGEL & ASSOCIATES" by an attached rate schedule, has no reroofing line either; its 2026 Township fee schedule (Resolution 2026-07) names no roof work. The Township publishes no codified code online; its Applications and Ordinances page posts its subdivision, stormwater, floodplain, driveway, sidewalk, small wireless and zoning ordinances, but not the ordinance by which it adopts the Uniform Construction Code, so that ordinance was not read for this record. 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." No East Hanover Township or Light-Heigel text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt, and the Township's own construction code ordinance was not available to read, so this record does not decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. Ask Light-Heigel (717-838-1351) before work starts. To schedule an inspection on an active permit, the Township's page says to call 888-949-9728. The Zoning Officer's office hours at the Township Building are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Read for this answer: the Township's Planning, Codes and Zoning, Apply for a Building Permit and Applications and Ordinances pages; the Township's 2026 fee schedule (Resolution 2026-07); Resolution 2026-06 with its Light-Heigel residential fee sheet; Light-Heigel's East Hanover Township page and its East Hanover Township building permit application.