Roofing in East Vincent Township, 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 Vincent Township administers the Uniform Construction Code itself: Section 5-101 of the Township Code says "East Vincent Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building & Zoning page says its "Building Code Official (BCO) is appointed by the Board of Supervisors to oversee the approval and issuance of zoning and building permit applications." Permits are issued at the Township office, 262 Ridge Road, Spring City. Section 5-102 adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code of East Vincent Township, with three amendments to the State regulation's administrative sections, and Chapter 5 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 5-105 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code; apart from BOCA Section 113.0, kept by Section 5-102, this record has not read any such ordinance. The Township's pages name no code edition.

East Vincent Township's Roof Permit page says "If the work only involves replacing or adding shingles, a permit is not necessary," and that a roofing permit is needed "if the work is replacing or adding plywood to a roof." The Township's Roof Permit page (read October 9, 2026) says "Roofing permit must be acquired only if the work is replacing or adding plywood to a roof. If the work only involves replacing or adding shingles, a permit is not necessary." and "A building permit is required if it is more than replacing shingles. If the work is only shingles, a permit is not required." The Township's Building Permit page lists among work needing a building permit "Roof Replacement (if replacing more than just shingles)". The Building & Zoning page says "Please call the code enforcement office at 610-933-4424 before beginning any new construction project." Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. 176, June 2, 2004), adopts the code by reference. Section 5-102 amends the State regulation in three places, including "Section 403.62.(c).1. (xvii) is deleted in its entirety" and keeping "§ 113.0 of the BOCA National Building Code, Thirteenth Edition, 1996" in force in place of Section 403.64; the State's current Section 403.62(c) numbers its exceptions (1) to (9), with no item (1)(xvii), and this record has not read the earlier text of the regulation the 2004 ordinance refers to or BOCA Section 113.0. The Township's 2024 General Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 2024-18) has no roofing line; it prices "Additions and Alterations to Existing Dwellings" generally, and its building permit application lists no roof work among its types of work. 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." Where a permit is needed, the fee schedule says "Any permit required work which is started without an approved permit being issued automatically doubles the permit fees (excluding CO and L&I fees). Repeat offenders will be issued a $500.00 fine." Each permit application is "required to be turned in with an application fee of $100," and the Permits & Forms page says "All contractors are required to be registered with the Township by completing the Contractor Registration form and paying the $50 registration fee." The Township office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, at 610-933-4424. Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Township Code, Construction Code, Part 1 (Uniform Construction Code, Sections 5-101 to 5-111) and Part 2 (Contractor Registration), in full; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; the Building & Zoning, Permits & Forms, Roof Permit, Building Permit, Alteration/Renovation Permit and Zoning Permit pages; the building permit application; and the 2024 General Fee Schedule, a scanned document read from its page images.