Roofing in Fairview Township (Erie 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, Fairview Township in Erie County administers the code through a retained firm: Section 169-6 of the Township Code says plan review, permits, inspections and enforcement under the Uniform Construction Code "shall be performed by the building code official(s), construction code official(s) and other persons employed or contracted by the firm retained by the Township under written contract" and "The Township shall not perform any such services itself or through its employees," and the Township's Building Inspection page names Building Inspection Underwriters of Pennsylvania, INC., reachable at the Township Office, 7471 McCray Road, at 814-474-5942. Chapter 169 of the Township Code (Construction Codes, Uniform, Ord. No. 2004-2) adopts the codes recited at 34 Pa. Code 403.21 "as may in the future be amended"; Section 169-4 applies the chapter to the "construction, alteration, repair" of every building and adds "Exceptions to application of the UCC as set forth in the Act and/or administrative regulations shall apply and are incorporated herein by reference," and Section 169-7B says "Except as expressly authorized in the UCC or in the administrative regulations governing its implementation, no construction or other activity regulated by the UCC shall be conducted or commence without a permit therefor first being issued." Chapter 169 names no roof work as permit work or as exempt. Section 169-3 adds local design standards, including "Use a roof snow load of 40 psf (pounds per square foot) applied as per Section 1608 of the International Building Code," and says Table R301.2(1) of the International Residential Code "shall be as set forth on Appendix A to this chapter," which the code's editor's note says "is on file in the Township office" and which was not read for this record. Chapter 169 names no code edition, and the Township's pages name none.

No Fairview Township text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt. Chapter 169 of the Township Code (Construction Codes, Uniform, Ord. No. 2004-2) adopts the codes recited at 34 Pa. Code 403.21 "as may in the future be amended"; Section 169-4 applies the chapter to the "construction, alteration, repair" of every building and adds "Exceptions to application of the UCC as set forth in the Act and/or administrative regulations shall apply and are incorporated herein by reference," and Section 169-7B says "Except as expressly authorized in the UCC or in the administrative regulations governing its implementation, no construction or other activity regulated by the UCC shall be conducted or commence without a permit therefor first being issued." Chapter 169 names no roof work as permit work or as exempt. The Township's Building Inspection page says the firm can be reached "at the Fairview Township Office at 814-474-5942, Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 9:00am." The Township Office is at 7471 McCray Road, Fairview Township, PA 16415, open Monday to Friday (except holidays), 7:30am to 4:00pm. Read for this answer: Chapter 169 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 169-1 to 169-26), in full; Chapter 193, Fees; Section 395-1001, Zoning permit; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; and the Township's Building Inspection, Ordinances and Zoning Permit Fees & Procedures pages. Section 169-8 sets the retained firm's fees "as established in contract(s) entered into between the Township and such firm(s)," and no such fee schedule is published on the Township's site.