Roofing in Forest Hills, 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, Forest Hills Borough elects to administer and enforce the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and adopts the Uniform Construction Code as its construction code (Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5, Sections 5-101 and 5-102), and the Borough's permits page says "For building permits and inspections, BIU serves as the Borough's inspector," naming Building Inspection Underwriters, a third-party agency; permit forms are submitted to the Borough office at 4400 Greensburg Pike. The Borough's code amends the 2015 editions of the International codes (Section 5-103, as amended in 2019), and the Borough's pages name no edition; Section 5-102 also keeps in effect Ordinance 830, which adopted the 1990 BOCA Basic National Building Code, and this record has not read the 2015 editions' or that code's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies. The Borough's amendment to Table R301.2(1) of the 2015 International Residential Code fills in "Yes" for "Ice barrier underlayment required."

No Forest Hills Borough text read for this record says whether a residential reroof needs a building permit. The Borough's permits page and its building permit application name no roof work as needing or not needing a permit; the application, Building Inspection Underwriters' Application for Building and/or Electrical Permit, lists "Roofing -Total square feet" among boxes under "Alterations/ Additions of," beside fencing, signs, pools, decks and demolition. The 2026 fee schedule (Resolution No. 1297) has no roofing line; it prices "Alteration or Repair, R-1 or R-2" at 1.25% of cost. Section 5-102 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "for regulating and governing the construction, alteration, repair, movement, equipment, removal, demolition, location, maintenance, occupancy or change of occupancy of every building or structure" and keeps in effect, under section 303(b)(1) of the Act, "Ordinance 830, enacted on March 18, 1992, which adopted the 1990 Edition of the BOCA Basic National Building Code, with certain modifications and revisions thereto"; this record has not read Ordinance 830 or that model code's text. The Borough's own amendments in Section 5-103 name no roof 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." The permits page says "Please contact the code/building inspection office before completing a form to ensure that you have all information required and are using the correct form." Forms may be submitted to the Borough by email, fax or at the Borough office, and the page says forms "must contain all requested information and include all required documentation, fees, deposits and escrows for an application to be considered complete." The Borough office, at 412-351-7330, is open Monday and Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Wednesday 9:00 AM to 6:45 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, and is closed to the public on Tuesday. Read for this answer: Chapter 5, Code Enforcement, of the Borough's Code of Ordinances in full; every page of a code-wide search for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; the Forms, Building and Zoning Permits page; the building permit application; Building Inspection Underwriters' permits page; and the 2026 fee schedule, Resolution No. 1297, in full.