Roofing in Franconia 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, Franconia Township administers the code itself: Section 48-1 of the Township Code says "Franconia 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 Inspectors/Code Enforcement Officers "inspect job sites for building and plumbing approval" and that "Code Inspections, Inc. handles all of Franconia Township's electrical reviews and inspections as well as commercial projects and new developments." Building permit applications go to the Township Building at 671 Allentown Road, Telford. Chapter 48 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 327, June 14, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the Township's municipal building code, and Section 48-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed it in force. Chapter 47, Building Construction (Ord. No. 50 of 1969, last amended by Ord. No. 273 of July 12, 1999), adopts the "BOCA Basic Building Code, Fourteenth Edition 1999" by reference as the Building Code of Franconia Township; Section 47-2 amends it, but the BOCA text itself, including its permit sections, is not published with the Township Code and was not read for this record. Neither chapter names roof work. Chapter 47 names the BOCA Basic Building Code of 1999, and the Township's Building and Plumbing Codes permit conditions sheet says it is "Based on Current International Building Code" and refers to egress "per 2006 International Building Code"; neither names a residential code edition; this record has not read the 1999 BOCA or 2006 editions' text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

No Franconia Township text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt, and the building code Chapter 47 adopts was not read, so this record does not decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. Call the Township at 215-723-1137 before work starts. The Township has published nothing on reroofing. Its Documents Required for Submission of Building Permits sheet names fences, sheds, patios, porches, decks, pools, gazebos and generators but not roofs, and says "If work is being done for an item not listed and you are uncertain or have any additional questions, please call the township at 215-723-1137 for direction." The Application for Plan Examination and Building Permit offers "Repair, replacement" as a type of improvement and has no roofing line, and the Township's fee schedule (Resolution No. 24-01-15-01) has no roofing line in its residential building permit section. Chapter 48 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 327, June 14, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the Township's municipal building code, and Section 48-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed it in force. Chapter 47, Building Construction (Ord. No. 50 of 1969, last amended by Ord. No. 273 of July 12, 1999), adopts the "BOCA Basic Building Code, Fourteenth Edition 1999" by reference as the Building Code of Franconia Township; Section 47-2 amends it, but the BOCA text itself, including its permit sections, is not published with the Township Code and was not read for this record. Neither chapter names 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 Township says building, electrical and plumbing permit applications "MUST BE SUBMITTED IN PERSON OR MAILED TO FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP AT 671 ALLENTOWN ROAD, TELFORD, PA 18969 OR PLACED IN THE BLACK LOCK BOX LOCATED ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE TOWNSHIP BUILDING. NO PERMIT APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL." The Documents Required sheet says that if a contractor can supply a PA Builder's License Number the Township does not require insurance, and otherwise asks for an insurance certificate naming Franconia Township as additional insured. Building & Zoning inspections run Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Read for this answer: Chapter 48 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 48-1 to 48-6), and Chapter 47, Building Construction (Sections 47-1 to 47-7), in full; Chapter 71, Fees; 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 and Documents, Forms & Permits pages; the Documents Required sheet; the Building and Plumbing Codes sheet; the building permit application, a scanned form, whose first page was read from the page image; and the fee schedule, a scanned file, whose building permit section was read from the page images.