Roofing in Girard, 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, Girard Borough administers the code itself through retained code officials: Section 145-8 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 686, June 21, 2004) says "Girard Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 145-10 lets the Borough Council choose by resolution among a Borough employee, "one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies" and other arrangements, and the Borough's Applications page, under "Permits," says "The building inspector is available from 8 a.m. 9 a.m. Monday – Friday" and "Zoning certificates are required before building permits can be issued," with a link to a third-party code agency's permit forms. The Borough Office is at 34 Main Street West. Locally, Article II of Chapter 145 (Ord. No. 686, read October 10, 2026) says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the Municipal Building Code of Girard Borough" (Section 145-9), adopts "The International Residential Code, exclusive of its Chapter 1" with no edition year (Section 145-6), keeps "building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by Girard Borough on or before July 1, 1999" that equal or exceed the code (Section 145-13), and adds no permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations and names no roof work. Article I of the same chapter (Ord. No. 467, July 15, 1974) still adopts the "BOCA One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code, First Edition, 1971" for "alteration, addition to, repair" of detached one- and two-family dwellings (Section 145-2); this record has not read the 1971 code's text. The zoning chapter requires "A zoning certificate" before a person may "Occupy or use any structure hereafter constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered or enlarged" (Section 425-29) and names no roof work, and the housing standards and property maintenance chapters (Chapters 228 and 297) name roofs only as to condition ("Every foundation, floor, wall, ceiling and roof shall be reasonably weathertight") and contain no permit requirement for roof work. A search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no permit provision. Chapter 145 names the 1971 BOCA One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code in Article I and an International Residential Code with no edition year in Article II, and the Borough's pages name no edition; this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Girard Borough's ordinances and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Locally, Article II of Chapter 145 (Ord. No. 686, read October 10, 2026) says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the Municipal Building Code of Girard Borough" (Section 145-9), adopts "The International Residential Code, exclusive of its Chapter 1" with no edition year (Section 145-6), keeps "building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by Girard Borough on or before July 1, 1999" that equal or exceed the code (Section 145-13), and adds no permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations and names no roof work. Article I of the same chapter (Ord. No. 467, July 15, 1974) still adopts the "BOCA One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code, First Edition, 1971" for "alteration, addition to, repair" of detached one- and two-family dwellings (Section 145-2); this record has not read the 1971 code's text. The zoning chapter requires "A zoning certificate" before a person may "Occupy or use any structure hereafter constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered or enlarged" (Section 425-29) and names no roof work, and the housing standards and property maintenance chapters (Chapters 228 and 297) name roofs only as to condition ("Every foundation, floor, wall, ceiling and roof shall be reasonably weathertight") and contain no permit requirement for roof work. A search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no permit provision. 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." This record does not state whether the Borough requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Borough Office (814-774-9683) before starting. Read for this answer: Chapter 145, Construction (Articles I and II, Sections 145-1 to 145-19), in full; Chapter 425, Zoning, Article V, Sections 425-28 and 425-29; Chapters 228 and 297 for permit and roof provisions; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" (17 results, none a permit provision) and a search for "reroofing" (none); and the Borough's Applications, Permits, Zoning, Planning, FAQ and Ordinances & Codes pages. The Borough posts no fee schedule for building permits, and the third-party agency's forms are generic and name no municipality.