Roofing in Hamilton Township (Franklin 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, Hamilton Township administers the code through a third-party agency: the Township's Permits & Services page says "Certain projects are regulated by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and, therefore, require a separate construction permit and building code inspections. Contact PA Municipal Code Alliance, Inc. (PMCA) for more information," and its Land Use Permit Application says "It will be the applicant's responsibility to contact PA Municipal Code Alliance, Inc. to obtain a Construction Permit." PMCA's main office is at 1013 Wayne Avenue, Chambersburg. The Township's own Uniform Construction Code ordinance is not published on its website or in an online code library, so it was not read for this record, and no Township ordinance reaching residential reroofing was read. The Township's pages name no code edition; PMCA's ice barrier sheet, marked revised October 20, 2020, says "All Municipalities Served by PMCA follow and enforce the provisions of the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC)," and this record has not read the 2018 edition's text and does not decide which edition PMCA applies.

Hamilton Township's pages do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's Permits & Services page says "A Land Use Permit is required if you plan to build, erect or remodel a structure in Hamilton Township," with a $15.00 fee, and its Land Use Permit Application says "Application for a Construction Permit will not be accepted until a Land Use Permit is issued by the Township." Neither names roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is to "build, erect or remodel a structure." The Township's own Uniform Construction Code ordinance is not published on its website or in an online code library, so it was not read for this record, and no Township ordinance reaching residential reroofing was read. PMCA's own website, which does not name Hamilton Township on the pages read, answers its question "I am re-roofing my residential structure - do I need a building permit?" with a letter dated July 20, 2018 and addressed "Dear Municipal Official," which says "a residential Re-roof still requires compliance with the provisions of the UCC but does not require a building permit"; PMCA's Re-Roof Application Packet says "A Building Permit is required if there is a structural repair." 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 a permit is required for a house reroof in Hamilton Township; ask the Township office at 717-264-2946 and PMCA at 717-496-4996 before starting. The Township office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Read for this answer: the Township's Permits & Services, Ordinances and home pages and its Land Use Permit Application; and PMCA's Locations, FAQ and Permit Applications pages, its re-roof letter, Re-Roof Application Packet and ice barrier sheet. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance and any building permit fee schedule were not found published and were not read.