Roofing in Harveys Lake, 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, Harveys Lake Borough's Zoning Documents page posts a "Building permit" packet headed "Harveys Lake Borough Building Permit Packet," whose application is sent, with its fee, to a third-party building code agency, and which says "For Additional Information or For Scheduling Inspection of Work Call (267) 817-1663." Section 7-1 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 2-2004, May 18, 2004) says the Borough "elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 7-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference "as the Municipal Building Code of the Borough of Harveys Lake," and Section 7-3 lets the Borough carry out administration by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough office is at 4875 Memorial Highway, Suite 1, Harveys Lake. Section 7-5 of the Borough Code keeps in effect building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "and which equal or exceed the requirements of the code"; Chapter 7 names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own. Section 1302.1 of the Borough's Zoning Ordinance says "Normal and routine maintenance and repairs to a structure shall be exempt from obtaining a zoning permit; however a building permit shall be required." The Borough's pages and Chapter 7 of its Code name no code edition.

No Harveys Lake Borough text read says in terms whether an ordinary reroof needs a building permit. Section 7-5 of the Borough Code keeps in effect building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "and which equal or exceed the requirements of the code"; Chapter 7 names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own. Section 1302.1 of the Borough's Zoning Ordinance says "Normal and routine maintenance and repairs to a structure shall be exempt from obtaining a zoning permit; however a building permit shall be required." The packet's list headed "Construction Requiring Inspection" includes "Roof (only when replacing sheathing)," and its fee schedule is headed "Building Permits: Based on the Total Cost of Work" and has no roofing line. The Borough's zoning application offers "Repair/Alteration" among its types of work and has no roofing line. Whether Section 1302.1 reaches an ordinary reroof turns on whether a reroof is a "normal and routine" repair, and the packet's list speaks of inspection, not of a permit, so this record does not decide whether the Borough requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. 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." Harveys Lake Borough's Zoning Documents page posts a "Building permit" packet headed "Harveys Lake Borough Building Permit Packet," whose application is sent, with its fee, to a third-party building code agency, and which says "For Additional Information or For Scheduling Inspection of Work Call (267) 817-1663." Section 7-1 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 2-2004, May 18, 2004) says the Borough "elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 7-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference "as the Municipal Building Code of the Borough of Harveys Lake," and Section 7-3 lets the Borough carry out administration by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough office is at 4875 Memorial Highway, Suite 1, Harveys Lake. The packet's fee schedule says "Any individual or contractor who shall begin work prior to securing a permit shall pay a fee equal to two times the fee that would have been charged had they received the permit prior to beginning work." Ask the Borough office, at 570-639-3300, before starting a reroof. Read for this answer: Chapters 7, 9 and 33A of the Borough Code in full and a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Zoning Ordinance (the posted zoning book), including Section 1302; the Zoning Documents page; the 14-page building permit packet (a scanned document, read from the rendered page images) with its application and fee schedule; and the Borough's zoning application.