Roofing in Heidelberg Township (Lebanon 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, Heidelberg Township in Lebanon County names Commonwealth Code Inspections, Inc as its UCC Building Code Official on its Departments page, which says "All permit applications and supporting information should be returned to the Township Office"; the Township Building is at 111 Mill Road, Schaefferstown. The Township's ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is not posted on its site, and neither the Township's pages nor its building permit application name a code edition.

No Heidelberg Township text read for this record names roof covering work as building permit work or as exempt. The Township's ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is not posted on its site, and the Township posts no building permit fee schedule. Its Application for Building Permit / Use Certificate (read from the rendered page) says "PA. UCC and referenced INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE SERIES is enforced", asks for a description of work and names no roof work. Section 2002 of the Township's zoning ordinance (amended through June 2022) says "No building or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to, altered, or the use therein changed without a permit therefore issued by the Zoning Officer", and the ordinance defines "PERMIT" as "Building and Zoning Permit issued by the duly appointed Zoning Officer"; that clause sits in the zoning ordinance, is issued by the Zoning Officer and names no roof work, and no section of the zoning ordinance names roofing as permit work or as exempt. 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 decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. Ask Commonwealth Code Inspections at 1-800-732-0043, or the Township Office at 717-949-3885 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm), before work starts. Read for this record: the Township's zoning ordinance (amended through June 2022), including Article 20, Administration and Enforcement; the Township's Application for Building Permit / Use Certificate; and the Township's home, Departments, Documents and Downloads and Contact pages. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance is not posted and was not read.