Roofing in Indiana, 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, Indiana Borough administers the Uniform Construction Code itself with a contracted inspection firm: Section 170-1 of the Borough Code says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce" the Act, and Section 170-3 says administration and enforcement "shall be undertaken by the Code Enforcement and Planning/Zoning Departments of Indiana Borough and a third-party inspection company, in accordance with a contract approved by the Borough." The departments are at 80 North 8th Street, Indiana. Section 170-2 adopts "The Uniform Construction Code as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code of the Borough of Indiana; Chapter 170 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. The Borough's pages name no code edition.

Indiana Borough lists roof replacement on its property maintenance and zoning permit application. The Borough's Property Maintenance/Zoning Permit Application, posted under "PERMITS" on its Code Enforcement page (read October 7, 2026), lists under "PERMIT DESCRIPTION" "Roof Replacement Check One: Shingles Metal Roofing" beside window replacement, siding and interior remodel, and the Borough's 2026 fee schedule (Resolution No. 2026-R5, enacted April 7, 2026) prices a "Property Maintenance Permit" at $30.00. The Code Enforcement page's answer to "Do I need a permit?" says "Various types of work for interior and exterior projects may require permits. Painting, landscaping and flooring would be exempt. Give us a call and we will be glad to assist you in determining whether a permit is required." That application is for a property maintenance and zoning permit, a separate local permit from the Uniform Construction Code building permit; the Borough's UCC residential building permit fees name no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a UCC building permit is needed for a house reroof. Chapter 170 of the Borough Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference and names no roof work, and a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no section that requires or exempts a permit for 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." Ask the Borough at 724-465-6543 before work starts. In practice, expect the Borough to require its property maintenance permit for a roof replacement. The 2026 fee schedule lists "Working Without a Permit" at "$50.00; $100.00; 150.00." The Code Enforcement and Planning & Zoning Departments are at 80 North 8th Street, Indiana, 724-465-6543, and the application asks for the contractor's name and the total cost of construction. Read for this answer: Chapter 170 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 170-1 to 170-7), in full; Chapter 327, Property Maintenance; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Code Enforcement and Planning & Zoning pages; the 2026 fee schedule; the Property Maintenance/Zoning Permit Application; and the residential alteration building permit application.