Roofing in Irwin, 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, Irwin Borough in Westmoreland County takes building permit applications at its Building Department, 424 Main Street (724-864-3100), and uses CEA Code Enforcement Agency, 1633 Route 51, Suite 100, Jefferson Hills, for plan review and inspections: the Borough's Residential Building Application, posted on its Forms page, says "All Submittals of applications, information and plans for review, must FIRST be properly submitted to the local municipal offices directly and not CEA Code Enforcement Agency," and Section 110-3A of the Borough Code says "The Borough of Irwin hereby elects to administer and enforce" the code. Section 110-2R fills in the residential code's Table R301.2(1) climate values for the Borough, including "Ground snow load: 40 lbs." and "Ice shield underlayment: Yes." Section 110-1, as restated by Ordinance No. 1016-2026 (January 14, 2026), says "The Borough of Irwin hereby adopts the 2018 Uniform Construction Code," while that ordinance's title says it amends the code "TO ADOPT THE 2021 UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE", and the Borough's Residential Building Application says "2021 International Residential Code (IRC) requires detailed descriptions of the project"; CEA's 2024 Helpful Hints sheet names the "2018 International Residential Code (IRC)"; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Irwin Borough's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 110 of the Borough Code, its Uniform Construction Code ordinance, adopts the code and fills in local values but names no roof work as permit work or as exempt. Chapter 105, Code Enforcement (Ord. No. 828, 1999), sets inspection fees for "renovation, repair or new construction", fines anyone who "commences any building, renovation or other work that would require application and issuance of a building permit as set forth in this chapter" ($35 for a resident, $100 for a contractor), and says "Building permit fees shall be set by Council by way of resolution"; it names no roof work. A search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no permit provision naming roof work. The Borough's Planning & Zoning and Forms pages, its Residential Building Application and CEA's Residential Application Helpful Hints name no reroof or roof replacement as permit work or as exempt. Separately, the Borough's zoning code, Section 260-155C, says "A zoning permit shall be required to construct, reconstruct, erect, alter, enlarge, raze or move a building" and names no roof work; this record does not decide whether that zoning permit reaches a 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." This record does not state whether the Borough requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Borough's Building Department (724-864-3100) before starting. Read for this answer: Chapter 110 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 110-1 to 110-8), Ordinance No. 1016-2026, Chapter 105, Code Enforcement (Sections 105-1 to 105-4), and Article XIX of Chapter 260, Zoning, in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Planning & Zoning and Forms pages; its Residential Building Application, read from its scanned pages; CEA's Residential Application Helpful Hints; and the Borough's zoning and use permit application. No building permit fee resolution was found published on the Borough's site.