Roofing in Johnsonburg, 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, Johnsonburg Borough's Chapter 138 of the Borough Code, Uniform Construction Code, says "The Borough of Johnsonburg hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999" and allows administration by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies," as the Borough Council decides by resolution; the Borough's Local Information page links "Bureau Veritas office - building permit and inspection information" under permits and applications, and its 2026 fee schedule says "Any permit requiring the services of Bureau Veritas will be subject to fees regulated by that agency." The Borough's Chapter 138 and its other pages name no code edition, adopting the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time"; this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Johnsonburg Borough's own permit clauses speak of alteration, not roofing. Section 138-6B of the Borough Code (added December 15, 2009 by Ord. No. 2009-07) says "No person shall cause or permit any structure excluded by the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act as set forth in 35 P.S. 7210.102 et seq., and the Uniform Construction Code as set forth in 35 P.S. 7210.301, to be razed, erected, or altered, without first having obtained a permit therefore," to be issued by the Zoning Hearing Officer for a $10 fee. Section 310-29A of the zoning chapter says "A building permit shall be required prior to the erection, addition or alteration of any building or portion thereof, prior to the use or change in use of a building or land, and prior to the change or extension of a nonconforming use," and section 310-29D says "No building permit shall be issued until the Zoning Officer has certified that the proposed building, addition or alteration complies with all the provisions of this chapter as well as with all the provisions of Chapter 138, Construction Codes, Uniform." Neither clause names roof work or repairs, neither carries an exemption, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration under either. The Borough's Building Permit Application asks the applicant to circle a "Type of Work" from "New Construction Addition Alteration Repair" and says "Permit fee = $10.00"; its fee schedule lists a "Borough building zoning permit" at $10; neither names roofing. Johnsonburg Borough's Chapter 138 of the Borough Code, Uniform Construction Code, says "The Borough of Johnsonburg hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999" and allows administration by "the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies," as the Borough Council decides by resolution; the Borough's Local Information page links "Bureau Veritas office - building permit and inspection information" under permits and applications, and its 2026 fee schedule says "Any permit requiring the services of Bureau Veritas will be subject to fees regulated by that agency." 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." Read for this answer: the whole 2014 republished Borough Code (three scanned volumes, searched for "roof" in full, which found definitions, stormwater roof-drain rules and a housing-standards rule that "Every foundation, exterior wall and exterior roof shall be substantially weathertight, watertight and rodentproof" but no permit provision naming roof work), including Chapter 138, the zoning chapter's permit sections, the Floodplain Management chapter and the Housing Standards chapter; the Borough's Local Information page, Building Permit Application and 2026 fee schedule. The Borough's website carries no code edition, and a search found no Borough code on ecode360, General Code's online library, American Legal Publishing, Municode or Code Publishing. The Borough office is at 100 Main Street, Johnsonburg (814-965-5682); ask the Borough and Bureau Veritas before starting.