Roofing in Keating Township (McKean 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, Keating Township's Forms page, read October 11, 2026, has a Building Permits section that says "It is unlawful for any person, association of persons or corporation to erect, construct, alter or make additions to any building or mobile home within the limits of the Township of Keating without first obtaining a building permit from the Keating Township Supervisors." It posts a Residential Building Permit, a Commercial Building Permit and a "UCC Permit Requirements" sheet, and says "Once you have a form completed, you can drop it off at the office." The Residential Building Permit file holds a Township "DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATION" under "KEATING TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE NO. 55" with a fee of "$25.00," and a third-party code agency's "RESIDENTIAL APPLICATION FOR PENNSYLVANIA U.C.C. BUILDING PERMIT" (both read from the rendered page images). The Township office is at 7160 Route 46, Smethport (814-887-9921), and the Township's Directory page lists a Township Code Enforcement Officer. The Township's pages name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. The "UCC Permit Requirements" sheet lists work needing a UCC building permit, including "Any Porch (deck or patio with roof)" and "Alterations that make structural changes or change the means of egress," and names no reroofing; the building permit sentence quoted above names "alter" and "additions" and no roof work, and the Development Permit Application asks for the "TYPE OF BUILDING/IMPROVEMENT" with "(new, repair, addition, etc.)." This record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration or a repair under those words. The Township's Ordinances page lists five ordinances (108, 114, 116, 118 and 119), none of them adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and the Township's ordinance adopting it was not found published on the Township's website or in Municode, and was not read for this record. The Township's pages and forms name no code edition.

The Township's pages name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. The "UCC Permit Requirements" sheet lists work needing a UCC building permit, including "Any Porch (deck or patio with roof)" and "Alterations that make structural changes or change the means of egress," and names no reroofing; the building permit sentence quoted above names "alter" and "additions" and no roof work, and the Development Permit Application asks for the "TYPE OF BUILDING/IMPROVEMENT" with "(new, repair, addition, etc.)." This record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration or a repair under those words. The Township's Ordinances page lists five ordinances (108, 114, 116, 118 and 119), none of them adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and the Township's ordinance adopting it was not found published on the Township's website or in Municode, and was not read for this record. 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 Township office (814-887-9921) before starting. Read for this answer: the Township's home, Forms, Ordinances, Directory and Contact pages; its Residential Building Permit file (the Development Permit Application and the code agency's UCC application) and "UCC Permit Requirements" sheet, read from the rendered page images; and its Commercial Building Permit file, which carries no text layer and was not read.