Roofing in Lansford, 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, Lansford Borough's zoning and Uniform Construction Code permits are handled for it by the third-party firm ARRO Consulting, Inc., 1239 Centre Turnpike, Orwigsburg: the Borough's Zoning Officer & UCC page lists ARRO Consulting as the "Zoning Officer / UCC Contact" and says "If residents contact the Borough Office regarding Zoning or UCC matters, residents should be directed to ARRO Consulting." Section 165-1 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 2004-03, May 25, 2004) says "The Borough of Lansford hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Section 165-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as "the municipal building code of this municipality." Article III of Chapter 165 (Ord. No. 2007-03, January 3, 2007) adopts the "International Residential Code, 2006 Edition" as "the Residential Code of the Borough of Lansford," and Articles IV and V adopt the 2006 editions of the International Building Code and the International Existing Building Code, while the Borough's permit pages and its 2026 fee schedule name no residential code edition; this record has not read the 2006 editions' text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Lansford Borough's pages read for this record do not settle whether a house reroof needs a building permit. The Borough's Zoning Officer & UCC page says "A UCC Permit may be required for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, demolition, renovations, additions, and other construction-related work" and names no roof work. The Borough's UCC fee schedule (Resolution No. 2026-02, enacted January 14, 2026) has no roofing line; for houses it bills "Alteration & Repairs (if applicable)" at "1.2% of construction cost" ($120 minimum). Its Fees & Permits page lists "Building Permits (UCC Inspection)" at "Varies by service", and its Zoning Permit Application names no roof work. Article III adopts the 2006 International Residential Code "for regulating and governing the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, location, removal and demolition" of houses, "providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor"; its local changes are to Section R101.1, Table R301.2(1) and a plumbing section, and the 2006 edition's own permit and exemption sections were not read for this record. A search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no section that names roof work 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 state whether the Borough requires a permit for a house reroof. The Borough's page says "Do not begin construction, land work, or site work until all required permits and approvals have been issued," and the fee schedule says working without permits "will result in fees that are twice the standard base rate for each discipline." Applications go to ARRO Consulting, Inc., at 570-366-9534; the Borough Office is at 1 West Ridge Street, 570-645-3900, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Read for this record: Chapter 165 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Articles I to V, and Chapter 170, Contractors, in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Zoning Officer & UCC, Code Enforcement and Fees & Permits pages; the 2026 UCC Permit Application Packet with its fee schedule; and the Zoning Permit Application.