Roofing in Ligonier Township, 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, Ligonier Township administers the code through TKL Code Inspection Service, Inc.: Section 40-3 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of" the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and may designate certified third party agencies to perform plan reviews, approvals and inspections, and the Township's Zoning page says "Ligonier Township utilizes TKL Code Inspection Services for our building permits" and that UCC inspections "for both plans and building are done by TKL Code Inspection Services." Section 40-1 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended and supplemented from time to time" as the Township of Ligonier Building Code, and Section 40-2 fills in Table R301.2(1), including "Ice Shield Underlayment: Yes"; Chapter 40 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Neither Chapter 40 nor the Township's pages name a code edition.

No Ligonier Township text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt. The Township's Zoning page (read October 9, 2026) gives "a list of things that DO require a building permit," which includes "Any “New” roofs; i.e., a new roof above an existing porch" and "Any structural alterations to a home, like new windows, or the removal of a structural wall," and does not list roof replacement either way. Chapter 40 of the Township Code, Building Code (Ord. No. 2 of 2015), adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" and fills in local design values, including "Ice Shield Underlayment: Yes" in Table R301.2(1), but adds no permit clause and no roof words of its own. The zoning permit in Section 120-76 reaches a building or structure "erected, placed, installed, added to or structurally altered" and names no roof work. The Township's 2026 fee schedule prices "Building permits and inspections" at "Actual cost, plus 15%" and has no roofing line. 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." Because the Township's only general permit clause is the state code's own, adopted by reference, and neither the Township nor its agency has published a statement on reroofs, this record does not decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. The Zoning page says questions about building permits can go to TKL directly at (724) 801-8204 or to the Zoning Office at (724) 238-2725 ext. 111, and TKL's building permits page says "All building permits must be returned to the appropriate township or borough." The Township's application asks for a contractor registration number. The township office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Read for this answer: Chapter 40 of the Township Code, Building Code (Sections 40-1 to 40-10), in full; Part I (Administrative Legislation) and Part II (General Legislation) of the Township Code and Chapter 120, Zoning, each searched for "roof," which found no permit provision naming roof work; Section 120-76, Zoning Permit; the Township's Zoning and Forms & Ordinances pages; the Township's Building Permit & Plans Examination Application; and the 2026 fee schedule (Resolution 2025-R-17).