Roofing in Longswamp 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, Longswamp Township in Berks County takes zoning and building permit applications at its Township Office, 1112 State Street, Mertztown, and sends them to its Zoning Officer for review; the Township's Permits page names the Zoning Officer as being with LTL Consultants, Ltd., calls that office the "Building Code Official/Zoning Officer," and the Township's permit packet is headed "LTL CONSULTANTS, LTD – (610-987-9290)." The Township's ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is not among the ordinances posted on its Ordinances & Resolutions page, and this record has not read it. The Township's permit packet opens with a notice that "The State of Pennsylvania has adopted the 2018 ICC Code effective February 14, 2022" and names no later edition; this record has not read the 2018 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Longswamp Township's own permit page lists re-roofing among work that needs no permit. The Township's "When do I need a Permit?" page, among its Zoning department pages, lists under "A Permit is NOT required for" the items "Replacement of windows," "Replacement of doors" and "Re-roofing a building." The Township's Permits page says "Building permits are regulated by Pennsylvania’s statewide building code" and "Under the U.C.C., permits for work on existing homes are only required if the work involves anything structural, or if the work involves accessibility issues." The 2026 fee schedule has no roofing line; residential work outside its listed categories falls under "Renovations, Alterations, Modification, and where none of the above categories apply" at $0.41 per square foot with a $250.00 minimum. The Township's ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is not among the ordinances posted on its Ordinances & Resolutions page, and this record has not read it. 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." The Permits page also says conversations with the Building Code Official "are not binding" and that "You must submit a permit application, along with the required supporting documentation (see above) to get a formal and unequivocal response from the Building Code Official/Zoning Officer." Applications go to the Township Office with a $50 application fee, and the 2026 fee schedule says the "Penalty for commencing residential construction without obtaining a permit is in addition to the appropriate schedule of fees of the permits." The Township Office is open Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at 610-682-7388. Read for this answer: the Township's Permits, When do I need a Permit?, Zoning, Contact Us and permit fee pages; its Ordinances & Resolutions page and the 2004 and earlier ordinances posted there (none adopts the Uniform Construction Code); the Township permit packet in full; and the 2026 fee schedule in full. The Township's Zoning Ordinance No. 298 is posted only as a scanned image and was not read for this record. No codified Township code was found online.