Roofing in Lower Chanceford 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, Lower Chanceford Township administers the code itself through a contracted code inspection firm: its Construction Code Ordinance (effective June 12, 2004) says "Lower Chanceford Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and lets the governing body act through "one or more construction code officials or third party agencies," its Resolution 2026-01 (January 5, 2026) reaffirms the appointment of a Building Code Official and a code administrator/construction code official, both of that firm, and its Building Permit Instruction Sheet says "Submit (2) completed packets to Lower Chanceford Township" and "When the BCO returns your packet to Lower Chanceford Township, the Zoning officer will call you with the amounts and your permit will be ready for pick-up." The Township's pages read name no code edition, and the Construction Code Ordinance adopts the code "as amended from time to time."

Lower Chanceford Township's ordinances and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Locally, the Construction Code Ordinance says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of Lower Chanceford Township" and "All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of Lower Chanceford Township not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect"; it adds no permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations and names no roof work. The Building Permit Ordinance (enacted January 4, 2016, read October 10, 2026) makes it unlawful to cause or permit "any building or structure with a value in excess of one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars (including materials, labor, foundation, etc.) to be erected, moved, placed, constructed or enlarged within Lower Chanceford Township" without a permit; it uses neither "repair" nor "alter" in that requirement, names no roof work, and its Exhibit A value guidelines include a line for "Roofing and Enclosing Existing Deck" at "$15.00 sq. ft." The Zoning Ordinance, Section 400, says "Hereafter no building or structure shall be altered, repaired, demolished or removed within the limits of Lower Chanceford Township unless a permit to do so shall first be secured in accordance with the provisions of the Construction Code Ordinance of Lower Chanceford Township if a permit is required by that ordinance for such alteration." Resolution 2026-01 says "for all construction, maintenance, or repairs which require a building permit under the Lower Chanceford Township ZO, as amended from time to time, or requires a building permit pursuant to the LCTBC, a Zoning Permit shall be required pursuant to the ZO, as amended from time to time." The Township's Building Permit Instruction Sheet says "The following permits are required for new homes or business construction prior to issuance of a building permit:" and "The following should be completed for all construction:" and names no reroof. A search of the Zoning Ordinance for "roof" found no permit provision. 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 Township requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Township office (717-862-3589) before starting. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30AM-3:00PM. Read for this answer: the Township's Construction Code Ordinance; its Building Permit Ordinance (33 pages) and the two posted amendments to it, which concern floodplain provisions and when fees are paid; the Zoning Ordinance (searched for "roof," "repair" and "alter," with Section 400 read in full); Resolution 2026-01, whose fee exhibits are not posted (page 3 reads "EXHIBITS TO FOLLOW"); and the Forms/Permits, Ordinances and Resolutions pages, the General Building Permit form and the Uniform Construction Code Building Permit form. The Township posts no fee schedule for building permits.