Roofing in Manchester Township (York 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, Manchester Township administers the code: Section 5-201 of the Township Code says "Manchester Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," permits are applied for at the Township's Planning / Zoning department, 3200 Farmtrail Road, York, and the Township's Application for Building/Zoning Permit and Plans Examination carries the name and Lancaster address of "CODE ADMINISTRATORS, INC" beside the Township's and charges its review and inspection fee, as the Township's 2026 fee schedule does under "Code Administrators Administrative Fees." Section 5-202 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Chapter 5 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 5-205 of the Township Code says that "as the UCC is amended to include or adopt new or updated versions of any building or other codes, such codes shall automatically be updated as part of this Part"; Chapter 5 names no code edition, and the Township's pages name none. Section 5-205 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code.

Manchester Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Part 2 of Chapter 5 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs. Part 2 of Chapter 4, Building Permits (Ord. 1981-5), says it is unlawful to undertake "the construction, reconstruction, enlargement, alteration or relocation of any building or structure within the Township of Manchester unless a building permit has been obtained from the Manchester Township Building Permit Officer," and that "A building permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures; provided, that no structural changes or modifications are involved"; it does not define minor repairs. That Part's stated intent includes to "Encourage the utilization of appropriate construction practices in order to prevent or minimize flood damage in the future," it supersedes conflicting provisions "in identified floodplain areas," and appeals from it run under the Pennsylvania Floodplain Management Act; the Township's separate floodplain chapter, Chapter 8, has a permit of its own and says "A permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures." This record does not decide whether Part 2 of Chapter 4 reaches a house reroof outside an identified floodplain area. The Township's pages and permit application say nothing on roofing, and its 2026 fee schedule 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." This record does not state whether the Township requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Planning / Zoning department (717-764-4646) before starting. Permit applications may be submitted electronically or on paper with a site plan, and Section 5-209 sets a fine "of up to $1,000 plus costs" for each violation of the Township's building code. Read for this answer: Chapter 4 of the Township Code, Buildings (Parts 1 and 2), and Part 2 of Chapter 5, Building Code, in full; the rest of Chapter 5, Code Enforcement; Chapter 8, Floodplains; Chapter 11, Housing; Chapter 13, Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," which found no permit provision naming roof replacement; the Planning / Zoning and Forms pages; the Application for Building/Zoning Permit and Plans Examination; and the 2026 fee schedule (Resolution #2026-05).