Roofing in Manor Township (Lancaster 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, Manor Township elects to administer the code (Section 168-1 of the Township Code: "The Board of Supervisors of Manor Township hereby elect to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Act, Act 45 of 1999") and uses a third-party agency: the Township's Permit Process page says building plans "will be reviewed by Commonwealth Code Inspection Service (CCIS) and if approved a Building Permit will be issued along with the Zoning Permit," and its Planning/Zoning page, for the Township Administrative Office at 950 West Fairway Drive, Lancaster, says the Zoning Officer handles "issuing zoning/building permits." Section 168-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the Municipal Building Code of Manor Township. Chapter 168 of the Township Code and the Township's pages name no code edition. Chapter 168 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions.

Manor Township takes zoning and building permit applications at its Planning/Zoning office, and the Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 168 of the Township Code (Sections 168-1 to 168-7) adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Municipal Building Code of Manor Township and names no roof work; it adds no permit requirement for repairs or alterations of its own. Section 168-5 A keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code" in effect, naming only Ordinance No. 4-89 on fire protection in rental and multiple-family units; no such ordinance is printed in the Township Code. The Zoning Ordinance requires a zoning permit before "The erection, construction, improvement, or alteration of any structure or part thereof" and says "No zoning permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided such repairs do not change the use or the exterior dimensions of the structure" (Section 425-132 A(1)); that is a zoning rule, not a building permit rule. The Township's Permit Process page says "Permits are required before beginning all construction within the Township" and "Many projects will require both a Zoning Permit and a Building Permit"; it names no roof work. The Township's 2022 fee resolution and CCIS's Schedule of Fees, both linked from the Township's forms page, have 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 office (717-397-4769) before starting. Applications go to the Township Office with payment, and CCIS invoices the applicant for plan review and inspections; the office is open 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Read for this answer: Chapter 168 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter 137, Dangerous Buildings; Article VII (Administration) and the definitions of Article I of Chapter 425, Zoning; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," which found no permit provision naming roof work, and for "reroofing," which found none; the Township's Planning/Zoning, Permit Process and Downloadable Forms/Applications pages; its 2025 Zoning Permit / Building Permit Application; its fee resolution No. 23-2022; and CCIS's Schedule of Fees.