Roofing in Martic 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, Martic Township issues zoning and building permits from its Township office, and its Zoning & Building Codes page lists the Township's Building Code Inspector as Commonwealth Code Inspection Company; the Township's zoning / building permit application (updated January 2025) names "Commonwealth Code Inspection Service, Inc." as the "Construction Code Inspection Company aka building inspector" and says the applicant "cannot commence excavation or construction until a Permit has been issued by Martic Township." The Township's Ordinances page does not list the ordinance by which it adopted the Uniform Construction Code, and this record has not read it. The Township's pages name no code edition.

No Martic Township text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt. The Township's zoning / building permit application, its "Zoning VS Building permits" sheet and its fee schedule (Resolution No. 07-06-26) name no reroof or roof replacement; the fee schedule's building lines include "Remodel / Alterations" and roof-mounted solar panels but no roofing line. Separately, Section 703 of the Martic Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended by Ordinance No. 03-01-10) requires a zoning permit "for the erection, construction, alteration, extension, replacement, relocation, or conversion of any building or structure when the fair mark value of said work exceeds One Thousand ($1,000) Dollars" and says "no zoning permit shall be required for repairs to or maintenance on any building, structure or land, provided such repairs do not change the use, alter the exterior dimensions of the building or structure"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide which branch a reroof falls in. The Township's Ordinances page does not list the ordinance by which it adopted the Uniform Construction Code, 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." Because neither the Township nor its inspection company has published a statement on reroofs, and the Township's adoption ordinance is unread, this record does not decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. The Zoning & Building Codes page says "All applications, are submitted to the Township office for processing" and that "Payment to the Township must be received with the application," and the fee schedule lists a fee for "Beginning a project prior to obtaining all necessary approvals and permits." Land use and permitting questions go to the Zoning Officer at 717-844-3065. The Township office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, at 717-284-2167. Read for this answer: the Township's Zoning & Building Codes, Ordinances and Contact pages; the zoning / building permit application; the "Zoning VS Building permits" sheet; the UCC Board of Appeals instructions; the Township fee schedule; and the Zoning Ordinance, searched in full for "roof" and for its permit sections.