Roofing in Middletown Township (Bucks County), Pennsylvania

Required

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, Middletown Township's Department of Building and Zoning administers the code: its Building Regulations page says "Middletown Township has adopted the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code" and lists the "2021 International Residential Code (IRC)", and its department page says the Department reviews and inspects "all building construction and improvement projects for safety and compliance." Chapter 190, Construction Standards, of the Township's codified ordinances was read (its table of contents and Article II in full). Article II (Ord. No. 04-04) says "Middletown Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained at 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 to 405, as amended from time to time" as the Municipal Building Code. Section 190-206 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of this code" and the Township's ordinances and rules or regulations for Levittown homes; those were not identified or read. Article II has no permit clause of its own and names no roof work, and a code-wide search for "roof" found no section naming roofing as permit work or as exempt, so no enacted Township ordinance reaching residential reroofing in terms was found in those reads. The Township's own 2026 contractor licence renewal form says "Roofing, siding, patios, driveway expansion/material change resurfacing requires a permit."

Middletown Township treats roofing as permit work. Its 2026 contractor licence renewal form, posted with the Department of Building and Zoning's permit documents (https://www.middletownbucks.org/Resources/Documents-Forms/Building-Zoning/License-Renewals/Renewal_of_Contractors_License, read October 5, 2026), says "Roofing, siding, patios, driveway expansion/material change resurfacing requires a permit." Pennsylvania's Construction Code Act says it "shall not apply to" "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 in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6)). Section 503(c) adds: "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, a roofer should expect the Department to require a permit for a reroof, as the form states. Starting without one costs more: the Township's 2026 fee schedule (effective January 13, 2026, revised August 20, 2026) says "If work that requires a permit starts before the permit is issued, all related permit fees will be charged at double the normal fee." The schedule has no separate roofing line. It says "Application and PA UCC Fees are charged on ALL Building Permits" ($30 application fee and a $4.50 PA UCC fee for residential work), and its residential line for "Alterations, Repairs and Other Structures" is 1.5% of the cost of the job with a $150 minimum fee. The same form says the Township's annual contractor licence covers "commercial & new construction" and that "Residential work requires a current Pennsylvania State registration along with proof of worker's compensation insurance." The Department's permit page says "The first step in applying for a building permit is to visit or call the Department of Building & Zoning" at 215-750-3800 ext. 1112, where staff "will explain the requirements of your project and give you an application." The Municipal Center, 3 Municipal Way, Langhorne, lists its hours as 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.