Roofing in Millersville, 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, Millersville Borough's Code Enforcement & Zoning page says "The Borough's Code Enforcement, Zoning, and Building Code services are provided by Commonwealth Code Inspection Service," working from Borough Hall at 100 Municipal Drive, Millersville. Section 150-6 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as such regulations and standard codes adopted by such regulations may be amended from time to time" as the Millersville Borough Construction Code, and Article II changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 150-5 names the 2006 editions of the International Building Code and International Residential Code "or such future edition as may be adopted from time to time," and the Borough's Code Enforcement & Zoning page names no edition; this record has not read the 2006 editions' text and does not decide which residential edition the Borough applies.

Millersville Borough's pages and code read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a building permit. Article II of Chapter 150 of the Borough Code, the Millersville Borough Construction Code Ordinance (Ord. No. 2004-3), adopts the Uniform Construction Code and, in place of the model code's permit section, adopts 34 Pa. Code 403.62 by reference; its scope section says "All construction which the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act or the L & I Regulations exempt from compliance with the Uniform Construction Code are exempt from the provisions of this construction code," and it names no roof work either way. The building permit fees in Chapter A395 are priced by value of work and name no roofing line, and the Borough's Building/Zoning Permit Application names no roof work. Inside the Historic Preservation Overlay District only, Section 380-30 of the Zoning Ordinance says "No permits for alterations, additions, reconstruction or rehabilitation, visible from a public street, involving Class I or Class II buildings shall be issued by the Zoning Officer prior to review and recommendations by the Historic Commission," and lists "Replacement of slate roofs with slate look-alike products" among permits the Zoning Officer may issue without Historic Commission review; elsewhere, Section 380-4 says "A zoning permit shall not be required for repairs or maintenance of a building, structure or land, provided that such repair or maintenance does not change the use or otherwise involve activities regulated by this chapter." 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 Borough requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Code Enforcement & Zoning office (717-872-4645, extension 103, Tuesday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) before starting. Section 108.4 as adopted by Chapter 150 says "Any person who commences any work on a building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary Construction Code permits shall be subject to an additional fee for expedited processing, which shall be equal to the fee which should have been paid at permit application." Read for this answer: Chapter 150 of the Borough Code, Code Enforcement, in full, including Article II, Uniform Construction Code; Article I of Chapter A395, Fees; Sections 380-4 and 380-30 of the Zoning Ordinance; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no building permit provision naming roof work; the Code Enforcement & Zoning and Forms and Documents pages; and the Borough's Building/Zoning Permit Application.