Roofing in Morton, 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, Morton Borough takes building permit applications at the Borough office, 500 Highland Avenue, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (610-543-4565). The Borough posts a Building Permit Application and a 2026 Fee Schedule, both headed "Department of Code Enforcement," and its fee schedule lists "Building Permit (Residential)" at "$40 per $1,000." Chapter 5, Part 4 of the Borough Code (Ord. 643, March 10, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Uniform Construction Code in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, "as amended from time to time," by reference "as the municipal building code of Morton Borough." Part 4 names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own, and the Borough's eCode360 code, searched for "roof" and "reroofing," contains no section requiring or exempting a permit for roof work; its zoning chapter requires a use and occupancy permit for a building "erected or altered, for which a building permit is required" and names no roof work. The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists two Morton Borough filings that say "Requires a permit for renovations / repairs including replacement of roof, windows, gutters, siding, and general maintenance items"; one carries the status "Change found to be in compliance with 35 P.S. § 7210.503 (b); approval letter mailed 12 / 23 / 2014" and the other "Under review by L&I as of 9 / 8 / 2015," and neither shows an enacted status. No ordinance carrying that language appears in the Borough Code on eCode360 or on the Borough's website, and this record has not read one and does not decide whether such an ordinance is in force. The first filing also says "the Borough will enforce the Residential Code 2015, as it applies to the alteration and repair of residential buildings"; this record has not read the 2015 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Morton Borough's own pages and code name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. The Building Permit Application the Borough posts asks for "Below Please Provide a Brief Description of the Work" and names no roof work. Part 4 names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own, and the Borough's eCode360 code, searched for "roof" and "reroofing," contains no section requiring or exempting a permit for roof work; its zoning chapter requires a use and occupancy permit for a building "erected or altered, for which a building permit is required" and names no roof work. The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists two Morton Borough filings that say "Requires a permit for renovations / repairs including replacement of roof, windows, gutters, siding, and general maintenance items"; one carries the status "Change found to be in compliance with 35 P.S. § 7210.503 (b); approval letter mailed 12 / 23 / 2014" and the other "Under review by L&I as of 9 / 8 / 2015," and neither shows an enacted status. No ordinance carrying that language appears in the Borough Code on eCode360 or on the Borough's website, and this record has not read one and does not decide whether such an ordinance is in force. The first filing also says "the Borough will enforce the Residential Code 2015, as it applies to the alteration and repair of residential buildings"; this record has not read the 2015 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies. 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." Ask the Borough office (610-543-4565) before starting, because the register lists a roof-permit filing this record could not tie to an ordinance in force. Read for this answer: the Borough's home, forms and contact pages; its Building Permit Application and 2026 Fee Schedule (read from the rendered page images); Chapters 4, 5, 11 and 13 and the table of disposition of ordinances on eCode360; and the code-wide searches for "roof," "reroofing," "re-roof," "renovations," "siding" and "building permit."