Roofing in Mount Joy Township (Adams 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, Mount Joy Township in Adams County uses Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA) for Uniform Construction Code permits: the Township's zoning permit checklist lists an "M.D.I.A. Building Permit Application" with the contact number (717) 873-7442, the Township's forms page posts MDIA's permit application, and its 2026 fee schedule says "ALL FEES FOR BUILDING INSPECTION WILL BE PAID DIRECTLY TO MDIA." Section 49-3 of the Township Code adopts "those provisions of the International Building Code of 2015 enumerated in 34 Pa. Code §403.21," while the MDIA application the Township posts says "Pennsylvania adopted the 2021 ICC Building Codes – Effective January 1, 2026"; this record has not read the 2015 edition's text, and Chapter 49 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions.

Mount Joy Township's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 49 of the Township Code (Construction Code, Uniform, Ord. No. 2015-04) says in Section 49-7 "A building permit shall be required for all construction work done, or as otherwise required by the Uniform Construction Code, within the Township"; it has no roof words, and this record does not decide whether a reroof is "construction work" under that section. Chapter 35 (Building Permits, a chapter whose stated intent includes minimizing flood damage) says "A building permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures" and does not name roofing. The Zoning chapter's Section 110-1402 requires a zoning permit for "The erection or construction, expansion or relocation of a structure excluding ordinary repair and maintenance (e.g., roof repair)"; that section speaks to the zoning permit. The Township's pages do not say whether a house reroof needs a building permit. Its zoning permit checklist says "Project MAY require a UCC Building Permit. Please complete Appl. to determine if one is needed," and the 2026 fee schedule's residential permit lines name dwellings, additions, alterations, decks and pools and 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 MDIA at (717) 873-7442 before starting. The Township office at 902 Hoffman Home Road, Gettysburg (717-359-4500) is open Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 1 PM, or by appointment, and its checklist says all projects over $4,900.00 also require an Adams County Property Improvement Certification. Read for this answer: Chapters 35 and 49 of the Township Code in full, Section 110-1402 of the Zoning chapter, a code-wide search for "roof" (16 results) and "reroofing" (none), the Township's forms page, zoning permit checklist, 2026 fee schedule and contact page, and the MDIA permit application the Township posts.