Roofing in Mount Oliver, 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 Oliver Borough uses a third-party agency for the code: Section 88-1 of the Borough Code says "The Borough of Mount Oliver hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Borough's Code Enforcement page says "Building Inspection Underwriters (BIU), is the Borough's appointed Building Code Official (BCO) and is responsible for all residential and commercial building permits." Permit forms are on the Borough's Forms page, and the Borough office is at 150 Brownsville Road. Section 88-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code of the Borough and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; Section 88-5 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that "equal or exceed the requirements of the code." One such ordinance is still codified: Article I of Chapter 87 (Ord. No. 747, 1990) adopts the BOCA National Building Code, 1990 edition, "and any amendments thereto or future editions thereof," and amends that model code's Section 111.1, "When permit is required," to add signs, fences and accessory structures. The Borough Code names no roof work either way, and this record has not read the BOCA model code's own permit text. No Borough page names an edition of the residential code.

Mount Oliver Borough's pages do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit; ask Building Inspection Underwriters, through the Borough office at 412-431-8107, before starting. The Borough's pages (read October 9, 2026) name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. The residential building permit application, a scanned form, lists under "Type of work" a "Roofing - Total square feet" box beside fencing, signs, pools, decks and demolition; it does not say when roof work needs a permit. The Borough's fee schedule for building permits is not published. Section 88-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code of the Borough and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; Section 88-5 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that "equal or exceed the requirements of the code." One such ordinance is still codified: Article I of Chapter 87 (Ord. No. 747, 1990) adopts the BOCA National Building Code, 1990 edition, "and any amendments thereto or future editions thereof," and amends that model code's Section 111.1, "When permit is required," to add signs, fences and accessory structures. The Borough Code names no roof work either way, and this record has not read the BOCA model code's own permit text. 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." Read for this answer: Chapter 88 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter 74, Building Permits; Article I of Chapter 87, Building Construction Code; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Code Enforcement, Forms and Reports pages; and the residential building permit application and zoning permit application. Chapter 74 requires any contractor applying for a building permit to "present proof of workers' compensation insurance or an affidavit that the contractor does not employ other individuals."