Roofing in New Holland, 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, New Holland Borough takes building permit applications at its office, 436 East Main Street, and has the plans reviewed by an inspection firm: its Building Permit Info page says "The plans are then reviewed by the selected firm for code applicability and completeness" and "New Holland Borough allows selection of one of the following three inspection firms for residential, commercial and manufacturing construction work," naming Associated Building Inspections, Inc., Code Administrators and Commonwealth Code Inspection Service. Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Borough Code (Ord. 502, May 4, 2004) says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts the Act and its regulations, "as amended from time to time," as "the municipal building code of the Borough of New Holland." Chapter 5 also adds a 160-square-foot accessory structure exclusion and geothermal permit rules and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; neither Chapter 5 nor the Borough's permit pages name an edition of the International Residential Code.

Part 2 of Chapter 4 of the Borough Code (Building Permits, Ord. 279 of 1975) says "It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, firm or corporation to erect, construct, rebuild, enlarge, alter or move any building or structure within the limits of the Borough of New Holland without having first obtained a building permit" (Section 201), and Section 209 says "Repairs of a maintenance nature such as, but not limited to, caulking and painting, or repairs of a replacement nature wherein new materials are used that are reasonably of the same type, grade and quality as those being replaced, shall not require the issuance of a building permit." Neither section names roof work. Section 105 of Chapter 5 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code." Separately, the zoning chapter (Section 1502) says "A permit shall be required prior to the erection or structural alteration of any building, structure, or portion thereof," and defines ALTERATIONS, STRUCTURAL as "any change in the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls, partitions, columns, beams, foundations or girders, any change in the roof or the piercing of exterior walls." This record does not decide whether a reroof is a repair of a replacement nature under Section 209 or a change in the roof under the zoning definition. None of the three firms' residential fee schedules the Borough posts (Associated Building Inspections 2026, Code Administrators 2025, Commonwealth Code Inspection Services 2026) has a 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 a permit is required for a house reroof in New Holland Borough; ask the Borough office at 717-354-4567 before starting. The Borough says a permit application and three sets of plans are submitted at the Borough office, that the Borough notifies the applicant when the permit is ready, and that "Work phase inspections are scheduled directly between the contractor and inspection firm." Section 208 of Chapter 4 sets a fine of "not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) plus costs" for violating its building permit Part. Read for this answer: the Borough's Building Permit Info, Permits, Code and Contact pages; Chapter 5 (Code Enforcement), Chapter 4 (Buildings), Chapter 11 (Housing), Chapter 13 (Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations) and Chapter 27 (Zoning) of the Borough Code, each searched for "roof"; and the three posted residential fee schedules. The Borough posts no permit application or Borough fee resolution.