Roofing in Newport Township (Luzerne 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, Newport Township, in Luzerne County, says "The Township of Newport elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" (Ordinance No. 5 of 2004, section 1), and its site says permits "are available at the Municipal Building, 351 W. Kirmar Ave., Wanamie"; its Building Permit Application gives an office at 1151 Route 315, Dolphin Plaza, Wilkes-Barre (570-270-3900) for scheduling inspections, and its Code Enforcement page says "All Inspections for work being done in Newport Township must be conducted by an authorized Newport Township Inspector." Ordinance No. 5 of 2004 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code of the Township of Newport, names no edition, and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; no Township page read names a code edition.

Newport Township's ordinances and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Ordinance No. 5 of 2004 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference and adds no permit section of its own. The Township's building permit fee ordinances (Ordinance No. 3 of 1994, as amended through Ordinance No. 2023-4) set fees "for permits for construction or alterations of real estate" and define "Alteration" as "any structural change to real estate which increases the value of said real estate, no matter how slight"; Ordinance No. 2023-4 says "FEES WILL BE DOUBLED FOR THOSE FAILING TO SECURE A PERMIT PRIOR TO THE START OF WORK." None names roof work. A Code Enforcement reminder on the Township's site says "Anyone who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure ... shall first make application and obtain the required permits"; it names no roof work, and the Township's Building Permit Application lists types of work that include "Alteration" but no roofing. 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 at the Municipal Building (570-735-4735) before starting. Ordinance No. 5 of 2020 says "All Township permits, building or otherwise, shall be displayed in a fashion that makes them visible from the roadway," and the site says permits are available "Monday thru Friday from 8:00am until 3:00pm." Read for this answer, all as scanned ordinances posted on the Township's Code of Ordinances page: Ordinance No. 5 of 2004 (Uniform Construction Code) in full; the building permit and contractor fee ordinances of 1994, 2004, 2010 and 2023 in full; Ordinance No. 5 of 2020 (permits to be displayed); and the first three pages of Ordinance No. 8 of 2006 (occupancy inspections). Also read: the Township's Code Enforcement and Important Information pages and its Building Permit Application. No codified Township code was found online.