Roofing in North Buffalo Township (Armstrong 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, North Buffalo Township's Fee Schedule page, on the Township's own site, says "Fees for State Building Code Permits are determined by Code.sys Code Consulting, Inc.," and its zoning permit application says "It should be uploaded to Code.sys Code Consulting when applying online for the building permit." The Township office is at 149 McHaddon Road, Kittanning, (724) 543-5035. Section 19.2.1 of the Township's 2019 Zoning Ordinance says "A building and/or zoning permit shall be required prior to the erection, addition, or alteration of any building or portion thereof" and "It shall be unlawful for any person to commence work for the erection or alteration of any building until a permit has been duly issued thereof." The clause names erection, addition and alteration and no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration of a building. The Township's zoning permit application says "Zoning permit application must be approved prior to building permit approval," and its fee schedule lists zoning permit fees by structure type and names no roofing line. The 2019 Zoning Ordinance was read in full by text search for "roof" and "repair" and sets no other permit requirement for roof work, and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is posted on the Township's Ordinances page, so none was read for this record. The Township's pages name no code edition.

North Buffalo Township's Zoning Ordinance requires a building and/or zoning permit before the alteration of any building, and the Township's pages read say nothing else about a house reroof. Section 19.2.1 of the Township's 2019 Zoning Ordinance says "A building and/or zoning permit shall be required prior to the erection, addition, or alteration of any building or portion thereof" and "It shall be unlawful for any person to commence work for the erection or alteration of any building until a permit has been duly issued thereof." The clause names erection, addition and alteration and no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration of a building. The Township's zoning permit application says "Zoning permit application must be approved prior to building permit approval," and its fee schedule lists zoning permit fees by structure type and names no roofing line. The 2019 Zoning Ordinance was read in full by text search for "roof" and "repair" and sets no other permit requirement for roof work, and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is posted on the Township's Ordinances page, so none was read for this record. 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 decide whether a house reroof needs a permit in the Township. Read for this answer: the Township's Applications & Permits, Fee Schedule and Ordinances pages, its zoning permit application, and its 2019 Zoning Ordinance. The Township office is open Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 12 noon, at (724) 543-5035; ask it before starting.