Roofing in North Union Township (Fayette 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 Union Township administers the code through a third-party agency: the Township's Services page says "On July 13, 2004, we enacted a resolution to begin locally enforcing the Uniform Construction Code within the Township" and that the Board of Supervisors "by agreement appointed K2 Engineering, Inc. as the third party agency responsible for administering the Code within the Township," and it sends applicants to K2 Engineering, Inc., 234 Pittsburgh Street, Uniontown, for the application, plan review and inspections. The Township's July 13, 2004 enforcement resolution and any Uniform Construction Code ordinance are not published on its website, whose ordinance page lists no building code ordinance (it lists compost site, fire escrow, floodplain, garbage, water tap-in, peddlers, recycling, burning and stormwater ordinances), so this record has not read the Township's adoption instrument. The Township's Services page says "The Plan Review Fee is project based" and refers applicants to K2 Engineering for it; no Township fee schedule was found. K2 Engineering's residential application refers to "the currently adopted International Residential Code (IRC)" and names no edition.

North Union Township's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's July 13, 2004 enforcement resolution and any Uniform Construction Code ordinance are not published on its website, whose ordinance page lists no building code ordinance (it lists compost site, fire escrow, floodplain, garbage, water tap-in, peddlers, recycling, burning and stormwater ordinances), so this record has not read the Township's adoption instrument. The Township's Services page says "The Plan Review Fee is project based" and refers applicants to K2 Engineering for it; no Township fee schedule was found. The Township's Services page (read October 9, 2026) names no roof work either way. K2 Engineering's own residential Uniform Construction Code application (dated 01/2023), which serves several municipalities and does not name North Union, lists improvement types including "PORCH ROOF (ONLY)," "DECK ROOF (ONLY)" and "NEW ROOF" and has a line for a roofing contractor; it does not say whether replacing the covering of an existing house roof needs a permit. 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; the Township's Services page says "Any questions on the guidelines should be directed to K2 Engineering, Inc.," whose office is at 724-439-3440. The Township's directory lists a North Union Township Code Enforcement Office at 724-438-0802. Read for this answer: the Township's Services, Departments, Ordinances and Township Directory pages; K2 Engineering's permit application page and its residential Uniform Construction Code application, in full.