Roofing in Northampton, 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, The Borough of Northampton, Northampton County, takes building permit applications itself: Section 105-7 of the Borough Code says the Borough "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 105-9 provides for administration by the retention of construction code officials or third-party agencies, and the Borough's Applications and Permits page, which sends applicants to the Borough's online permit platform and its zoning office at Borough Hall, 1401 Laubach Avenue, also links to Keycodes Inspection Agency. Section 105-8 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Chapter 105 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions and names no edition.

Borough of Northampton text read for this record names no roof work either way. The Borough's Applications and Permits page (read October 9, 2026) says "MOST CONSTRUCTION WORK, AND ALL ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL WORK PERFORMED IN NORTHAMPTON BOROUGH REQUIRES THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS PRIOR TO COMMENCING ANY WORK" and "EVERY BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A ZONING PERMIT APPLICATION AND THREE PROJECT PLANS, NO MATTER WHAT THE PROJECT ENTAILS"; it names no roof work either way. Chapter 105 of the Borough Code, read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" (Section 105-8), says building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "are hereby superseded and replaced by the Uniform Construction Code" (Section 105-11), and in its Code Enforcement Office article requires a permit application only "in accordance with the provisions of those other applicable codes and ordinances" the office administers (Section 105-4A); it names no roof work, and a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and "reroofing" found no provision naming a roofing permit. The Borough publishes no building permit fee schedule on its website, and the permit types offered on its online permit platform were not read for this record. So this record does not state whether a house reroof 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." The Borough's page says permits can be applied for and paid on its online permit platform (with a $3.00 administrative fee and a 3% card processing fee for card payments) or paid by cash or check in the office or by mail; the zoning office is at 610-262-1433, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Read for this answer: Chapter 105 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes (Sections 105-1 to 105-12), in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Borough's Applications and Permits, Departments, Miscellaneous and Code Enforcement pages; and the Keycodes Inspection Agency forms pages.