Roofing in Northumberland, 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, Northumberland Borough's Code Department page says "As of June 7th, 2022 all Borough Code department inquiries and complaints are being addressed by NorthEast Inspection Consultants (NEIC)" and names NEIC as the issuer of building, electrical and demolition permits; the Borough itself issues zoning permits. Chapter 23 of the Borough Code, Building Construction (Ord. No. 328 of 1977, last amended by Ord. No. 2006-4), adopts "the latest edition of the current nationally applicable Building Code (presently the International Building Code)" as the "Northumberland Borough Building Code"; its earlier BOCA adoptions (Ord. No. 453 of 1997 and Ord. No. 462 of 1999) are posted on the Borough's site. No ordinance by which the Borough adopted the Uniform Construction Code is among the Code Book chapters or ordinances the Borough posts, and the Borough posts no building permit fee schedule. Chapter 23 names the International Building Code, latest edition, and no Borough page read names a residential code edition; this record has not read the Borough's own Uniform Construction Code adoption and does not say which residential edition the Borough enforces.

The Borough's Code Department page lists, under "Roof": "Replacing or covering current shingles - NO PERMIT REQUIRED" and "Changing pitch or structure, replacing sheathing and/or rafters - a building permit from NEIC is required." The NEIC building permit application the page links lists "ROOFING" among its types of work, without saying which roof jobs need a permit. Chapter 23 of the Borough Code, Building Construction (Ord. No. 328 of 1977, last amended by Ord. No. 2006-4), adopts "the latest edition of the current nationally applicable Building Code (presently the International Building Code)" as the "Northumberland Borough Building Code"; its earlier BOCA adoptions (Ord. No. 453 of 1997 and Ord. No. 462 of 1999) are posted on the Borough's site. No ordinance by which the Borough adopted the Uniform Construction Code is among the Code Book chapters or ordinances the Borough posts, and the Borough posts no building permit fee schedule. 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 Borough requires a permit for a reroof, because it has not read the Borough's Uniform Construction Code adoption ordinance or a building permit fee schedule. Questions go to the Borough Office at 175 Orange Street, 570-473-3414, which passes code questions it cannot answer to NEIC. Read for this record: the Borough's Code Department, Documents and Contact pages; Chapter 23 of the Borough Code in full; the Code Book table of contents; the posted Building Construction ordinances; and the NEIC building permit application the Borough posts.