Roofing in Patterson Township, 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, Patterson Township elects to administer the code and retains a third-party agency: Section 80-1 of the Township Code says the Township "elects to administer and enforce" the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Section 80-3 says administration and enforcement "shall be undertaken by the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the municipality," and the Township's Forms & Permits page (read October 10, 2026) posts its Building & Zoning Permit Application and guides whose inspection procedures name MIDDLE DEPARTMENT INSPECTION AGENCY, INC as the inspection agency. The Township office is at 1600 19th Avenue, Beaver Falls, open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Chapter 80 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 405, June 10, 2004, Sections 80-1 to 80-7), read October 10, 2026, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "by reference as the municipal building code of Patterson Township," names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs. Article I of Chapter 73, Building Permits (Ord. No. 138, March 4, 1952, amended 1996), says in Section 73-1 that no person "shall erect any dwelling house or building or make any alteration or addition to any dwelling house or building" within the Township "costing in excess of $500, without first obtaining a building permit authorizing the same." That section names no roof work and does not use the word "repair"; Section 80-5 of Chapter 80 keeps in effect building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code; and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an "alteration" under Section 73-1. The Township's Chapter 80 and pages name no code edition.

Patterson Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 80 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 405, June 10, 2004, Sections 80-1 to 80-7), read October 10, 2026, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "by reference as the municipal building code of Patterson Township," names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs. Article I of Chapter 73, Building Permits (Ord. No. 138, March 4, 1952, amended 1996), says in Section 73-1 that no person "shall erect any dwelling house or building or make any alteration or addition to any dwelling house or building" within the Township "costing in excess of $500, without first obtaining a building permit authorizing the same." That section names no roof work and does not use the word "repair"; Section 80-5 of Chapter 80 keeps in effect building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code; and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an "alteration" under Section 73-1. The Township's pages say nothing on reroofing. Its Building & Zoning Permit Application lists "Repair" and "Alteration" among the types of work and names no roofing type; its Porch Roof Building Detail Sheet concerns porch roofs; and its Fees chapter lists, under Chapter 73, "Building permit: $50, plus $2 per thousand on the value of the project," with no roofing line. Section 190-87 of the Zoning chapter says "No building or structure shall be erected, added to or structurally altered until a permit therefor has been issued by the Zoning Officer" and exempts "Remodeling or improvement of an existing building which does not alter the basic structure, create additional lot area coverage or change the use of the parcel or building" from that zoning permit requirement; it names no roof work. 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." Ask the Township office (724-843-8339) before starting. Section 73-6 says a violator "shall be fined not more than $1,000 for every violation, and costs of prosecution." Read for this answer: Chapter 80, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 80-1 to 80-7), in full; Article I of Chapter 73, Buildings (Sections 73-1 to 73-6), in full; Article XX of Chapter 190, Zoning, Administration and Enforcement; Chapter A200, Fees; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; the Forms & Permits, Zoning Officer, Code Enforcement, Administration and Contact pages; the Building & Zoning Permit Application; the Single-Family Dwellings and Residential Additions guides (scanned, transcribed from the rendered page images); and the Porch Roof Building Detail Sheet.