Roofing in Penn Forest Township (Carbon 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, Penn Forest Township administers the code itself: Chapter 88 of the Township Code (Ordinance No. 2004-1, April 5, 2004) says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce" the Act and adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and the Township's Building and Zoning page lists a Building Officer who keeps building office hours at the Municipal Building and takes building permit applications through the Township's online portal. Chapter 88 names no edition and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions, and the Township's pages name no code edition.

Penn Forest Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a building permit. Chapter 88 of the Township Code adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference, names no roof work either way and adds no permit clause of its own; Section 88-5 repealed the Township's earlier building code ordinances of 1975 and 1995. Section 240-9 of the Zoning chapter says "Ordinary repairs and maintenance to existing structures that do not involve an expansion or change of a use or structure shall not by itself be regulated by this chapter. Examples of such work include replacement of a roof or porch that does not involve enclosure of space. (However, a construction permit under any Township Building Code may be needed for such work.)" That section speaks only to the zoning permit. The Township's Building and Zoning page (read October 9, 2026) says "Please contact the Building or Zoning Officers if you are planning to erect or alter any structure," with examples that do not include roofs. The "What Type of Permits are Required" sheet the page posts, prepared by Barry Isett & Associates, calls itself "a brief overview," says "It is always advisable to contact the Code Official and the Zoning Officer to confirm permitting requirements prior to proceeding with your project," lists "Alterations that involve structural changes or changes to the means of egress: BP," and does not mention roofs on houses. The Township's online portal offers a general "Building Permit Application" and no roofing permit type, and the Township's published 2023 schedule of zoning fees names no roof work; no building permit fee schedule is published on the Township's site. 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; ask the Building Officer before starting. The Township's portal asks applicants to submit zoning and building permit applications separately. The building office is open Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00am to 11:00am, at the Municipal Building, 570-325-2760. Read for this answer: Chapter 88 of the Township Code, Construction Code, Uniform, in full; Section 240-9 of the Zoning chapter; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Building and Zoning and Contact pages; the "What Type of Permits are Required" sheet; the 2023 schedule of zoning fees; and the permit types offered on the Township's online portal.