Roofing in Penn Township (Cumberland 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 Township elects to administer the code: Ordinance 2004-3 (enacted April 8, 2004) says "The municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code, Act 45 of 1999" and lets the Township use "one or more construction code officials or third party agencies"; the Township's Zoning/Building Permit page says "Almost all new construction will require a Uniform Construction Code (UCC) application and inspection through our third party agency, Middle Department Inspection Agency," and its Planning & Permits page says an applicant is "directed to West Pennsboro Township to drop off your application for the building inspection agency (MDIA) review." Applications for Township permits go to the Township Office, 1301 Centerville Road, Newville. The Township's pages and ordinances name no code edition; Ordinance 2004-3 adopts the code "as amended from time to time," so the text above is the State's current one.

Penn Township's own ordinances and pages name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. Ordinance 2004-3 adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time," "as the municipal building code of this Municipality" and keeps in effect building code ordinances adopted before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the Code; it names no roof work and no code edition, and the Township's posted ordinance list names no building code ordinance older than Ordinance 2004-3. Ordinance 2009-2, the Construction Ordinance, says in Section 2 B "No building or structure in the township shall be constructed, erected, reconstructed or restored, or structurally altered ... without either a UCC Building Permit, or if applicable a Township Permit" and in Section 2 J 1 "A Township Permit shall be required for all commercial, industrial and residential structures"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is "reconstructed," "restored" or "structurally altered" under it. Section 1502 A 1 of the Zoning Ordinance (2021-05) says "A zoning permit shall be required prior to the erection, addition, or alteration of any building or portion thereof" and "No such zoning permit shall be required in case of normal maintenance activities, minor repairs, and alterations, which do not structurally change a building or structure"; those lines speak to the zoning permit, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an "alteration" or "normal maintenance" under them. The Zoning/Building Permit page (read October 10, 2026) says "Nearly all structures require a zoning/land use permit regardless of cost, size or portability" and lists "new construction, additions, sheds, garages, fences, decks, patios, porches, pools, and new driveways," and the Township's permit fee schedule (rev. January 2026) lists "Zoning/Building Permit: Residential & Agricultural $60.00" with no roofing line. The "UCC Requirements, Exemptions & Permit Application" sheet linked from that page, which is footed "West Pennsboro Township," says situations it lists as "exempt from inspections under the UCC" "may still need a building permit according to each individual municipality's regulations"; its exempt list includes "Replacing roof shingles" and "Replacing shingles with tin, etc.," and its list of work that must be inspected includes "Replacement of roofs which includes replacing the roof structure (rafters or ply board)" (transcribed from the rendered page image). 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 Township Office (717-486-3104) before starting. The Township Office is open Monday to Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed on Friday. Read for this answer: Ordinance 2004-3 and Ordinance 2009-2 in full; the Zoning Ordinance 2021-05, including Section 1502 and a search of the whole ordinance for "roof" (no permit provision for roof work); the Township's Planning & Permits, Zoning/Building Permit, Code & Ordinances and Contact Us pages; the Zoning Permit application; the January 2026 permit fee schedule; and the first page of the UCC Requirements sheet. The Township posts its ordinances as separate documents, not as a code book.