Roofing in Pine Grove, 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, Pine Grove Borough runs the code through a contracted agency: its Building/Permits/Zoning page, read October 12, 2026, is headed "Borough UCC Permit and Code Information," lists "Light-Heigel & Associates, Inc" with "Phone: 717-838-1351" and says "Please click the link below to access forms for Building Permits," and the agency's own Pine Grove Borough page says "Pine Grove Borough contracts with Light-Heigel to provide the following services:" and lists "Building Permit" and "Residential Inspection." The Borough's Chapter 88 says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act." The Borough office is at One Snyder Avenue, Pine Grove (570-345-3555). The Borough's Chapter 88, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 360, adopted June 10, 2004, read October 12, 2026 on eCode360) says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this municipality" and keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code." It names no roof work and no code edition, and its section 88-5 does not list any local building ordinance. The Borough's Chapter 133, Property Maintenance, says in section 133-17 G "Roofs and drainage. The roof and flashing shall be sound," a maintenance standard with no permit language. The Borough's chapters and pages read name no residential code edition.

Pine Grove Borough's pages do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Building/Permits/Zoning page names no roof work: it links the agency's forms, tree permits, sidewalk permits, the Schuylkill County zoning permit application and a floodplain permit application. The agency's Uniform Construction Code Building Permit Application for the Borough, headed "TYPE OF WORK OR IMPROVEMENT," lists "New Building Addition Alteration Change of Use Relocation" and its fee table has no roofing line, only "Roof/ground (res) mount Solar (max 60A) $250.00." The Borough's code search on eCode360 for "roof" and "reroofing" returned no section that requires or exempts a permit for roofing. The Borough's Chapter 88, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 360, adopted June 10, 2004, read October 12, 2026 on eCode360) says "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401 through 405, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of this municipality" and keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code." It names no roof work and no code edition, and its section 88-5 does not list any local building ordinance. The Borough's Chapter 133, Property Maintenance, says in section 133-17 G "Roofs and drainage. The roof and flashing shall be sound," a maintenance standard with no permit language. 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 a house reroof needs a permit; ask the Borough office (570-345-3555) or the contracted agency (717-838-1351) before starting. Read for this answer: the Borough's Building/Permits/Zoning and Contact Us pages, its Chapter 88 and Chapter 133 and its code-wide searches on eCode360, and the agency's Pine Grove Borough page, residential Building Permit Application and zoning permit application. The Borough's zoning is administered under the Schuylkill County Zoning Ordinance, which was not read for this record.