Roofing in Pittston 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, Pittston Township takes zoning, building and occupancy permit applications at its office, 421 Broad Street, Pittston; its Permitting page says "ALL ZONING, BUILDING, AND OCCUPANCY PERMIT APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED AND DROPPED OFF TO PITTSTON TOWNSHIP" and "BUILDING AND ZONING PERMITS WILL BE PROCESSED BY BHW CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS," and the Township's Building Permit Application gives that firm's inspection office at 570-270-3900. The Township's Ordinance Index and ordinance pages for 2010 through 2026 list no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, which was not found for this record, and the Township's pages name no code edition.

Pittston Township has no statement on reroofing in the pages and forms read. The Township's pages and forms name no roofing rule. Its Permitting page (read October 10, 2026) lists "Building Permit: Residential: By Cost Estimate (Contact office for exact fee)," and its Building Permit Application lists "Alteration" among the types of work and names no roofing line. The Township's Ordinance Index and its ordinance pages for 2010 through 2026 list no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and none was found. Section 1302.2 of the Township's 2013 Zoning Ordinance says "Normal and routine maintenance and repairs to a structure shall be exempt from obtaining a zoning permit"; that is a zoning permit, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is "normal and routine maintenance." Ordinance 7-01 of 2012, a floodplain ordinance, says it is unlawful to undertake "any construction or development anywhere within Pittston Township unless a Permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator" and that "A Permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures," defining a minor repair as "the replacement of existing work with equivalent materials for the purpose of its routine maintenance and upkeep"; this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a minor repair under it. Ask the Township office at 570-654-0161 before starting. Read for this answer: the Township's Permitting and Code Enforcement pages; its Building Permit Application, Zoning Permit Application (a scanned form, read from its rendered pages) and Contractor Registration Application; the Ordinance Index and the 2012 and 2021 ordinance pages; Ordinance 7-01 of 2012 and Ordinance 3-01 of 2021 (both scanned, transcribed from the rendered pages); and the 2013 Zoning Ordinance, searched for "roof" and for each use of "permit."