Roofing in Plainfield Township (Northampton 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, Plainfield Township administers the code through a third-party agency: section 5-101 of the Township Code says "This Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's 2026 Schedule of Fees (Resolution No. 2026-18) names "the appointed Uniform Construction Code (UCC) third party inspection agency of the Township, Keycodes Inspection Agency" and says "ALL BUILDING PERMIT FEES SHALL BE MADE PAYABLE TO KEYCODES INSPECTION AGENCY." Keycodes is at 1307 West Lehigh Street, Bethlehem, and its residential permit application is posted on the Township's Forms & Documents page. Section 5-102 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code; Part 1 changes none of the code's roofing provisions. Section 5-109 (Ordinance No. 362, 2014) adds that "permits are required for all residential alterations and repairs pursuant to the International Residential Code 2003" and "any subsequent edition thereof or amendments thereto, unless otherwise exempted by this Section." No Township or Keycodes page read for this record names a code edition; this record has not read the 2003 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Plainfield Township's code and its fee schedule point two ways for a house reroof. Section 5-107 of the Township Code, headed "Permit Required to Replace Shingles on Residential Dwelling Unit" (Ordinance No. 358, 2013), says "Replacing shingles on a residential dwelling shall be considered an ordinary repair and residents of the Township shall not be required to obtain a permit in order to replace the shingles on a residential dwelling unit" and "If, however, any of the following are found to be applicable during the replacement of said shingles, then a permit for the alteration and/or reconstruction of a roof is required," naming "Cutting away of a load-bearing wall, partition of portion of a wall" and "The removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support." The Township's 2026 Schedule of Fees lists, under "ZONING PERMIT FEES," the line "Re-Roofing" at "$100.00 – Residential" and "$200.00 - Commercial," and says "The above permit fees include the Township Administration, Zoning Fees, and Department of Labor and Industry fees." Keycodes' 2026 residential fee schedule, attached to the resolution as Exhibit B, lists "ROOF REPLACEMENT: $115.00 - includes one site visit" under the heading "FLAT RATE COSTS (NEW CONSTRUCTION ONLY) - CONTINUED." So expect the Township's own zoning permit, which its fee schedule prices for Re-Roofing, as a separate permit for a house reroof, and a permit for the alteration or reconstruction of the roof where the work cuts load-bearing walls, beams or supports. Section 5-109 (Ordinance No. 362, 2014) adds that "permits are required for all residential alterations and repairs pursuant to the International Residential Code 2003" and "any subsequent edition thereof or amendments thereto, unless otherwise exempted by this Section." Plainfield Township administers the code through a third-party agency: section 5-101 of the Township Code says "This Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's 2026 Schedule of Fees (Resolution No. 2026-18) names "the appointed Uniform Construction Code (UCC) third party inspection agency of the Township, Keycodes Inspection Agency" and says "ALL BUILDING PERMIT FEES SHALL BE MADE PAYABLE TO KEYCODES INSPECTION AGENCY." Keycodes is at 1307 West Lehigh Street, Bethlehem, and its residential permit application is posted on the Township's Forms & Documents page. 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." The Township's fee schedule asks for a non-refundable $75.00 deposit with each zoning permit application and a non-refundable building permit plan review deposit with each residential permit application. The Township office is at 6292 Sullivan Trail, Nazareth, 610-759-6944, and Keycodes' office is at 610-866-9663. Read for this answer: Chapter 5, Part 1, Uniform Construction Code, of the Township Code, in full; every page of a search of the Township Code for "roof," "reroofing" and "shingles"; the Township's 2026 Schedule of Fees with its Keycodes exhibits; the Keycodes fee schedule, permit instructions and residential permit application posted on the Township's Forms & Documents page; the Township's Zoning Permit Application; and the Township's Zoning, Forms & Documents and contact pages.