Roofing in Ridgway, 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, Ridgway Borough's Code Enforcement Office, at 108 Main Street, takes applications for building/zoning permits; its Building/Zoning page says "Code enforcement administers the Borough Ordinances and the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC)" and "Commercial and Residential improvements requiring an inspection will be referred to Bureau Veritas North America, Incorporated," and the Borough's permit application carries an office line "BUILDING: REFER TO BUREAU VERITAS NORTH AMERICA, INC." The Borough's ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is not published on its website or in an online code library this record could find, so this record has not read it, nor any building code ordinance it may keep in force. The Zoning Ordinance the Borough posts is a scanned image with no text layer and was not read. No Borough page names a code edition.

Ridgway Borough's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Building/Zoning page says "A building/zoning permit shall be obtained before any individual party may: 1. Erect, remove, move, add to, or structurally alter a structure," says "The majority of residential improvements only need a zoning review," and lists among "examples of commercial and residential improvements requiring a building/zoning permit" the entry "Roof Replacements (Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, etc.)" beside "Structural Changes" and "Major Interior Renovations." Its residential inspection forms cover decks and porches, "Existing Homes (Additions, Garages, Accessory Structures or Structural Changes)," manufactured housing and pools; the roof replacement form is listed under Commercial Improvements. The page does not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Borough's ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code is not published on its website or in an online code library this record could find, so this record has not read it, nor any building code ordinance it may keep in force. The Zoning Ordinance the Borough posts is a scanned image with no text layer and was not read. 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 Borough requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Code Enforcement Office (814-776-1125) before starting. The Borough's application lists a "$20.00 Residential" building permit application fee and says "Bureau Veritas fees may apply," and asks for the contractor's "PA HIC#". The Property Maintenance page's community standard says "It shall be unlawful for an owner or contractor to perform work to a building or structure without a permit, where permits are required." Read for this answer: the Borough's Building/Zoning, Property Maintenance and home pages; its Application for Building/Zoning Permit; the Bureau Veritas residential permit packet for additions and structural changes; and the commercial roof permit form the Borough links.