Roofing in Ridgway Township (Elk 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, Ridgway Township's Planning & Zoning page lists a "ZONING PERMIT" and a "UCC BUILDING PERMIT" and says "For submittal and inspection forms for Ridgway Township, please call our office at (814) 773-5625"; the Township posts a Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. permit application (245 Allegheny Blvd., Brookville, (814) 849-2448) with a "RIDGWAY TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL PRIOR APPROVALS" form that the Township official signs "prior to the issuance of a building permit by Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.," and its FAQ says "Both zoning and building permit applications are available at either the township office or the Forms & Documents quick link." The Township's pages name no code edition; this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Ridgway Township's own permit text speaks of zoning permits, not roofing. The Township's Zoning Ordinance No. 116 (adopted January 31, 2019), Section 6.01(2), says "A zoning permit shall be required for all construction or alterations. No zoning permit shall be required for repairs to or maintenance of any building, structure or grounds provided such repairs do not change the use or otherwise violate the provisions of this Ordinance," and Section 6.01(8) says "A Zoning Permit shall be required prior to any work permitted under this Ordinance." Those lines speak to the zoning permit; the ordinance names no roof work as permit work or as exempt, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a zoning-permit alteration or a repair. The Township's Zoning Permit Application lists "Alteration" and "Repair, replacement" among the types of improvement and names no roofing permit type. Ridgway Township's Planning & Zoning page lists a "ZONING PERMIT" and a "UCC BUILDING PERMIT" and says "For submittal and inspection forms for Ridgway Township, please call our office at (814) 773-5625"; the Township posts a Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. permit application (245 Allegheny Blvd., Brookville, (814) 849-2448) with a "RIDGWAY TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL PRIOR APPROVALS" form that the Township official signs "prior to the issuance of a building permit by Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.," and its FAQ says "Both zoning and building permit applications are available at either the township office or the Forms & Documents quick link." 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." Read for this answer: the Township's Planning & Zoning, FAQ, Forms & Documents and Ordinances pages; Zoning Ordinance No. 116 in full (a search of it for "roof" found definitions and a roof-sign type, and no permit rule for roof work); the Zoning Permit Application; and the Bureau Veritas permit application with the Township's prior-approvals form. The Township's ordinances page lists zoning, solar, cryptocurrency, subdivision and stormwater ordinances and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and a search found no Township code on ecode360, General Code, American Legal Publishing, Municode or Code Publishing, so that ordinance was not read for this record. The Township's pages name no fee schedule for building permits. The Township office is at 1537A Montmorenci Road, Ridgway (814-773-5625); ask the Township and Bureau Veritas before starting.