Roofing in Rush Township (Schuylkill 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, Rush Township in Schuylkill County administers the Uniform Construction Code through a third-party agency: Ordinance #152 (May 18, 2004) says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and Resolution No. 2026-10, effective April 28, 2026, says "Rush Township hereby appoints Hometown Municipal Services, LLC as the sole 3rd party agency for administration, building code official, enforcement and inspections under Pennsylvania UCC." The UCC permit packet on the Township's Zoning page says "UCC, PUBLIC SEWER, STREET OPENING APPLICATIONS AND FEES MUST BE FORWARDED TO" Hometown Municipal Services, LLC, 30 Holland Street, Tamaqua. Ordinance #152 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Municipal Building Code of Rush Township, keeps in force Building Code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code," and adds no permit requirement of its own. The Township's UCC Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 2026-11, effective April 28, 2026) has no roofing line; its residential building fees include "Alteration & Repairs (if applicable)," and it says "Any construction, not specifically cited above, requiring a permit and inspection shall be associated with the closest specific construction type indicated." Ordinance #152 and the Township's pages name no edition of the International Residential Code.

Rush Township's ordinance and permit packet do not say whether a house reroof needs a building permit; ask Hometown Municipal Services, LLC before starting. No Township or agency page read for this record says whether a house reroof needs a building permit. Ordinance #152 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Municipal Building Code of Rush Township, keeps in force Building Code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code," and adds no permit requirement of its own. The Township's UCC Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 2026-11, effective April 28, 2026) has no roofing line; its residential building fees include "Alteration & Repairs (if applicable)," and it says "Any construction, not specifically cited above, requiring a permit and inspection shall be associated with the closest specific construction type indicated." 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 fee schedule says "Working without permits will result in fees that are twice the standard base rate for each discipline, plus applicable expenses," and the packet says "The issuances of UCC Construction Permits do not individually authorize the start of construction until all other required permits are approved and obtained." The Township's Zoning page still says building permit information can be obtained from ARRO Consulting, Inc. or Comprehensive Inspection Agency; the 2026 resolution and packet name Hometown Municipal Services, LLC, at 570-225-6459. Read for this answer: Ordinance #152 in full (a scanned copy, read from the page images); Resolution No. 2026-10; the Township's 2026 UCC permit packet in full, including the UCC Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 2026-11) and its blank building and trade permit applications, which have no roofing box; the Township's Zoning page and its 2026 Zoning Permit Application packet. The Township's code is not published online, so any Building Code ordinance adopted before July 1, 1999 that Ordinance #152 keeps in force was not read.