Roofing in Sadsbury Township (Crawford 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, Sadsbury Township takes zoning and building permit applications at its Township office, 9888 State Highway 285, Conneaut Lake. Its Contact Information page says "All zoning and building permits must be submitted to the township office" and "Residents have two options for Building Code Inspections," listing Middle Department Inspection Agency and one other code agency, and its 2026 fee schedule says "UCC Permit per fee schedule of MDIA" or the second agency. The Township's ordinance page posts no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code. None of the Township pages, ordinances, forms or fee schedules read for this record names a code edition.

The Township's Zoning & Building page lists, under its "Zoning Permits:" heading, "Permits are required for, but not limited to, the following:" and, among the items, "Roof – structural changes only; no permit required to replace shingles" (read October 11, 2026). The same page says "Some projects will require both Zoning and UCC (Uniform Construction Code) permits. Others may require only a Zoning Permit." The Township's fee schedule says "All persons desiring to undertake any new construction, structural alteration, or change in the use of a building, structure or land shall apply for a zoning permit," and its zoning ordinance (Ordinance 204-2013, Section 502) lists "Structural alterations to an existing building or structure that increases the volume." This record does not decide whether the roof line speaks to the Uniform Construction Code building permit or only to the zoning permit. The Township's Flood Plain Management Ordinance No. 199-2012 says in Section 2.02 that it is unlawful "to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the Township of Sadsbury unless a Permit has been obtained from the" Floodplain Administrator, defines development as "any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to the construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, expansion, or alteration of buildings or other structures," and says "A Permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures." It names no roof work and defines no "minor repairs," and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a minor repair. 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." Ask the Township office (814-382-8579, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm) before starting. The Township's own zoning ordinance, fee schedule, zoning permit application and the Middle Department Inspection Agency permit application name no roofing permit, fee line or exemption, and the second agency's residential application and 2026 fee letter, both scans, name none. Read for this answer: the Township's home, Zoning & Building, Application & Forms, Contact Information and Ordinances pages; its 2026 fee schedule; its zoning permit, Middle Department Inspection Agency and second-agency applications and both agencies' fee schedules; Zoning Ordinance 204-2013 in full; and the Flood Plain Management and Nuisance Ordinances (scanned pages transcribed with OCR). No building code adoption ordinance appears on the Township's ordinance page.