Roofing in Sewickley Township (Westmoreland 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, Sewickley Township in Westmoreland County administers the code itself: Section 402 of Chapter 5 of the Township Code says "The Township of Sewickley hereby elects to administer and enforce this Ordinance, the Code, the Act and Regulations," through a Municipal Building Code Official who is "to issue building, occupancy and other permits and approvals," and the Township's staff page lists a Building and Zoning Officer. The Township's Pre-Development / Building Process Checklist says "All forms and payments are submitted to the Township Office and forwarded to" the Code Officer, and the Township Office is at 2288 Mars Hill Road, Irwin. Section 401B fills in Table R301.2(1), including "Ground Snow Load: 30 lbs.", and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. Section 401 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended and supplemented from time to time" as the Township of Sewickley Building Code and lists its parts as the 2006 editions, including "The International Residential Code 2006"; the Township's pages name no edition; this record has not read the 2006 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Sewickley Township's code requires a permit to "materially repair" any building and names roofs only in a fee waiver. Part 1 of Chapter 5 of the Township Code, "Construction, Repair, or Moving of Buildings," says in Section 102A "it shall be unlawful to erect, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, demolish, materially repair or move any building within Township unless permit therefor has been procured from Township," and its fee section, Section 109C, says "No fee shall be required for the replacement or repairs to windows, roofs, porches, stoops or patios." The code does not define "materially repair," and neither section says in terms whether a reroof needs a permit. Part 4, adopting the Uniform Construction Code, says in Section 404 that ordinances of the Township "not affected, modified or repealed by this Ordinance, the Code, Act or Regulations, shall remain in full force and effect." The Township's 2026 fee schedule (Resolution No. 11-2026, revised June 17, 2026) lists a "Base Application fee (All)" of $50.00 and "Interior/Exterior Alterations subject to UCC" at $175.00 and has no roofing line, and the Township's building permit application lists no roof work among its project types; no Township page read for this record says whether a reroof needs a permit. 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." Section 111 sets a fine of "not more than $1,000.00 for each violation" of Part 1. The checklist says "For questions regarding building permits, zoning, and on-lot sewage, please contact our Code Officer," at 724-493-7793, and the building permit application says "Building permit fee is to be paid prior to permit being issued"; the Township Office is at 724-446-7202. Read for this record: Chapter 5 of the Township Code, Buildings (updated through April 23, 2020), Parts 1 and 4 in full and the rest searched for "roof"; Chapter 13, Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations, and Chapter 28, Zoning, searched for "roof" and read at the zoning permit article; the Township's 2026 fee schedule and its building permit application, read from their page images; and the Township's Municipal Code, Forms, Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement pages and its Pre-Development / Building Process Checklist.