Roofing in Sharpsville, 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, Sharpsville Borough's Department page lists a Code & Zoning office with a zoning contact at the Borough office (724-962-7896) and a code contact at 724-748-3099, and the building permit packet the Borough posts on its Code & Zoning page says the Borough's third-party code agency "has been hired as the Building Code Official by the municipality and represents only the municipality." The Borough's codified ordinances are not published online apart from its Zoning chapter (Chapter 27), and its Uniform Construction Code adoption ordinance is not posted, so this record has not read whether the Borough adds any permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations. No Borough page names a code edition.

Sharpsville Borough's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a building permit. The Borough's Code & Zoning page offers a "Roof Permit Application" beside its "Building Permit Application." The document behind that link is the Borough's general "SHARPSVILLE BOROUGH ZONING/BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION" (revised 03/20/2017), whose "PURPOSE OF PERMIT" list includes "Roof" beside new construction, addition, alteration, sign, fence and pool; it does not say whether that is a zoning permit, a building permit or both, and neither the form nor any Borough page says which roof work needs it. The Borough's Zoning chapter requires a zoning permit to "erect, enlarge, construct, reconstruct or structurally alter any building" (Section 1304) and names no roof work, and the Borough's building permit fee sheet prices permits by the fair market value of construction with no roofing line. The Borough's codified ordinances are not published online apart from its Zoning chapter (Chapter 27), and its Uniform Construction Code adoption ordinance is not posted, so this record has not read whether the Borough adds any permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations. 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 Borough office (724-962-7896) before starting. The Borough's posted building permit packet asks for a plan review fee check and says to "schedule all inspection through the office at 724-406-0031." The Borough office is open 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Read for this answer: the Borough's Code & Zoning, Department and About pages; the roof permit application and the zoning/building permit application packet posted there, including the code agency's permit procedure and required-inspections pages; the Borough's building permit fee sheet; and the Borough's Zoning chapter (Chapter 27), in full, transcribed from the scanned copy the Borough posts.