Roofing in Slatington, 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, Slatington Borough in Lehigh County issues building permits through its Zoning Officer and Building Code Official, listed on the Borough's Zoning page; the Borough's UCC Permit Application says an owner who intends to "construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a residential or nonresidential building" regulated by the Uniform Construction Code "shall first apply to the Borough of Slatington," that plans go to a contracted plan reviewer and inspector, and that the "BCO issues building permit." The Borough office is at 125 South Walnut Street, Slatington. The Borough's fee schedule cites Section 95-31 of the Borough Code for its Uniform Construction Code fees, but no codified Borough code was found online, the Borough's posted documents include no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and this record has not read it. The Borough's pages read for this record name no code edition.

Slatington Borough has published no line on whether a reroof needs a permit. The Borough's UCC Permit Application names no roof work and its type-of-work boxes are New Building, Addition, Alteration, Repair, Demolition and Relocation; the Borough's fee schedule prices UCC plan review, inspections and Building Code Official services by an attachment and has no roofing line, and its zoning permit line lists accessory structures, signs, occupancy and home occupation permits. No Borough text read for this record says whether a reroof needs a permit. The Borough's fee schedule cites Section 95-31 of the Borough Code for its Uniform Construction Code fees, but no codified Borough code was found online, the Borough's posted documents include no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and this record has not read it. 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 UCC Permit Application says "It is strongly recommended you contact the Zoning Officer/Building Code Official (BCO) prior to applying for permits" and to "secure a zoning permit from Borough (required in most cases)," and the fee schedule charges "Double the normal cost" for an after-the-fact permit. The Borough office is at 610-767-2131. Read for this record: the Borough's Zoning page and the list of documents in its Document Center; its UCC Permit Application, Zoning Permit Application to Build and Land Use Application Submittal Requirement; and its fee schedule, each read from the rendered page images of the scanned copy where the copy was scanned.