Roofing in Slippery Rock, 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, Slippery Rock Borough takes building permit applications at its Office of Zoning & Code Enforcement, 306 East Water Street, and its Building Permit Application checklist says "The required plan review fee shall be submitted with the Building Permit Application payable to PCS" and its Required Inspections sheet says "Contact Professional Code Services Inc. to schedule inspections." Chapter 296 of the Borough Code (Ord. No. 612, adopted June 1, 2004) says "The Borough of Slippery Rock hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401 to 405" as "the Municipal Building Code of the Borough of Slippery Rock"; it adds no permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations and names no roof work. Section 296-5 A keeps in effect building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the code," and no such ordinance is listed in the Borough's online code or was read for this record. No Borough page names a residential code edition; the Professional Code Services non-residential review form the Borough posts says "Model Code: ____________ (PA-2009 IBC)" and the Borough's Required Inspections sheet says "2005 NEC"; this record has not read the 2009 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Slippery Rock Borough's pages and code read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Borough's Building Permit Application is headed "New Construction or Alterations" and asks for "Proposed construction or alteration (explain in detail)"; its Residential Building Permit Instructions & Checklist lists among the drawings for residential plan review "ceiling joist and roof rafter details, roof covering details & ventilation details," which is a list of what plans show, not a statement on reroofs. The Borough's fee resolution (Resolution # 483, May 20, 2025) lists "Administration and Zoning review of building permits" at $50.00 and says "Fees associated with third party building code enforcement activities will be charged in accordance with Schedule A, attached hereto and incorporated herein"; Schedule A is not attached to the posted copy. Section 375-155 A of the Borough's zoning chapter says "no person shall erect, alter, move or convert any structure or building, or part thereof, nor alter the use of any land, subsequent to the adoption of this chapter until a building/zoning permit has been issued by the Zoning Officer." It names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is to "alter" a structure or building. 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 a permit is required for a house reroof in Slippery Rock Borough; ask the Borough office at 724-794-6391 before starting. The Borough office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. Read for this answer: Chapter 296 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 296-1 to 296-7), in full; Chapter 217, Property Maintenance, which adopts the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code and names no permit for roof work; Section 375-155 of the zoning chapter; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" (23 results, none a permit provision for roof work) and for "reroofing" (none); the Borough's Code Office, Code Enforcement, Permits, Applications, Forms and Zoning pages; its Building Permit Application with the checklist and inspections sheet (a scanned file, read from the rendered page images), its Zoning Permit application, and its 2025 fee resolution (also scanned). The Professional Code Services plan review fee sheet the Borough posts is marked valid through December 31, 2013 and was not relied on.