Roofing in Smithfield Township (Huntingdon 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, Smithfield Township elects to administer and enforce the code and adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as the municipal building code of this Township" (Chapter 5, Part 6, Section 5-601, Ord. 2004-1), and its Permits and Code Requirements page names "Bureau Veritas, the Township's Uniform Construction Code Inspector," at (814) 643-3480, and the Township's Code Enforcement Officer, whose office is at 202 S. 13th Street, Suite 1, Huntingdon. Section 5-604 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, and Chapter 5, Part 1 (Ord. 1997-2) adopted the "BOCA National Building Code, 13th Edition, 1996"; this record has not read that model code's text. No Township page names an edition of the International Residential Code, and this record does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Smithfield Township's code and pages read for this record do not say in terms whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 4, Part 1 of the Township Code (Ord. 1985-4, as amended by Ord. 1999-1), Section 101, says "It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, the construction, reconstruction, enlargement, alteration or relocation of any building or structure unless an approved building permit has been obtained from the Township Code Enforcement Officer" and "A building permit shall not be required for repairs to existing buildings or structures, provided that no structural changes or modifications are involved." Neither sentence names roof work, and the Code does not define repairs. Section 5-604 keeps in force "All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by this Township on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the code," and Chapter 5, Part 1 (Ord. 1997-2) adopted the "BOCA National Building Code, 13th Edition, 1996"; this record has not read that model code's text. The Township's 2025 fee schedule (Resolution 2025-1) prices a "Building Application Fee" by square footage and has no roofing line. The Township's Permits and Code Requirements page and its Zoning/Construction Permit Application name no roof work either as permit work or as exempt. 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 decide whether the Township requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Code Enforcement Officer (814-643-0567) before starting. The Township's Code of Ordinances page says "Anyone interested in building, subdivision or land development activities should confirm with the Township Code Enforcement Officer (814-643-0567)" that the posted ordinances are current, and the Code Enforcement page gives office hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Township's permit application says "PERMIT IS VOID IF CONSTRUCTION IS NOT STARTED WITHIN 12 MONTHS." Read for this answer: Chapter 4, Buildings, and Chapter 5, Code Enforcement, of the Township Code, in full; Chapter 27, Zoning, searched for "roof" (no permit provision naming roof work); the Township's Permits and Code Requirements, Code Enforcement and Code of Ordinances pages; its Zoning/Construction Permit Application; and the 2025 fee schedule, Resolution 2025-1, in full.