Roofing in Solebury Township, 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, Solebury Township administers the code itself: Section 5-101 of the Township Code says "Solebury Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Planning & Zoning Department, at 3092 Sugan Road, Solebury, "manages permit and zoning applications," with applications taken through the Township's online permit portal; the Township's 2026 fee schedule says "All permit applications must be filed with the Township Zoning Officer." Chapter 5 of the Township Code (Ord. 217, June 9, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code and adds no permit section of its own; Section 5-105 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, and none is published with the chapter. Chapter 5 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions, and the Township's pages and Chapter 5 name no code edition.

No Solebury Township text read says whether a non-structural residential reroof needs a permit. The Township's 2026 fee schedule (approved March 17, 2026), under residential building permits, lists "Residential Roof – if deemed structural $100" and "Alterations, Renovations and Repairs $100 plus $15 per $1,000 of construction cost"; its only other roofing line is "Commercial Repairs including re-roofing." The residential roof fee is limited to roof work "deemed structural." The Township's FAQ page says "Small cosmetic changes such as replacing fixtures or remodeling rooms may not require permits, whereas larger projects such as finishing a basement or installing a new generator do require a permit," and "If you have questions about a specific project, contact our Code Enforcement Office at 215-297-5656"; it names no roof work. Chapter 5 of the Township Code (Ord. 217, June 9, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code and adds no permit section of its own; Section 5-105 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that equal or exceed the code, and none is published with the chapter. In a historic district, Section 11-202 of the Township Code lists "roof replacement with same material, detail, and color" among examples of in-kind replacements, for which Part 2 of Chapter 11 sets a fast-track review. 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." No Solebury Township text read names a non-structural reroof as permit work or says it needs no permit, so this record does not decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. Ask the Code Enforcement Office at 215-297-5656 before work starts. The fee schedule says "In the event that construction is started without first obtaining all required permits, the stipulated fees will automatically be increased by one hundred percent (100%)." The Township says permits can take up to 45 days to process. The Planning & Zoning Department is open Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 4:00pm, with staff working remotely on Fridays. Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Township Code, Code Enforcement (Part 1, Uniform Construction Code, Sections 5-101 to 5-106), in full; Chapter 11, Historic District; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," "reroofing" and "re-roofing"; the Township's Planning & Zoning, FAQs and Forms & Documents pages; and the 2026 fee schedule.