Roofing in South Greensburg, 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, South Greensburg Borough administers the code through a retained agency: its Uniform Construction Code page lists BIU as the contact, its Permits page tells applicants to use the "BIU-Building Permit" application, and Chapter 61 of the Borough Code (Section 61-2.1) says "The Borough of South Greensburg hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions" of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, adopts the Uniform Construction Code as its municipal building code, and lets it act "By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies." The Borough office is at 1515 Poplar Street. The Borough's pages and Chapter 61 name no code edition.

The Borough's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 61 of the Borough Code, Building Construction (read October 12, 2026), says in Section 61-2 "No person shall cause or permit any building or part of a building to be erected or razed or any addition or enlargement to be made to any building" without a permit, issued "by the South Greensburg Zoning Officer"; it names no repair, alteration or roof work, and its Section 61-2.1 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 only "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code." The Borough's Permits page, under the heading "ZONING PERMITS", says "Building Permits (includes all swimming pools, additions, decks, accessory structures, detached garages, commercial structures, exterior alterations) please use application below"; it does not name roofing or reroofing, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an exterior alteration. The BIU building permit application is headed "APPLICATION FOR BUILDING AND/OR ELECTRICAL PERMIT" and lists "Roofing -Total square feet" as one of its boxes under "Type of work," among fencing, signs, pools, decks and demolition on the same multi-purpose form. The Borough's Building Permit Fee Schedule lists "Exterior Alterations subject to UCC $154.00" among other residential renovations and has no roofing line. 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." Ask the Borough office (724-837-8858) before starting. Read for this answer: the Borough's Uniform Construction Code, Zoning Officer, Permits and Ordinances pages; Chapter 61 of the Borough Code in full; Chapters 125 (Property Maintenance) and 163 (Zoning), searched for roof work, which found no permit provision naming it; the BIU building permit application; and the Building Permit Fee Schedule, read from its scanned pages. The Borough Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 724-837-8858.