Roofing in South Londonderry 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, South Londonderry Township administers the code through two inspection agencies under contract to it: its Zoning, Building & Land Development page says "An application for a permit is to be filed with the Township and no work shall commence until permit is issued" and that "building inspections and plan reviews are completed by a third party agency under contract to the Township. Associate Building Inspections, LLC (ABI) and Commonwealth Code Inspection Service (CCIS) are agents of the township," and the page posts each agency's fee schedule and permit application. The Township office is at 27 West Market Street, Palmyra. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not read for this record: it is not among the ordinances posted on the Township's Ordinance Information page, and no online copy of the Township's code was found, so any permit or exemption section in it, and any older building ordinance it keeps in force, were not read. The Commonwealth Code Inspection Service application the Township posts says "Applicable Codes: 2009 IBC/IRC, 2012 IBC Chapter 11, 2009 ICC A11 7.1," and the Township's own pages name no edition; this record has not read the 2009 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

No South Londonderry Township text read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt. The Township's Zoning, Building & Land Development page (read October 9, 2026) says "Permits are required to repair, construct, enlarge, alter, or demolish a building or structure," and that the Township "follows the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) as the standard for building, construction, remodeling, and repairs"; it names no roof work. The Commonwealth Code Inspection Service application lists the improvement types "New," "Addition," "Alteration," "Repair/Replacement," "Relocation" and "Other," and the Associated Building Inspections application lists "Alteration or Renovation" among its types; neither names roofing. Neither agency's 2025 residential fee schedule nor the Township's 2026 fee schedule has a roofing line. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not read for this record: it is not among the ordinances posted on the Township's Ordinance Information page, and no online copy of the Township's code was found, so any permit or exemption section in it, and any older building ordinance it keeps in force, were not read. 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 Township's statement names no roof work, no agency document read names reroofing as permit work or as exempt, and the Township's code could not be read, so this record does not decide whether the Township requires a permit for an ordinary reroof. Ask the Township office at 717-838-5556 before work starts. The Township's checklist says applications "will not be processed if the application is not properly completed and all appropriate documentation submitted," and a contractor doing the work must submit a certificate of workers' compensation insurance or a notarized exemption statement. The Township office is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Read for this answer: the Township's Zoning, Building & Land Development, Ordinance Information and Hours & Phone Numbers pages; its building permit application checklist; the Commonwealth Code Inspection Service 2025 residential fee schedule (a scanned page, transcribed from the rendered page image) and residential application; the Associated Building Inspections 2025 fee schedule and permit application; the Township's 2026 fee schedule; and the Township's 2024 Zoning Ordinance, whose exemption for repairs and maintenance applies to the zoning permit only.