Roofing in Southampton Township (Franklin 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, Southampton Township administers the code through third-party agencies: its Land Use Permit Application says "It will be the applicant's responsibility to contact PA Municipal Code Alliance or Commonwealth Code Inspection Agency to obtain a building permit," and Section 5-201 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code." PA Municipal Code Alliance, Inc. (PMCA) has its office at 1013 Wayne Avenue, Chambersburg. Section 5-202 of the Township Code (Ord. 2004-03, June 8, 2004) adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time-to-time" "as the Municipal Building Code of Southampton Township"; Part 2 of Chapter 5 makes no change to the code's roofing provisions. The Township's pages and code name no code edition; PMCA's ice barrier sheet, marked revised October 20, 2020, says "All Municipalities Served by PMCA follow and enforce the provisions of the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC)," and this record has not read the 2018 edition's text and does not decide which edition is applied.

Southampton Township's pages do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Section 5-206C of the Township Code says "When any building or construction activity is contemplated within the Township, application shall first be made to the Township ... for the issuance of a land use permit," and that "No construction permit application will be accepted without complete land use permit"; Section 39-501 of the zoning chapter requires a land use permit before a building is "demolished, erected, reconstructed or restored, or structurally altered." The Land Use Permit Application is for a permit "to build, erect, or remodel a structure," and the 2025 fee schedule (Resolution 25-001) has no roofing line. None of these names roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a "building or construction activity" under Section 5-206C. PMCA's own website, which does not name Southampton Township on the pages read, answers its question "I am re-roofing my residential structure - do I need a building permit?" with a letter dated July 20, 2018 and addressed "Dear Municipal Official," which says "a residential Re-roof still requires compliance with the provisions of the UCC but does not require a building permit"; PMCA's Re-Roof Application Packet says "A Building Permit is required if there is a structural repair." 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 Southampton Township; ask the Township office at 717-532-9041 and the inspection agency before starting. Section 5-205 sets a fine of "not less than $250.00 nor more than $1,000.00 together with all costs" for a violation of the Township's Uniform Construction Code part. The Township office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Read for this answer: Part 2 of Chapter 5 of the Township Code, Uniform Construction Code (Sections 5-201 to 5-207), in full; the zoning chapter's enforcement part, including Section 39-501; every result of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Township's Codes, Forms, Fees and Links pages, its 2025 fee schedule and its Land Use Permit Application; and PMCA's FAQ and Permit Applications pages, its re-roof letter, Re-Roof Application Packet and ice barrier sheet.