Roofing in Spring Brook Township (Lackawanna 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, Spring Brook Township takes permit business at its municipal office, 966 State Route 307, Spring Brook Township (570-842-7028). The Township's Building Inspection Agency Info sheet says "As of September 2012 the Spring Brook Township board of supervisors hired a second agency to handle the building inspections for our municipality" and "When applying for a building permit you must choose which agency you would like to provide the inspections for your project"; its Directory page lists Building Inspection Underwriters of Pennsylvania, Inc. and Northeast Inspection Consultants as the Township's building inspectors and Northeast Inspection Consultants as its zoning officer. The Township's pages and fee resolution name no code edition.

Spring Brook Township's own pages and ordinances read for this record name no roof work as permit work or as exempt. The Township's 2012 Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance 2012-3, adopted February 9, 2012) says in Section 1201 A that "all new construction, alterations or changes in type of occupancy must be made in conformance with the requirements contained in this ordinance" and that the applicant "shall apply to the Zoning Officer for a Zoning Permit and Certificate of Compliance"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration under it. The Township's fee resolution (Resolution #2022-1, adopted January 3rd, 2022) says "All building permits are also subject to a 20% administrative fee and a $4.50 State UCC fee" and prices "Additions, Alterations, Remodeling & Repairs" as one residential category, with no roofing line. The Township's Ordinances page lists a zoning ordinance and amendment, flood plain, subdivision, stormwater, nuisance, driveway, tenant registration, dangerous buildings and peddler ordinances, and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, so that ordinance was not read for this record. 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 Township office (570-842-7028) before starting. Read for this answer: the Township's home, Applications & Forms, Fee Schedule, Ordinances, Zoning, Miscellaneous Forms, Township Officials, Directory and Contact pages; its Building Inspection Agency Info sheet; its Zoning Permit Application and general fee schedule (image files, read from page renders); its 2012 Zoning Ordinance in full, whose "roof" hits are definitions, building height, signs and solar equipment; and its Flood Plain Management, Dangerous Buildings, Nuisance and 2026 zoning amendment ordinances, none of which names a roofing permit.