Roofing in Spring Township (Berks County), Pennsylvania

Not required

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, The Township of Spring in Berks County administers the code itself: Chapter VI, Section 101 of the Township Code says the Township "hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building & Codes page says the department "is staffed by a licensed Building Code Official" and "is also supported by a State licensed Third Party Agency for commercial plan review and inspections." The Township posts its Code as one file per chapter, with no code-wide search, so this record names the chapters it read. Chapter VI, Code Enforcement (Part 1, Uniform Construction Code, Sections 101 to 108, Ordinance No. 346 of August 13, 2007; Part 2, Property Maintenance Code; Part 3, Uniform Construction Code Board of Appeals), read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Township's municipal building code. Its revisions only insert the Township's name, dates, design criteria and penalty figures into the 2006 editions of the codes, and it names no roof work. It repeals "All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by the Township before August 13, 2007." Chapter V, Buildings and Structures, reads "(Reserved for Future Use)." Chapter XV, Housing (rental registration and pre-settlement inspection), and Chapter XVII, Licenses, Permits and General Business Regulations (peddling, amusements and public gatherings), contain no building permit or roof provision. No other chapter of the Township Code was read for this record. Chapter VI's revisions are drafted against the 2006 editions, and the Township's building application instructions say plans are reviewed "for compliance with the 2009 International Residential Code and other adopted codes, specifications and ordinances"; no Township page read for this record names the 2021 edition, and this record has not read the 2006 or 2009 text. The Township's Permits page says a residential building permit is not required for replacing shingles; it is quoted in the permit entries of this record.

Read October 6, 2026: the Township's Permits page says "A residential building permit is not required for wallpapering, painting, tiling, cabinetry, finishing work, siding, replacing shingles, and replacing same size windows and doors," and the Department of Zoning and Code Enforcement's 2024 handout "When do you need a Permit, and Why?" lists under "No Permits Required:" "Roof material replacement (shingles) on a residential structure." The same page lists "structural alterations" and building a "roof over decks or porches" as building permit work, and the handout lists "Roofs over patios or decks" and "Any structural change to an applicable building." The Township's Minor Repairs / Renovation application lists "Roofing" among its types of work, and its 2026 fee schedule (Resolution #2026-05) names "Roof Material Replacement" only under its non-residential alterations, renovations and repairs; its residential fees have no reroofing line. The Township Code chapters read for this record name no roof work either way; the no-permit line for houses is the department's stated practice. Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), 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." Read for this answer: Chapter VI of the Township Code (its Uniform Construction Code adoption and revisions) and Chapter V (reserved), with Chapters XV and XVII; the Township's Permits and Building & Codes pages and its 2024 permit handout; and its 2026 fee schedule (Resolution #2026-05) with the August 2026 update (Resolution No. 2026-22), whose title limits it to fire operational permit, mileage and liquor license transfer fees. In practice, a like-for-like shingle replacement on a house goes ahead without a Township building permit on the department's own words; work that changes the roof structure is permit work on the Township's pages, and the Township's handout says "If you have any questions for a particular project, please feel free to contact the Zoning and Building Code Department at 610-678-5393, ext. 1440." For permit work the 2026 fee schedule says "Any permit required work which is started without an approved permit being issued automatically doubles the permit fees." Applications are paper forms from the Township's website or office, submitted to the Zoning and Codes Department at 2850 Windmill Road, Sinking Spring, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the instructions give a review period of 15 business days for a building permit application.