Roofing in Spring Township (Centre 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 Township in Centre County elects to run the code: Section 5-101 of the Township Code says "This Municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Township's Building Permit page, which it describes as "For most construction and remodeling projects, plumbing, change of heating sources," posts the building permit application of Keystone Inspection Agency, 248 N. Main Street, Suite 1, Pleasant Gap (814-359-3333). The Township office is at 1309 Blanchard Street, Bellefonte. Section 5-102 adopts the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the municipal building code, and Chapter 5 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions. The Township's pages name no code edition.

Spring Township's pages and code read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's Code Enforcement / Zoning page says "A building and/or zoning permits are required for any new construction and alternations to a structure, including additions, decks, sheds, garages, pools etc. Always check with the Township first to see what permits are required," and names no roof work. The Keystone Inspection Agency application the Township posts lists generic work types ("New Construction Addition Alteration Repair") and names no reroofing or roof replacement as a permit type. Chapter 5 of the Township Code, the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ord. 2004-03), adopts the code by reference and adds no permit clause of its own; Section 5-105 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code," and the published Township Code carries no such ordinance besides Chapter 4, Buildings, which deals only with dangerous buildings and names no permit for roof work. The Township publishes no building permit fee schedule online. 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 the Township requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Township office (814-355-7543) or Keystone Inspection Agency (814-359-3333) before starting. Read for this answer: Chapter 5 of the Township Code, Code Enforcement, and Chapter 4, Buildings, in full; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; the Code Enforcement / Zoning, Building Permit and Documents & Forms pages; and the Keystone Inspection Agency building permit application the Township posts.