Roofing in State College, Pennsylvania

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 Borough of State College's code work is done by the Centre Region Code Administration, which the Borough's services page describes as serving "the participating municipalities of College, Ferguson, Harris, Halfmoon, Patton Townships and the Boroughs of State College and Bellefonte." The CRCA's 2021 Code Cycle page says residential construction "is regulated by the Uniform Construction Code of Pennsylvania (UCC) and the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted and amended by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," including "replacement, repair, renovation." The Borough's own adoption is Chapter IV, Part A of the Borough Code (Ord. 2043 of 2014): in Section 4-102 "the Borough of State College hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Act" and the Uniform Construction Code. Section 4-103 amends the State's list of exclusions, 34 Pa. Code 403.1(b): it shrinks the exclusion for small accessory buildings to those under 150 square feet, and it says "(8) Is deleted" and "(9) Is deleted." In the State's current list, item (8) is "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" and item (9) is "Repairs to residential buildings." The same section sets a ground snow load for roofs under the International Building Code and adopts Appendix K (Sound Transmission) of the International Residential Code; it changes no roofing section. Part A was read in full, with a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof." The CRCA's electronic building permit application lists "Roof Repair / Replacement" as a type of work.

The Centre Region Code Administration, which issues building permits for the Borough of State College, treats roof repair and replacement as permit work, and the Borough Code lists the State's exclusions for residential repairs and alterations as deleted: Section 4-103 of the Borough Code (https://ecode360.com/32893970, read October 5, 2026) amends 34 Pa. Code 403.1(b) so that items "(8)" and "(9)", the exclusions for residential alterations without structural or egress changes and for residential repairs, each read "Is deleted." The CRCA's Electronic Application for Building Permit (read October 5, 2026; form dated 8/26) lists "Roof Repair / Replacement" among the types of work and, for a roof, asks for "ROOF - Zoning (where required), Spec/Material Cut Sheets." 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 section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, expect the CRCA to require a building permit for a reroof, as its application form provides. Its residential guidance says "Before any construction or remodeling work begins, application for a permit should be made," and that "All inspections require a minimum of 24 hour notice." The CRCA office is at 2643 Gateway Drive, Suite 1, State College, open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (phone 814-231-3056). A residential application carries a "$35.00 application fee," and alterations and renovations are charged "the declared cost multiplied by the Permit Fee Multiplier of .0070," with a minimum permit fee of $55.50.