Roofing in Tamaqua, 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, Tamaqua Borough administers the Uniform Construction Code through a third-party agency: Chapter 129 of the Borough Code says "This municipality hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," the Borough's Applications and Forms page lists "Health, Code & Zoning" as "Subcontracted to: Barry Isett & Assoc," and the Borough's Application for PA UCC Construction Permit carries a "BIA Project No." beside the Borough permit number. Section 129-2 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the municipal building code; Chapter 129 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions and names no edition, and the Borough's permit pages name none.

Tamaqua Borough's Applications and Forms page says permits are typically required for "a substantial improvement" and to consult the Code Enforcement Office first, without naming roof work. Chapter 129 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 585, 2004), adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference and names no roof work either way; its only permit requirement is the one the Uniform Construction Code itself carries. The Borough's Applications and Forms page (read October 9, 2026) says "Permits are typically required when a resident makes a substantial improvement to a property. Depending on the circumstance, the Borough may require a zoning, building, mechanical, plumbing, or an electrical permit. Always consult with the Borough's Code Enforcement Office before conducting a significant improvement," and names no roof work. The Application for PA UCC Construction Permit lists no roofing category, and the Borough's Zoning Permit Application lists no roof work among its construction types. No Borough permit fee schedule is posted on the Borough's pages. Inside the Borough's National Historic District the rule differs: Chapter 192 of the Borough Code, Historic Preservation, says the Zoning Officer "shall not issue a building permit for any erection of signage or the erection, alteration, reconstruction, repair, restoration or demolition of all or part of any building in the District until the Tamaqua Borough Council has issued a certificate of appropriateness," and the Borough's Application for Certificate of Appropriateness lists "New Roof (re-roof applicable)" and says "Once you have received the Borough Zoning Permit, PA UCC Construction Permit (if required) and a copy of the COA, only then can you begin work on your project." That is a separate historic-district approval, location-limited, not a Uniform Construction Code permit. 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." The Borough's Zoning Permit Application Packet says "Violation of any provision of the Zoning Ordinance or this permit, by the owner, lessee, or any other person shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 each day that a violation continues may constitute a separate violation." The Applications and Forms page lists the code and zoning office at 320 East Broad Street, open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at 570-668-0300; the Borough office is at 570-668-3444. Read for this answer: Chapter 129 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform, in full; Chapter 192, Historic Preservation, in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Applications and Forms page; the Application for PA UCC Construction Permit; the Zoning Permit Application Packet, a scanned document read from all seven of its page images; and the Application for Certificate of Appropriateness.