Roofing in Union Township (Berks 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, Union Township, in Berks County, takes building permit applications at its Township building, 1445 E Main St, Douglassville. Section 82-1 of the Township Code says "The Township of Union hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act 45 of 1999," the Township's Zoning/Permits page says "Our Code Enforcement Officer has office hours at the Township building" and that the applicant must pay review fees for a building permit "Before review begins by the Engineer," and the Township's building code permit application carries the name of Systems Design Engineering, Inc., 1032 James Drive, Leesport. Chapter 82 of the Township Code, read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Township's building code (Ord. No. 2004-1) and, in Article II (Ord. No. 2004-15), requires permits for utility and miscellaneous use structures of 200 square feet or more accessory to one-family dwellings; it names no roof work. Chapter 79, Code Enforcement, says "An application for a permit shall be required in accordance with the provisions of those applicable codes and ordinances which the Code Enforcement Officer has the responsibility to administer" and names no roof work. Section 82-5A keeps in force building code ordinances adopted "on or before July 1, 1999," which "equal or exceed the requirements of the code." Chapter 97 recites that Ord. No. 91-2 adopted "the BOCA National Building Code/1990 Edition by reference," and its editor's note says "Ordinance No. 91-2 was superseded"; this record has not read that BOCA text and found no Township text naming roof work. No Township page read names a code edition.

Union Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. Chapter 82 of the Township Code, read in full, adopts the Uniform Construction Code "as amended from time to time" as the Township's building code (Ord. No. 2004-1) and, in Article II (Ord. No. 2004-15), requires permits for utility and miscellaneous use structures of 200 square feet or more accessory to one-family dwellings; it names no roof work. Chapter 79, Code Enforcement, says "An application for a permit shall be required in accordance with the provisions of those applicable codes and ordinances which the Code Enforcement Officer has the responsibility to administer" and names no roof work. Section 82-5A keeps in force building code ordinances adopted "on or before July 1, 1999," which "equal or exceed the requirements of the code." Chapter 97 recites that Ord. No. 91-2 adopted "the BOCA National Building Code/1990 Edition by reference," and its editor's note says "Ordinance No. 91-2 was superseded"; this record has not read that BOCA text and found no Township text naming roof work. The Township's Zoning/Permits page says "If you have any work planned including new structures, additions to existing structures, signs, fences, driveways and accessory structures, you may need a permit" and names no roof work. The Township's 2026 UCC enforcement, zoning and stormwater fee schedule, adopted by resolution in January 2026, names no roof work; it prices "Renovations, Alterations" at "$50.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000.00 of est. cost." The building code permit application lists the information sheet "Residential Building Permit Exemptions", described as identifying "residential projects which are exempt from building permits per PA Act 45"; that sheet is not posted on the Township's site and 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." This record does not state whether the Township requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Township's Code Enforcement Officer before starting. The Code Enforcement Officer keeps office hours at the Township building on Wednesdays, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, by appointment, and the Township's phone is 610-582-3769. A $70.00 non-refundable application fee is due when a building permit application is filed, and the fee schedule says "Any work started without an approved Township permit will be issued a Stop Work Order until a permit is granted by Township with all permit fees being doubled." Read for this answer: Chapters 79, 82 and 97 of the Township Code in full; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof", "reroofing" and "re-roofing", which found no permit provision naming roof work; the Township's Zoning/Permits and Contact Us pages; its 2026 UCC enforcement, zoning and stormwater fee schedule and its 2026 master fee schedule, read in full from their scanned pages; the residential building permit requirements sheet; the application checklist; and the building and zoning permit applications.