Home / Roofing by City / Unity Township, Pennsylvania

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unity Township, PA, issued by Unity Township - Department of Building Safety. Unity Township's code requires a building permit for all construction, "including any alterations or repairs to existing buildings or structures," and the Township has published no exemption for a reroof. Section 42-1 of the Township Code, in Chapter 42, Building Permits (adopted January 30, 1995 by Ordinance No. O-2-95), says "A building permit shall be required for all construction and development, including any alterations or repairs to existing buildings or structures." It names no roof work and is not limited to flood-prone areas; the Township's flood rules are in a separate chapter. Section 41-1 C keeps building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "and which equal or exceed the requirements of the UCC" in effect, and Section 42-5, as amended August 14, 2025, says that where a permit requirement in Chapter 42 "is in conflict or inconsistent with the terms and provisions of Chapter 41," Chapter 41's terms apply. Chapter 41 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference, and the Code says "An ordinary repair does not require a permit" (34 Pa. Code 403.62) without defining an ordinary repair or setting an area or cost limit. This record does not decide how Sections 41-1 C and 42-5 bear on Section 42-1. The Department of Building Safety has published nothing on reroofing. Its Residential Building Permit Information Guide (read October 7, 2026) lists work for which "By state law, a building permit, inspections and a Certificate of Occupancy is required," including "Structural alterations to an existing dwelling unit (Building Code Official will determine if the work you intend to perform involves structural alterations)," and says "No work shall begin on any project until the application is approved and permit is issued and paid for"; it names no roof work. The Township's Building Permit Application offers "Repair" as a type of improvement and has no roofing line. 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 of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, 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, Section 42-1 names repairs without exception and the Township has published no exemption for a reroof, so expect to need a building permit. Section 42-4 says a violator shall "pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township," and the guide warns that "doing work regulated by the UCC without a permit will result in an enforcement action being taken against you by Unity Township." Applications are available at the Township office, which is open Monday to Friday, 8AM to 4PM; the guide says residential applications are processed within 15 working days, inspections must be requested on the Township's Inspection Request form at least five working days ahead, and the Township holds a $200 deposit until the final inspection (Section 42-6). The Township's telephone is 724-539-2546. Read for this answer: Chapter 41 of the Township Code, Building Code (Sections 41-1 to 41-6), and Chapter 42, Building Permits (Articles I to III), in full; Chapter 43, Nuisance; a search of the whole Township Code for "roof," which found no permit provision naming roof work, and for "reroofing," which found none; the Township's Building, Code Enforcement and FAQ pages; its Residential Building Permit Information Guide; and its Building Permit Application. The Township's permit fee schedule, an image-only file, was not read for this record. This hub aggregates roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements for Unity Township, Pennsylvania, along with sourced roofing material references — every fact linked to its directory record.