Roofing in Washington Township (Dauphin 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, Washington Township sends Uniform Construction Code permits to outside agencies: its Uniform Construction Code Building Permit Information sheet says "Washington Township property owners may contact either Lehigh Engineering, LLC or Light-Heigel & Associates for their building permit/inspection needs," and its Uniform Construction Code Inspectors page lists those two firms and a third agency, each under "State (UCC) Building Permit Applications, Questions, Inspections, Fees." The Township office, which takes zoning permit applications, is at 185 Manors Road, Elizabethville. The Township's Ordinances page lists only its 2008 comprehensive plan, and its ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code was not found published and was not read for this record. Its Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 27) is posted as a scanned PDF with no text layer and was not read for this record. The Township's pages read name no code edition.

The Township's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's Ordinances page lists only its 2008 comprehensive plan, and its ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code was not found published and was not read for this record. Its Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 27) is posted as a scanned PDF with no text layer and was not read for this record. The Township's Building Permit Information sheet says "A building permit is needed to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an alteration or a repair under it. Its fee schedule (updated December 5, 2023, read from its scanned pages) lists zoning permit fees and says "UCC Building Permit Fees As per UCC third party/inspectors approved fee schedule," with no roofing line. 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." Ask the Township office (717-362-3191) before starting. Read for this answer: the Township's Building Permit Information, Uniform Construction Code Inspectors, Zoning Permit Applications, Permit Fees and Ordinances pages; the Uniform Construction Code Building Permit Information sheet; and its fee schedule, read from its scanned pages.