Roofing in Washington Township (Fayette 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 in Fayette County uses K2 Engineering, Inc., 234 Pittsburgh Street, Uniontown (724-439-3440), as its zoning officer and permit office: the Township's Zoning page says "Washington Township does not handle zoning related matters in the Supervisors Office – please contact the zoning officer at 724-439-3440" and posts K2 Engineering's residential building permit fee schedule under "Building Permit Fees", and the Township's Zoning Responsibilities sheet lists the "Washington Township Zoning Office" at 1390 Fayette Avenue, Belle Vernon, with the same telephone number. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not found published and was not read for this record, and neither the Township's pages nor K2's fee schedule name a code edition.

Washington Township's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a building permit. This record found no published copy of the Township's codified ordinances or of its Uniform Construction Code ordinance, and that ordinance was not read for this record. Separately from any building permit, the Township's zoning fee resolution, Resolution No. 07-03 (approved February 21, 2007, and re-adopted by amendment), lists under "ZONING APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATE" fees a $25.00 fee for "Remodeling/Renovations (Siding, roofing, decks" and "porches, porch enclosures, fences and privacy fences"; the Township's Zoning Responsibilities sheet lists, under "Permits Required (In Part)", "Remodeling (Siding, Roofing, Decks, Porches, Porch Enclosures, Fences)"; and K2's Application for Zoning Permit lists "ROOF" among its types of improvement. These are zoning permit texts; they do not say whether a building permit is needed for a house reroof. K2's residential building permit fee schedule, which names no municipality, lists under "Roofs" a $125.00 fee for "New Roof or Structural Changes to Existing"; it names no reroof or roof covering replacement, and no Township resolution adopting it was found published. 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 building permit for a house reroof; ask K2 Engineering (724-439-3440) before starting, and ask about the Township's zoning permit for roofing at the same number. The Township's Zoning Manual of Procedures says "If the proposed project involves a new building or structure or alterations to an existing building or structure, an application for a zoning permit must be made prior to application for a building permit." Read for this answer: the Township's Zoning, Documents and Contact Us pages; its Zoning Responsibilities sheet; its Zoning Manual of Procedures; Resolution No. 07-03 and its amendment, read from the scanned pages; K2 Engineering's Application for Zoning Permit; and K2's residential building permit fee schedule. The Township office, 1390-A Fayette Avenue, keeps secretary hours of Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 2:00pm, at 724-929-6333.