Roofing in West Fallowfield Township (Chester 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, West Fallowfield Township's Permit Applications page lists a Residential Building Permit Application, a Building Permit Application Checklist and a Zoning Permit Application and names "Accurate Building Inspections" as the building code official, its General Information page lists "Building Code Official: Accurate Building Inspections," and its fee schedule says building plan review, issuance and inspections are "Performed by a PA certified third party agencies on behalf of the township"; the Township office is at 3095 Limestone Road, Suite 1, Cochranville (610-593-5916), open Monday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not found published on its website and was not read for this record, and its Zoning Ordinance was posted only as a scanned image and was not read, so no Township ordinance reaching residential reroofing was read; the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance names no roof work as permit work. The Township's Building Permit Application Checklist says "You may order a soft copy of the 2003 ICC Codebook through the township," and the Township's pages name no later edition; this record has not read the 2003 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

No West Fallowfield Township text read says whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's Building Permit Application Checklist says "Small additions and alternations may have some of the requirements waived" and lists plans for structural work; the Township's fee schedule says "Building Permits are separate from Zoning Permits and Zoning Fees" and lists zoning permit fees by enclosed space. The Township's Zoning Permit Application asks for the "Permit for (type of improvement)" and the Residential Building Permit Application form lists "Roofing" among contractor trades. No Township page read names a house reroof either as permit work or as exempt, and this record does not decide whether a reroof is one of the improvements those forms list. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not found published on its website and was not read for this record, and its Zoning Ordinance was posted only as a scanned image and was not read, so no Township ordinance reaching residential reroofing was read; the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance names no roof work as permit work. Ask the Township office at 610-593-5916 before work starts. The checklist says to "Allow up to 15 business days for residential R3" plan reviews and issue of permits before construction. Read for this answer: the Township's Permit Applications, General Information and Zoning Ordinances pages, its fee schedule, its Zoning Permit Application and fee information, its Residential Building Permit Application and Building Permit Application Checklist, and its Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.