Roofing in West Grove, 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 Grove Borough administers the code through a retained inspector: Section 162-2 of the Borough Code says "The Borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Code, as amended from time to time, by amendments to the Act and/or the regulations," Section 162-4B lets it do so by "retention of one or more construction code officials and/or third-party agencies to act on the Borough's behalf," and its Borough Officials page lists "Building Inspection Underwriters" as the Borough's "Zoning Officer/Building Inspector." Section 400-121B of the zoning chapter gives that office the duty "To issue building permits and certificates of occupancy for construction and uses that are in accordance with the provisions of the UCC, this chapter, and any other applicable ordinances." The Borough office takes building and zoning permit applications at 117 Rosehill Avenue, West Grove (610-869-2792), open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Section 162-3 adopts the Uniform Construction Code "by reference as the Borough Building Code and as an ordinance of the Borough." The Borough's pages and Chapter 162 name no code edition, and this record does not decide which edition the Borough applies.

Section 400-123B(1)(b) of the Borough's zoning chapter (Permits required) says a building permit is required prior to "The erection, addition, alteration, or demolition of any building or other structure or portion thereof" and "It shall be unlawful for any person to commence work for the erection, alteration, expansion, or demolition of any building or structure or portion thereof until a permit has been duly issued therefor." It names no roof work and does not use the word "repair," and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is an "alteration" under it. Section 400-123A(2) separately requires a zoning permit for "The erection of or structural alteration or addition to any building, structure, sign or portion thereof," and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a structural alteration. Chapter 162 of the Borough Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Ord. No. 2004-02), adopts the Uniform Construction Code "by reference as the Borough Building Code and as an ordinance of the Borough," names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own, and Section 162-6 keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 that "equal or exceed the requirements of the code." The Borough's Building & Zoning Permit Application (a scanned form, read from its rendered pages on October 11, 2026) has a "Building" and "Zoning" choice and lists types of work with no roofing box, and the Borough's fee schedule (Resolution 2023-01) prices new construction, additions, alterations, decks and similar work and has no roofing line. The Borough's Forms & Permits, Services and Officials pages say nothing on roofing or reroofing. 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 Borough office (610-869-2792) before starting. Read for this answer: the Borough's Forms & Permits, Services and Officials pages; its Building & Zoning Permit Application and 2023 fee schedule; Chapter 162 of the Borough Code in full (Sections 162-1 to 162-7), Chapter 310, Property Maintenance, and Article XX of the zoning chapter (Sections 400-120 to 400-125); and every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" (24 results, none a building-permit provision for roofing) and for "reroofing" (none).