Roofing in West Manheim Township, 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 Manheim Township administers the code: Section 110-2 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and building permit applications are taken at the Township office, 2412 Baltimore Pike, Hanover, on Township forms that route plan review and inspections through a third-party inspector. Section 110-3 says "The code is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as the Building Code of the Township," and Chapter 110 changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions and names no edition; the Township's pages name no edition either.

West Manheim Township's code and pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Township's FAQ (read October 9, 2026) says "Zoning and building permits are required for all new and altered structures, equipment, and change of any structure or land use. This includes fences, driveways, decks, sheds, pools, and patios and any mechanical, electrical and plumbing work"; it names no roof work. The Township's 2026 fee schedule, read in full from its scanned pages, has no roofing line, and its residential building permit lines are for additions, alterations, garages and outbuildings, decks, trades, demolition and pools; the Township's application list has no roofing form. Chapter 110 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 2-2004, adopted July 1, 2004), read in full, adopts the code "by reference as the Building Code of the Township" (Section 110-3), names no roof work and adds no permit clause of its own for house repairs. Section 110-6B says the West Manheim Township Building Permit Ordinance, Ordinance 02-67 of 1967, "is hereby repealed to the extent of any conflicts with the subject ordinance"; this record has not read that 1967 ordinance and does not decide whether any part of it reaches a house reroof. Section 270-220 of the Zoning chapter requires a zoning permit before a building permit is approved but says "No zoning permit shall be required for repairs or maintenance of any structure or land, provided such repairs do not change the use or the exterior dimensions of the structure." A search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing" found no provision naming a roofing permit. 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 permit for a house reroof; ask the Township office (717-632-0320) before starting. The 2026 fee schedule adds an Unpermitted Work Penalty Fee of $100.00 "When issued a notice or violation for work conducted without a permit," and Section 110-10 sets a fine "of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution" for a violation of the Township's building code. The Township says permits may take up to two weeks to process and inspections are scheduled by calling the office 24 hours in advance; office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Read for this answer: Chapter 110 of the Township Code, Construction Codes, Uniform (Sections 110-1 to 110-10), in full; Section 270-220 (Permits) and Section 270-222 (Prohibited acts) of the Zoning chapter with its definitions of alteration and zoning permit; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Building and Code Enforcement, Fee Schedule and FAQ pages; the Application for Addition or Alteration; and the 2026 fee schedule.