Roofing in West Pittston, 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 Pittston Borough's Contact Us page lists "Code Enforcement/Zoning (Permits)" as NEIC, Northeast Inspection Consultants, reached through the Borough office at 555 Exeter Avenue, and the Borough's zoning permit application says "WHEN ALL OF THE PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ARE SUBMITTED, NEIC WILL PERFORM A PLAN REVIEW"; the building permit application on the Borough's forms page is that firm's building subcode application. The Borough's codified code, which the Borough's own ordinances cite as the Code of the Borough of West Pittston, is not published online, and its Uniform Construction Code adoption ordinance is not posted on the Borough's site, so this record has not read whether the Borough adds any permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations. No Borough page names a code edition.

West Pittston Borough's pages read for this record do not say whether a house reroof needs a permit. The Borough's codified code, which the Borough's own ordinances cite as the Code of the Borough of West Pittston, is not published online, and its Uniform Construction Code adoption ordinance is not posted on the Borough's site, so this record has not read whether the Borough adds any permit requirement of its own for residential repairs or alterations. The firm's building subcode application lists roofing among its boxes for the type of work, beside new building, addition, alteration, fence, sign, pool, demolition and other; it says nothing on which roof work needs a permit. No Borough page names a house reroof either as permit work or as exempt, and the 2019 zoning ordinance read for this record names no roof work as needing a zoning 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 Borough requires a permit for a house reroof; ask the Borough office (570-655-7782, the code enforcement and zoning extension) before starting. The Borough's forms page also carries a "West Pittston Borough Contractor Registration Application," and Ordinance 534 says that at application for a new or renewed registration "the applicant shall pay the municipality a registration fee of $100.00." The Borough office is open Monday through Thursday, 8am to 4pm. Read for this answer: the Borough's Contact Us, forms and ordinances pages; the building subcode, zoning permit and contractor registration applications; Ordinance 534, which sets the Borough's zoning, pavement and contractor registration fees; the 2019 zoning ordinance in full; and the 2018 and 2019 ordinance compilations posted by the Borough.