Home / Roofing by City / West Reading, Pennsylvania

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in West Reading, PA, issued by West Reading Borough - Code Enforcement Department. West Reading Borough's code requires house repairs and alterations to comply with the Uniform Construction Code, with listed exemptions that name no roof work, and the Borough has published nothing on reroofing. Section 188-16D of the Borough Code (as amended December 17, 2019 by Ord. No. 1118, read October 9, 2026) says "Subsections 104(B)(5) and (6) of Act 45, as amended by Act 92, are hereby deleted," and that the Borough shall enforce the Uniform Construction Code's codes "as they apply to the alteration and repair of residential buildings." Section 188-17K(1) says "All alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress and repairs to residential buildings shall be subject to compliance with the Uniform Construction Code," except listed work; the list names "Replacement of existing siding or installation of siding over existing exterior wall covering," windows, doors, porches, painting and similar work, and names no roof work. Section 188-17K(2) says "An ordinary repair does not require a permit" and lists what is not an ordinary repair (cutting away a wall, removing or cutting a structural beam or load-bearing support, changing a means of egress, and piping, electric or mechanical work); it does not define an ordinary repair and names no roof work either way. The Code Enforcement Department has published nothing on reroofing. Its Uniform Construction Code page lists "Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition or change in occupancy of a residential building" among work for which a property owner must obtain a permit, gives an exemption list that names no roof work, and says "A property owner should not assume that work is exempt without first making appropriate inquiry." Its FAQ says "Any work beyond a basic repair or a non-structural alteration may require a building permit issued by the Borough's Building Code Official for both residential and commercial properties. The best course of action is to contact the Code Department at 610-374-8273 extension 238 and ask if a permit is required for your project," and the Permits & Fees page says "Prior to beginning a project, please contact our office to determine if a permit is needed." Article I of Chapter 188, the Code Enforcement Ordinance (Ord. No. 786, May 21, 1997), also provides in Section 188-5A(2) for an alteration permit where, "in the opinion of the Code Enforcement Officer," the work "is not considered to be normal maintenance or repairs," and says "Any change in size, shape, height, type of materials, etc., necessitates an alteration permit." Under state law, Act 45 says the Act "shall not apply to" "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" or to "Repairs to residential buildings, except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (section 104(b)(5) and (6)), and of a municipal ordinance that adds to the code, section 503(c) says "An ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) have been satisfied." This record does not decide whether the municipality's requirement is one adopted under section 503 or kept in effect by section 303(b)(1). In practice, the Borough's code brings house repairs and alterations under the Uniform Construction Code, its exemption list names no roof work, and the Department says to ask before starting, so expect to need a building permit for a reroof. The Permits & Fees page says "Building permit fees will be doubled if permit is not issued before work commences," and Section 188-18B makes a violation a summary offense "punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 days, or by both." Applications go to the Code Enforcement Office in Borough Hall; a Certificate of Insurance is required before a permit is issued to any contractor working in the Borough, and residential building permits are priced by project value, from $150 plus the $4.50 state fee for work under $5,000. The Borough office is at 610-374-8273. Read for this record: Chapter 188 of the Borough Code, Construction Standards (Article I, Code Enforcement, and Article II, Uniform Construction Code, Sections 188-1 to 188-22), in full; every page of a search of the whole Borough Code for "roof" and for "reroofing"; the Department's Code Enforcement, Uniform Construction Code and Permits & Fees pages, the last of which carries the building permit fee schedule; and the Department's residential permit procedure sheet and Building Permit Application. This hub aggregates roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements for West Reading, Pennsylvania, along with sourced roofing material references — every fact linked to its directory record.