Roofing in Wilkes-Barre 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, Wilkes-Barre Township's Zoning & Code Enforcement Department at the municipal building, 150 Watson Street, Wilkes-Barre Township (570-208-4635, Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM), lists a Zoning & Code Enforcement Officer on its Zoning & Code Enforcement page, which says "For all zoning, planning and code enforcement related information, please contact our code enforcement officer at the number listed," and posts its own Building Permit Application, whose "READ THIS" box says "CONTRACTOR IS RESPONSIBLE TO SCHEDULE ALL INSPECTIONS WITH ZONING OFFICE." The Township's Rental Ordinance defines a Code Enforcement Officer as "the duly appointed Code Enforcement Office(s) having charge of the Office of Code Enforcement for the Township of Wilkes-Barre." The Township's Ordinances page lists its open burning, alcohol container, election sign, parking, fireworks, rental, animal and other ordinances and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code or a building code, which was not found published on the Township's site. The Department of Labor and Industry's register of municipal code change ordinances lists a Wilkes-Barre Township filing whose summary says it "Requires a building permit for residential storage sheds with a building area greater than 200 sq. ft. and for a wide variety of alterations and construction related to residential buildings," with "approval letter mailed 11 / 22 / 06" and "Enacted on 4 / 2 / 07." The Township's ordinance behind that filing was not found published and was not read for this record, and this record does not decide what it requires of a reroof. The Township's pages name no code edition.