Roofing in Williamsport, 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, the City of Williamsport administers the code through its Bureau of Codes: Section 1700.01 of the Codified Ordinances says "The City of Williamsport hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," and the Bureau's page says "The Bureau of Codes also issues building, electrical, plumbing, event, and demolition permits." Section 1700.01 incorporates the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the City's building code, and Section 1709.01 (Ordinance 6406, approved April 15, 2021) adopts the "International Residential Code, 2015 Edition" as the Residential Code of the City "for regulating and governing construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, location, removal and demolition" of the dwellings it covers, "providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor"; the permit sections of the 2015 code were not read for this record. Section 1709.02 fills in that code's climatic table and changes nothing in its roofing provisions. The City's code (Section 1709.01) names the 2015 International Residential Code, and the Bureau's fee page says only that the City "abides by all current International Code Standards, Codified Ordinances of the City of Williamsport, Third Class City Code, and by the Uniform Construction Code" and names no edition; this record has not read the 2015 edition's roofing text. Articles 1700 (Uniform Construction Code), 1709 (International Residential Code) and 1747 (Contractor Regulations) of the Codified Ordinances were read in full; Article 1700 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference and has no permit clause of its own for house repairs or alterations, and Article 1709 has no permit or exemption section. Searches of the whole code for "roof" and "reroofing" found no provision naming roofing or reroofing as permit work or as exempt.

The City of Williamsport's Bureau of Codes has published nothing read for this record that names roofing as permit work or as exempt. The Bureau's Permits & Fees page charges building permits by cost of construction, from $30.00 for work under $1,000 to "$141.00 plus $15.00 for each additional $1,000" over $10,000, plus the $4.50 Act 45 fee, and its Building/Zoning Permit Application asks for the type of structure, the estimated cost and a description of the work; neither, nor the Bureau's Applications & Forms page, names a roofing permit or a roofing exemption. Section 1700.01 incorporates the Uniform Construction Code, "as amended from time to time," as the City's building code, and Section 1709.01 (Ordinance 6406, approved April 15, 2021) adopts the "International Residential Code, 2015 Edition" as the Residential Code of the City "for regulating and governing construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, location, removal and demolition" of the dwellings it covers, "providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor"; the permit sections of the 2015 code were not read for this record. Section 1709.02 fills in that code's climatic table and changes nothing in its roofing provisions. Articles 1700 (Uniform Construction Code), 1709 (International Residential Code) and 1747 (Contractor Regulations) of the Codified Ordinances were read in full; Article 1700 adopts the Uniform Construction Code by reference and has no permit clause of its own for house repairs or alterations, and Article 1709 has no permit or exemption section. Searches of the whole code for "roof" and "reroofing" found no provision naming roofing or reroofing as permit work or as exempt. 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 therefore does not state whether a City ordinance requires a permit for a reroof. In the City's Historical District, Section 1729.07 says "Except for interior alterations or modifications, no person shall erect, construct, reconstruct, alter, restore, demolish, paint, raze or change in appearance, in whole or in part, any building or structure within the Historical District without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness as required by this article." Applications, including those filled in online, are "printed and delivered to the Bureau of Codes office located at 200 Reighard Ave." with any payment by check or money order; the Bureau says that apart from new construction or major reconstruction "most permits are issued within fifteen (15) business days." The application says "Please attach contractor state registration certificate," and Article 1747, the City's Contractor Registration Ordinance, applies to entities "doing construction, demolition, excavation or other similar work which would require a permit in the City of Williamsport with the exception of the owner or occupant of the property or building who is doing their own work"; the Bureau lists a building contractor registration fee of $100.00 for one year. The Bureau's phone is 570-327-7517, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, closed from noon to 1:00 pm.