Roofing in Windsor Township (Berks County), 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, Windsor Township takes permit applications at its municipal building, 110 Haas Road, Hamburg (610-562-3769): its Permits & Forms page says "After downloading the forms, please print the form and contact us to get it to the correct zoning officer," posts a "Building Code Permit Application" headed "WINDSOR TOWNSHIP BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION" that names a "Building Inspector," and the Township's 2026 fee schedule lists a "UCC Residential Application fee for New Buildings and Additions". The Township's Ordinances page lists a zoning ordinance, a stormwater management ordinance, a subdivision and land development ordinance, a solar energy systems ordinance, a data center ordinance and the 2026 fee schedule, and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and the Township's pages link no online code library, so the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not found and was not read for this record. The Township's Permits & Forms page says "The State of Pennsylvania has adopted the 2018 ICC Code effective February 14, 2022" and names no later edition; the text above is the 2021 edition's, and this record has not read the 2018 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

No Windsor Township text read names reroofing as building permit work or as exempt. Section 802 of the Township's Zoning Ordinance says "No building, structure, or sign shall be erected, constructed, moved, added to, or structurally altered, nor shall land be put to any use without a permit therefore, issued by the Zoning Officer"; it names no roof work, and this record does not decide whether a house reroof is a structural alteration under it. The Township's Ordinances page lists a zoning ordinance, a stormwater management ordinance, a subdivision and land development ordinance, a solar energy systems ordinance, a data center ordinance and the 2026 fee schedule, and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and the Township's pages link no online code library, so the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not found and was not read for this record. The Township's Building Code Permit Application offers "Alteration" and "Repair" among its types of work and names no roofing, and its 2026 fee schedule has no roofing line. The Township office is open Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, and closed Friday; call 610-562-3769 before work starts. Read for this answer: the Township's Permits & Forms and Township Ordinances pages, its Building Code Permit Application, Zoning Permit Application and 2026 fee schedule, its notice on the code change, and Section 802 of its Zoning Ordinance. The Township's Ordinances page lists a zoning ordinance, a stormwater management ordinance, a subdivision and land development ordinance, a solar energy systems ordinance, a data center ordinance and the 2026 fee schedule, and no ordinance adopting the Uniform Construction Code, and the Township's pages link no online code library, so the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance was not found and was not read for this record.