Roofing in Windsor Township (York 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 administers the code itself: its Building Permit Ordinance (Ordinance No. 16-02-01) has a Building Permit Officer appointed by the Board of Supervisors issue permits and says "The Building Permit Officer is also the designated Building Code Official," and the Township's fee schedule sends plan review and inspection fees under the Uniform Construction Code to an attached schedule of Commonwealth Code Inspection Service, Inc. Permit applications go to the Township office, 1480 Windsor Road, Red Lion. The Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance (Ordinance 04-06-01) is not published and was not read for this record, so whether it amends the code's roofing provisions is not stated here. The Building Permit Ordinance applies the "International Residential Building Code (IRC) 2006 or the latest edition thereof," the Township's application form says only "INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE SERIES IS ENFORCED," and no Township page read names a residential edition; the Township's Uniform Construction Code ordinance is not published; this record has not read the 2006 edition's text and does not decide which edition the Township applies.

Windsor Township's code and pages read for this record do not settle whether a house reroof needs a permit. Windsor Township's Building Permit Ordinance (Ordinance No. 16-02-01, enacted February 29, 2016), in Part I, Section 1 A, says "It shall be unlawful for any person to build or alter any building or structure in Windsor Township without having obtained a permit therefor as herein provided," and Section 6 defines BUILD as "The construction, erection, location, placement, altering, raising, fabricating, making, repairing, enlarging, paving, or restoration of any structure or part thereof, but not including the mere painting or finishing of surfaces when not accompanied by any other activity herein referred to." The ordinance names no roof work. Section 1 E says "This Ordinance supersedes any other conflicting provisions which may be in effect in identified floodplain areas. However, any other ordinance provisions shall remain in force and effect to the extent that those provisions are more restrictive." The ordinance states its statutory authority as the Pennsylvania Flood Plain Management Act of 1978, and this record does not decide whether Section 1 A reaches an ordinary house reroof. Section 1 D refers to "the Windsor Township Uniform Construction Code, adopted as Ordinance 04-06-01," which the Township has not published and which was not read for this record. The Township has published nothing on reroofing. Its Zoning/Permits page (read October 7, 2026) says "Permitting is required for most projects. Contact the Zoning Department to determine if a permit is needed," and its guides cover accessory structures, fences and pools only. The Township's building/zoning permit application and its fee schedule (Resolution No. 2026R-05-02, adopted May 18, 2026), which prices building permits by estimated cost, name no roof work. 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." Before starting a reroof, ask the Township's Zoning Department at 717-244-3512 whether it requires a permit for the job. The permit application asks for the contractor's registration number and proof of workers' compensation insurance, and the fee schedule sets the building permit fee at $25.00 for an estimated cost up to $4,999.99 and $6.00 per $1,000 of cost from $5,000.00, with no refunds. The Township office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Read for this answer: the Township's Building Permit Ordinance, Ordinance No. 16-02-01, all 27 pages (a scanned copy, read from the page images); the list of ordinances the Township publishes, which does not include its Uniform Construction Code ordinance; the text of its Zoning Ordinance, which has no roofing permit rule; the Zoning/Permits and Contact Information pages; the building/zoning permit application; and the 2026 fee schedule with its attached inspection fee schedules. The Township has no codified code online, so no whole-code search could be run.