Roofing in York, Pennsylvania

Required

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 York's Bureau of Permits and Inspections administers the code; it says it issues "construction permits" and has a "Uniform Construction Code" division, and its 2021 code page says that beginning January 1, 2026 "the City of York will enforce the 2021 Uniform Construction Code (UCC) as part of Pennsylvania's statewide code update," listing the 2021 International Residential Code among the code books adopted. The City's codified ordinances, in the 2016-2017 compilation the City publishes on its site, were read for Articles 1700, 1701, 1711, 1721 and 1731, and Article 1763 was searched for roof and permit text. Section 1711.01 (Ord. 15-2004) says "The City hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act" and adopts "The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended from time to time" as the Municipal Building Code, and section 1711.01(e)(1) keeps in force building code ordinances adopted on or before July 1, 1999 "which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code." Article 1701, adopted in 2000, still adopts the BOCA National Building Code, fourteenth edition, 1999, with City amendments, none of which touches roof coverings; its base text was not read, and the Bureau's current page names the 2021 Uniform Construction Code. No section read names roof work as permit work or as exempt citywide. In the Historic York District, section 1731.07(a)(1) lists "Any and all roofing that is more than an ordinary repair with like materials." among projects that "shall require a Certificate of Appropriateness," and section 1701.02(5) makes it unlawful there, without first obtaining a permit, to perform "repairs which would effect an exterior appearance change." The Bureau's own FAQ answers "Do I need a permit to fix my roof?" with "Roof replacement that involves more than 25% of any one roof surface requires a building permit."

The City of York treats roof replacement over 25% of a roof surface as permit work. Its Bureau of Permits and Inspections FAQ (https://www.yorkcity.org/decd/bureau-of-permits-and-inspections/, read October 5, 2026) answers "Do I need a permit to fix my roof?" with "Roof replacement that involves more than 25% of any one roof surface requires a building permit." A full reroof is over that line. In the Historic York District, section 1731.07(a)(1) lists "Any and all roofing that is more than an ordinary repair with like materials." among projects that "shall require a Certificate of Appropriateness," and section 1701.02(5) makes it unlawful there, without first obtaining a permit, to perform "repairs which would effect an exterior appearance change." Pennsylvania's Construction Code Act says it "shall not apply to" "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 in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503" (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6)). Section 503(c) adds: "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, a roofer should expect the Bureau to require a building permit for a reroof, as its FAQ states. The Bureau says "Most permit and license applications are done online only" through its OpenGov portal, whose UCC permits application "is for all building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, demolition, and fire protection permits." It also says "we cannot take walk-in customers. Appointments must be made by calling 717-849-2256." The fee schedule the FAQ points to (Resolution #135 of the 2012 Session, approved January 15, 2013) charges a building permit at 1.25% of valuation, with valuation for repairs and alterations at "the fair market value of the work performed (as determined by the Building Code Official)". The Bureau is at 101 South George Street, York; the City lists its hours as 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.