Township of Falls, PA Chapter 109 Construction Codes, Uniform

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Falls Township 5-18-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-10.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Ch. 109, Building Construction, Art. I, Adoption of Standards by Reference, adopted 11-20-1975, as amended.

§ 109-1 Administration and enforcement.

The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. §§ 7210.101 through 7210.1103, as amended from time to time, and its regulations.

§ 109-2 Adoption of standards. [1]

The Construction Code, as amended from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the "Township Construction Code."

[1] Editor's Note: Ord. No. 10-02, adopted 4-6-2010, incorporated the International Fire Code of 2009, as may be amended, to replace the International Fire Code heretofore incorporated in the Township Construction Code.

§ 109-3 Process for administration and enforcement.

Administration and enforcement of the Township Construction Code shall be undertaken in any of the following ways as determined by the Board of Supervisors of the Township from time to time by resolution:

A. By the designation of an employee of the Township to serve as the municipal code official to act on behalf of the Township;

B. By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Township;

C. By agreement with one or more other municipalities for the joint administration and enforcement of the Code Act through an intermunicipal agreement;

D. By entering into a contract with another municipality for the administration and enforcement of the Code Act on behalf of the Township;

E. By entering into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for plan review, inspections and enforcement of structures other than one-family or two-family dwelling units and utility and miscellaneous use structures.

§ 109-4 Board of Appeals.

A Board of Appeals shall be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the Township in conformity with the requirements of the relevant provisions of the Code Act, as amended from time to time, and for the purposes set forth therein. At any time enforcement and administration is undertaken jointly with one or more other municipalities, said Board of Appeals shall be established by joint action of the participating municipalities.

§ 109-5 Continuation of former chapter provisions.

All Township chapters or portions of Township chapters which were adopted by the Township on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code Act shall continue in full force and effect until such time as such provisions fail to equal or exceed the minimum requirements of the Code Act, as amended from time to time. Specifically, the following Township chapter enhancements shall be retained in the Township Construction Code unless excluded by or contrary to the requirements or provisions of the Code Act:

A. In no event and under no circumstances shall the use of aluminum wire be permitted in branch circuit wiring in any building heretofore or hereinafter erected in the Township (portion of former § 109-2).

B. The Chiefs of the three volunteer fire companies located in the Township are hereby designated as Assistant Fire Marshals. Their terms shall coincide with their terms of office as Chiefs. Their duties shall be to assist the Fire Marshal (former § 129-2C).

C. The installation of new oil-fired hot-water-heating devices in the Township Levittown homes (1955 Jubilee, 1956 Jubilee, Old Levittowner and Rancher) shall be in accordance with the following specification booklets prepared by Mr. Martin M. Van Adelsberg of Lawrence J. Dove Associates, 7331 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136. (former § 148-3G):

(1) Suggested replacement installation specification for new oil-fired hot-water-heating boilers in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Jubilee 1955 style homes.

(2) Suggested replacement installation specifications for new oil-fired hot-water-heating boilers in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Jubilee 1956 style homes.

(3) Suggested replacement installation specification for new oil-fired hot-water-heating boilers in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Old Levittowner style homes.

(4) Suggested replacement installation specification for new oil-fired hot-water-heating boilers in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Rancher style homes.

D. Plumbers to be licensed; examination (former § 177-1).

(1) Every master plumber, before doing any plumbing work either by himself or his employees, and every journeyman plumber, before doing any plumbing work, shall obtain from the Board of Supervisors a license as hereinafter provided. The license shall be signed by the Secretary of the Board of Supervisors. Master and journeymen plumbers who are brought into the jurisdiction of the Township on a temporary basis may be granted a temporary license for four months, after which an examination will be held, provided that their applications for examination are placed on file in the office of the Board of Supervisors and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Testing Center before starting work.

(2) Both a master and a journeyman plumber must pass the examinations of the Regional Board of the Lower Bucks County Regional Cooperation Council, of which the Township is a constituent member pursuant to agreement dated March 18, 1966.

E. Subject to the limitations imposed by the Code Act, the Regional Examination Board of the Lower Bucks County Regional Cooperation Council shall have the power to make all necessary rules and regulations covering the filing of applications, the form of applications and the examination of applicants. It shall be its duty to examine all applicants for master plumber's license as to their knowledge of plumbing, house drainage, ventilation and sanitation, which examination shall be practical as well as theoretical, and to examine all applicants for a journeyman plumber's license as to their practical knowledge and ability of plumbing, house drainage and sanitation. If the applicant shows himself to be competent, the Regional Examination Board aforesaid shall also certify to the Board of Supervisors and shall recommend to the Board of Supervisors that the applicant be given a license as a master plumber or journeyman plumber, as the case may be, upon the payment of fees hereinafter provided and the fulfillment of the conditions hereinafter imposed (former § 177-4).

F. Application for master plumber's license; qualifications (former § 177-5).

(1) Applications for master plumbers' licenses may be filed by individuals, copartnerships or corporations; applications by copartnerships may include a request for examination of all the partners or only one partner or for the constituted representative of the firm having charge and supervision of the plumbing work of such firm; applications from corporations must be made by the constituted representative of the corporation having charge and supervision of the plumbing work of such corporation. Every person, firm, corporation or representative thereof, in making application, shall give the full name or names of the persons, firm or officers of the corporation which he or they represent. Every master plumber applying for a first or initial license must be a citizen of the Untied States, and he or the firm or corporation must have an established place of business. At the time of his application he must be not less than 25 years of age, having served five years as an apprentice plumber or its equivalent, and must furnish satisfactory evidence that he is a practical plumber, educated to the business and able to serve the public in a businesslike manner, and must have at least two years' qualification as a journeyman plumber or its equivalent.

(2) For the purpose of determining whether an applicant for journeyman plumber has served his five years as an apprentice plumber, has acquired the practical knowledge and has obtained the theory of plumbing, each apprentice must register with the Board of Supervisors and pay such amount as may be specified by the Board of Supervisors from time to time by resolution.

(3) Every applicant for a journeyman plumber's license must furnish satisfactory evidence that he has a practical knowledge of plumbing, house drainage and sanitation, having served five years as an apprentice plumber, and is skilled in the work of installation hereof.

G. Responsibilities of plumbers (former § 177-13).

(1) Master plumbers will be held responsible for the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or any other rule or regulation adopted by the Board of Supervisors pertaining to plumbing work by journeymen plumbers or others while in their employ.

(2) No master plumber shall allow his name to be used by any other person or party for the purpose of either obtaining permits or doing any work under his license.

(3) Master and journeymen plumbers must have their licenses in their possession at all times while doing any plumbing work, which license shall be subject to inspection by the Plumbing Inspector, any local police officer at any time or by the owner of the property on which said work is taking place. No journeyman plumber shall allow his name or license to be used by any other person or party. No master plumber shall direct a journeymen plumber in his employ to perform plumbing work contrary to the provisions of this chapter.

H. Definitions (portion of former § 177-16E).

APPRENTICE PLUMBER

Any person, other than a journeyman or master plumber who, as his principal occupation, is engaged in learning and assisting in the installation of plumbing and drainage.

JOURNEYMAN PLUMBER

Any person, other than a master plumber, who, as his principal occupation, is engaged in the practical installations of plumbing and who can give sufficient evidence of his practical knowledge of plumbing, house drainage and sanitation.

MASTER PLUMBER

Any person or persons or corporation skilled in the planning, superintending and the practical installation of plumbing and familiar with the law, rules and regulations governing the same and who is conducting a plumbing business.

I. The owner of a dwelling or building within the Township shall be allowed to do his own plumbing work in his own dwelling, provided that he files a plan, secures a permit and complies with the Township Construction Code, but not in his business establishment, apartments or other places built by him and owned by him for speculations. The dwelling owner may not make connections into public or private water and sewer mains. This applies to existing and new work (former § 177-16B).

J. Fernco-type compression gasket joints may be used underground, with the following conditions (former § 177-16J):

(1) The specific application and location of the Fernco-type fitting shall be approved by the Township Code Official or Plumbing Inspector prior to the installation of said fitting.

(2) The Fernco-type fittings shall not be used under concrete slabs.

(3) The piping and joint shall be placed in a trench where soils shall be compacted to 95%.

(4) The Fernco-type joint shall be encased in concrete, with the concrete extending four inches below the joint, four inches above the joint, four inches on each side of the joint and 12 inches along each pipe length adjacent to the joint. The concrete required for this specific condition shall have a structural integrity of 3,000 pounds per square inch.

K. Utility and miscellaneous use structures, relating to single-family detached dwellings, which are 500 square feet or less in size shall be excluded from the Township Construction Code. All other utility and miscellaneous use structures shall be defined in the Township Construction Code as any building or structure which is required to be constructed, equipped or maintained to conform to the requirements of the Township Construction Code. The utility and miscellaneous use structures mentioned here shall be constructed, equipped or maintained to conform to the requirements of the Township Construction Code pursuant to the Township ordinance.

[Added 10-19-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-15]

L. All alterations, repairs and additions to any building or structure shall be required to be constructed, equipped or maintained to conform to the requirements of the Township Construction Code pursuant to the Township ordinance.

[Added 10-19-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-15]

§ 109-6 Permitted forms.

Permitted forms, as amended from time to time, are hereby adopted and incorporated in the Township Construction Code.

§ 109-6.1 Annual fire permit.

[Added 12-2-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-09]

A. Pursuant to the Fire Code, the owners or designated occupants of all nonresidential buildings and structures within Falls Township shall be required to obtain a Fire Code permit issued by the Office of the Fire Marshal of Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, containing such information as to the permittee, emergency contact information and property information, as the Office of the Fire Marshal shall deem necessary or appropriate.

B. The Office of the Fire Marshal shall charge a fee for each annual permit in an amount as shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors and set forth in the Code Fee Schedule of the Falls Township Code, payable on or before December 31 of the year preceding the permit year. A late fee of $50 will be added to the permit fee in the event the annual permit fee is received after the required payment date.

§ 109-7 Effect on other chapters.

All Township chapters or portions of Township chapters which are in effect as of the effective date of this chapter and whose requirements are less than the minimum requirements of the Code Act are hereby amended to conform with the comparable provisions of the new Township Construction Code.

§ 109-8 Effect on other legislation; exclusions to permit exemptions.

All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of the Township not governed by the Code Act shall remain in full force and effect. Specifically, the exclusions to permit exemptions are as follows:

A. UCC Section 403.42(c)(1)(i) shall be deleted completely.

B. UCC Section 403.42(c)(l)(v) shall be deleted as to "and driveways" only.

C. UCC Section 403.62(c)(1)(i) shall be deleted completely.

D. UCC Section 403.62(c)(1)(iv) shall be deleted as to "and driveways" only.

E. UCC Section 403.62(c)(1)(xiii) shall be deleted completely.

F. UCC Section 403.62(c)(1)(xvii) shall be deleted completely.

G. UCC Section 403.62(c)(2)(v) shall be deleted completely.

H. UCC Section 403.62(c)(2)(vi) shall be deleted completely.

I. UCC Section 403.62(c)(5)(ix) shall be deleted completely.

J. UCC Section 403.62(c)(5)(x) shall be deleted as to "and dishwashers" only.

K. UCC Section 403.62(c)(6)(iii) shall be deleted as to "...and replacement..." only.

L. UCC Section 403.62(c)(6)(iv) shall be deleted as to "...and replacement..." only.

M. UCC Section 403.62(c)(6)(vi) shall be deleted completely.

§ 109-9 Fees.

Fees assessable by the Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the Code Act shall be established by the Board of Supervisors by resolution from time to time.

§ 109-10 Violations and penalties.

[Added 10-16-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-06]

Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter or any of the standards adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be subject to a nontraffic citation and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a penalty of not more than $1,000, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Township in the enforcement of this chapter. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the Township are hereby authorized to file a complaint for summary violation and/or nontraffic citation and seek any other available relief at law or equity, including injunction, to enforce compliance with this chapter.