Permit
Ask Ashland Borough first
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The borough code office can say what Ashland Borough requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Ashland Borough, Schuylkill County, PA
Ashland Borough has 1,537 homes, and half of them were standing by 1938. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.
The rules for a reroof in Ashland Borough
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 93% of Ashland Borough’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Ashland Borough’s climate table decides
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. Ask the borough code office or the contractor what Ashland Borough’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Ashland Borough
Of 1,157 occupied homes in Ashland Borough, 837 (72%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 71% before 1940, 83% before 1960, 93% before 1980; 1% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 33% detached houses, 51% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% buildings of two to four units.
With about half of homes attached, many roofs here meet a neighbor’s roof at a party wall. Say so on the call, and ask the contractor how the new roof will be tied in where it meets the house next door.
On a house built before 1940, ask what the deck is (boards or plywood) and whether slate sits under the later layers: slate can’t be roofed over.
Of the 41 Schuylkill County municipalities on this site, Ashland Borough has the 9th largest share of homes built before 1980: 93%, against a county range of 42% to 97%.
Ashland Borough and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland Borough, Schuylkill County | 1938 | 93% | 72% | 51% | 5 |
| Ashland Borough, Columbia County | 1938 | 93% | 72% | 51% | 5 |
| Butler Township, Schuylkill County | 1963 | 71% | 89% | 3% | 5 |
| Girardville | 1938 | 97% | 80% | 48% | 6 |
| Mount Carmel Borough | 1938 | 88% | 77% | 53% | 6 |
| Mount Carmel Township | 1953 | 69% | 88% | 38% | 6 |
Median built: median year the homes were built. Before 1980: share of homes built then. Owners: share of homes that are owner-occupied. Row, twin: share of homes that are rowhouses, twins or townhouses. Census ACS 2020–2024. Hail days: days with hail of 1 inch or larger within 10 miles, 2006–2025, NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Storm record around Ashland Borough
NOAA’s storm reports show 5 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Ashland Borough, topping out at 1.75 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was July 3, 2014.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 5 federal storm declarations covering Schuylkill County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Ashland Borough, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
Useful life is HUD’s planning figure, not a warranty. More in the guides to shingles, metal, slate and flat roofs.
| Material | HUD useful life | Fits a house like | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | 20 years | Most pitched roofs; 33% of homes here are detached | Wind class set by the design wind speed (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Roofs that will carry solar later | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 71% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (51% of homes here are attached) | Seams at walls and drainage |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in Ashland Borough and look it up.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Questions about a new roof in Ashland Borough
Does a roof replacement in Ashland Borough need a permit?
Ask Ashland Borough first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The borough code office can say what Ashland Borough requires.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Ashland Borough?
On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). 93% of Ashland Borough’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Ashland Borough?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Ashland Borough was built in 1938, 93% of homes were built before 1980, 72% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Ashland Borough?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 5 days within 10 miles of Ashland Borough from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
How do I check a roofing contractor in Ashland Borough?
Pennsylvania’s home improvement law (HICPA § 3, § 6) requires registration with the Attorney General from $5,000 a year of such work and puts the number on every estimate; ask for it in Ashland Borough and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Ashland Borough address or ZIP
- Detached, twin or rowhouse, and the number of stories
- What is on the roof now (asphalt shingles, metal, slate, tile, or a flat membrane) and roughly how old it is
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Ashland Borough
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.
Towns near Ashland Borough
- Ashland Borough, Columbia County 1 mi
- Butler Township, Schuylkill County 1 mi
- Girardville 3 mi
- Mount Carmel Borough 4 mi
- Mount Carmel Township 5 mi
- Frackville 6 mi
- West Mahanoy 6 mi
- Cass Township, Schuylkill County 6 mi
- Pottsville
- Tamaqua
- Wayne Township, Schuylkill County
- Schuylkill Haven
- West Penn
- Minersville
- All of Schuylkill County