The median home in Bridgeton was built in 1961; there are 672 of them. 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.
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 Bridgeton
Permit
Ask Bridgeton first
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Bridgeton wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 74% of Bridgeton’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Whether an eave membrane is a code item depends on the climate table the municipality filled in when it adopted the code (IRC R905.1.2, Table R301.2). Bridgeton’s answer is with the township code office.
87% of the occupied homes in Bridgeton are lived in by their owners: 516 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 37% before 1940, 49% before 1960, 74% before 1980; 10% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 88% detached houses, 6% buildings of two to four units, 4% manufactured homes.
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 50 Bucks County municipalities on this site, Bridgeton has the 15th largest share of homes built before 1980: 74%, against a county range of 16% to 88%.
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 Bridgeton
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 12 separate days within 10 miles of Bridgeton; the largest was 1.75 in on May 27, 2010. The most recent was June 22, 2024.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Bucks County since 2006: 5, most recently DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
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; 88% 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
Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes
Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1)
Slate
75 years
Older houses; 37% here predate 1940
Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Porches, additions, low-slope rears
Coating is not a replacement
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Bridgeton, and search it.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Bridgeton?
Ask Bridgeton first. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Bridgeton wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Bridgeton?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 74% of Bridgeton’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in Bridgeton?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Bridgeton was built in 1961, 74% of homes were built before 1980, 87% are owner-occupied.
Does Bridgeton get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of Bridgeton 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 Bridgeton?
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in Bridgeton, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
Your address or ZIP code in Bridgeton
The number of stories, and whether the house stands alone
What covers the roof now and about when it went on
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Bridgeton