Permit
Local ordinance, not the state
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The city code office can say what Chester requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Chester, PA
Half of the 14,929 homes in Chester were built before 1949. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.
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 Chester
Layers
No third layer
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 85% of Chester’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
Chester’s climate table decides
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Ask the city code office or the contractor what Chester’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Chester
Owners live in 5,010 of Chester’s occupied homes, or 40%. By year built, 36% before 1940, 66% before 1960, 85% before 1980; 7% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 7% detached houses, 62% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 13% buildings of two to four units.
With about three in five 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 48 Delaware County municipalities on this site, Chester has the 24th largest share of homes built before 1980: 85%, against a county range of 20% to 98%.
ZIP codes: 19013
Chester and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | 1949 | 85% | 40% | 62% | 15 |
| Upland | 1946 | 90% | 42% | 58% | 16 |
| Chester Township | 1972 | 73% | 55% | 77% | 15 |
| Parkside | 1952 | 98% | 78% | 32% | 15 |
| Eddystone | 1948 | 88% | 63% | 58% | 14 |
| Brookhaven | 1970 | 73% | 85% | 16% | 16 |
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 Chester
NOAA’s storm reports show 15 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Chester, topping out at 2.5 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Delaware County since 2006: 3, most recently DR-4618, Remnants of Hurricane Ida, declared September 2021. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Chester, 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; 7% 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; 36% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (62% of homes here are attached) | Coating is not a replacement |
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
Before signing for a roof in Chester, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
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 Chester
Is a permit required for a new roof in Chester, PA?
Local ordinance, not the state. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The city code office can say what Chester requires.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Chester?
A new roof may go over one existing layer; with two or more, or over slate, clay or cement tile, everything comes off to the deck (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 85% of Chester’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
How old are the houses in Chester?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Chester was built in 1949, 85% of homes were built before 1980, 40% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Chester had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 15 days within 10 miles of Chester 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 Chester?
Before signing for a roof in Chester, get the contractor’s PA registration number: the home improvement law requires registration with the Attorney General above $5,000 a year of such work, and the number on contracts and estimates (HICPA § 3, § 6).
What they will ask on the phone
- Your address or ZIP code in Chester
- Detached, twin or rowhouse, and the number of stories
- 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 Chester
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.