Permit
Ask Clifton Heights 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 Clifton Heights requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Clifton Heights, PA
Half of the 2,684 homes in Clifton Heights were built before 1951. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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 Clifton Heights
Layers
One old layer can stay; two cannot
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). 93% of Clifton Heights’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
Clifton Heights’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. Clifton Heights’s answer is with the borough code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Clifton Heights
Owners live in 1,880 of Clifton Heights’s occupied homes, or 74%. By year built, 21% before 1940, 73% before 1960, 93% before 1980; 2% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 17% detached houses, 71% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
With 71% 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.
Of the 48 Delaware County municipalities on this site, Clifton Heights has the 7th largest share of homes built before 1980: 93%, against a county range of 20% to 98%.
ZIP codes: 19018
Clifton Heights and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Heights | 1951 | 93% | 74% | 71% | 14 |
| Aldan | 1954 | 84% | 74% | 25% | 15 |
| Lansdowne | 1943 | 89% | 67% | 40% | 13 |
| Upper Darby | 1948 | 92% | 58% | 48% | 12 |
| Collingdale | 1951 | 92% | 58% | 57% | 15 |
| Darby Borough | 1949 | 93% | 50% | 64% | 15 |
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 Clifton Heights
NOAA’s storm reports show 14 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Clifton Heights, topping out at 1.75 in on June 24, 2010. The most recent was April 4, 2025.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 3 federal storm declarations covering Delaware County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Clifton Heights, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For Clifton Heights’s houses: 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; 17% 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; 21% here predate 1940 | Never a base for a new layer (R908.3.1.1); heavy |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (71% of homes here are attached) | Seams at walls and drainage |
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 Clifton Heights, and search it.
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 Clifton Heights
Does a roof replacement in Clifton Heights need a permit?
Ask Clifton Heights 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 Clifton Heights requires.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Clifton Heights?
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). 93% of Clifton Heights’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Clifton Heights?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Clifton Heights was built in 1951, 93% of homes were built before 1980, 74% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Clifton Heights had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Clifton Heights 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 Clifton Heights?
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 Clifton Heights, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Clifton Heights, or at least the ZIP code
- Detached, twin or rowhouse, and the number of stories
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- 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 Clifton Heights
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.