Permit
Ask Coplay 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 Coplay requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Coplay, PA
Half of the 1,504 homes in Coplay were built before 1956. 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 Coplay
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). 73% of Coplay’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
Coplay’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 Coplay’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 Coplay
Of 1,477 occupied homes in Coplay, 946 (64%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 37% before 1940, 56% before 1960, 73% before 1980; 0% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 38% detached houses, 39% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 19% buildings of two to four units.
With about two 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 25 Lehigh County municipalities on this site, Coplay has the 10th largest share of homes built before 1980: 73%, against a county range of 22% to 90%.
Coplay and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coplay | 1956 | 73% | 64% | 39% | 25 |
| Whitehall | 1967 | 70% | 62% | 19% | 24 |
| North Catasauqua | 1951 | 83% | 78% | 20% | 24 |
| Northampton Borough | 1941 | 73% | 70% | 37% | 23 |
| Catasauqua | 1938 | 87% | 74% | 37% | 24 |
| Allen | 2001 | 36% | 81% | 32% | 23 |
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 Coplay
Within 10 miles of Coplay, hail of an inch or more was reported on 25 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.5 in on May 14, 2010. The most recent was July 3, 2025.
That is more hail days than 99% of the places in the state on this site.
Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4267, March 2016) is the latest of 2 federal storm declarations covering Lehigh County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Coplay, 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; 38% 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 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Low-slope roofs and rear sections (39% 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 Coplay 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 Coplay
Does a roof replacement in Coplay need a permit?
Ask Coplay 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 Coplay requires.
Can a new roof go over the old one in Coplay?
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). 73% of Coplay’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Coplay?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Coplay was built in 1956, 73% of homes were built before 1980, 64% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Coplay?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 25 days within 10 miles of Coplay 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 Coplay?
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 Coplay and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Coplay, 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
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Coplay
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.