Permit
Ask Cornwall first
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. So the borough code office in Cornwall is the one to ask before work starts.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Cornwall, PA
Cornwall has 2,125 homes, and half of them were standing by 1986. 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 Cornwall
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
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). 40% of Cornwall’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
Cornwall’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. The contractor or the borough code office in Cornwall will know.
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 Cornwall
Of 1,980 occupied homes in Cornwall, 1,528 (77%) are owner-occupied. By year built, 18% before 1940, 26% before 1960, 40% before 1980; 35% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 66% detached houses, 22% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
35% of homes here were built in 2000 or later. HUD’s useful-life table gives an asphalt-shingle roof 20 years, so roofs on houses from the early 2000s are reaching that age.
Of the 23 Lebanon County municipalities on this site, Cornwall has the 20th largest share of homes built before 1980: 40%, against a county range of 31% to 88%.
ZIP codes: 17016
Cornwall and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | 1986 | 40% | 77% | 22% | 15 |
| West Cornwall | 1977 | 54% | 91% | 12% | 16 |
| South Lebanon | 1973 | 56% | 77% | 16% | 15 |
| North Cornwall | 1980 | 50% | 67% | 23% | 16 |
| Penn Township, Lancaster County | 1984 | 45% | 76% | 11% | 15 |
| Lebanon | 1947 | 88% | 47% | 34% | 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 Cornwall
NOAA’s storm reports show 15 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around Cornwall, topping out at 1.75 in on March 29, 2009. The most recent was July 16, 2024.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Lebanon County since 2006: 3, most recently DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared March 2016. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Cornwall, 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; 66% 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 | Low pitches and long runs | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 18% 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 (22% of homes here are attached) | Coating is not a replacement |
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 Cornwall 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 Cornwall
Is a permit required for a new roof in Cornwall, PA?
Ask Cornwall first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. So the borough code office in Cornwall is the one to ask before work starts.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Cornwall?
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). 40% of Cornwall’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
How old are the houses in Cornwall?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Cornwall was built in 1986, 40% of homes were built before 1980, 77% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Cornwall had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 15 days within 10 miles of Cornwall 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 Cornwall?
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 Cornwall and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Where the house is: the Cornwall address or ZIP
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- The roof you have today, shingle, metal, slate, tile or flat, and its rough age
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in Cornwall
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.