Permit
Ask Dickinson first
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Dickinson requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Dickinson, PA
Half of the 2,175 homes in Dickinson were built before 1989. 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 Dickinson
Layers
Two layers means a tear-off
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 32% of Dickinson’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
Dickinson’s climate table decides
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). Dickinson’s answer is with the township code office.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Dickinson
94% of the occupied homes in Dickinson are lived in by their owners: 1,823 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 18% before 1940, 22% before 1960, 32% before 1980; 33% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 88% detached houses, 11% manufactured homes.
33% 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 31 Cumberland County municipalities on this site, Dickinson has the 29th largest share of homes built before 1980: 32%, against a county range of 24% to 93%.
ZIP codes: 17015 · 17065 · 17324
Dickinson and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson | 1989 | 32% | 94% | 1% | 7 |
| Penn Township, Cumberland County | 1982 | 44% | 84% | 1% | 6 |
| Mount Holly Springs | 1955 | 73% | 56% | 19% | 9 |
| South Middleton | 1986 | 40% | 81% | 12% | 10 |
| South Newton | 1975 | 56% | 81% | 0% | 7 |
| West Pennsboro | 1976 | 55% | 76% | 7% | 7 |
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 Dickinson
Within 10 miles of Dickinson, hail of an inch or more was reported on 7 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2 in on May 14, 2010. The most recent was August 4, 2023.
That is fewer than most places in the state on this site (median 12 days).
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Cumberland County since 2006: 2, most recently DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared March 2016. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Dickinson, 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; 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 | 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; 18% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson
Does a roof replacement in Dickinson need a permit?
Ask Dickinson first. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Dickinson requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in Dickinson, or is it a tear-off?
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 32% of Dickinson’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
How old are the houses in Dickinson?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Dickinson was built in 1989, 32% of homes were built before 1980, 94% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit Dickinson?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 7 days within 10 miles of Dickinson 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 Dickinson?
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 Dickinson and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Your address or ZIP code in Dickinson
- 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 Dickinson
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.