The median home in East Donegal was built in 1994; there are 3,170 of them. 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.
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.
Permit
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. Whether East Donegal wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Layers
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 31% of East Donegal’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
Ice barrier
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). The contractor or the township code office in East Donegal will know.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
77% of the occupied homes in East Donegal are lived in by their owners: 2,428 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 8% before 1940, 14% before 1960, 31% before 1980; 34% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 63% detached houses, 24% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 4% manufactured homes.
34% 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 59 Lancaster County municipalities on this site, East Donegal has the 56th largest share of homes built before 1980: 31%, against a county range of 27% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 17547 · 17550 · 17552
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Donegal | 1994 | 31% | 77% | 24% | 16 |
| Marietta | 1938 | 82% | 62% | 36% | 17 |
| Mount Joy Borough | 1974 | 57% | 63% | 21% | 17 |
| West Donegal | 1992 | 36% | 69% | 14% | 15 |
| Hellam | 1977 | 56% | 91% | 8% | 19 |
| Wrightsville | 1944 | 86% | 68% | 23% | 19 |
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.
NOAA’s storm reports show 16 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around East Donegal, topping out at 2 in on May 14, 2010. The most recent was June 28, 2025.
Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4267, March 2016) is the latest of 3 federal storm declarations covering Lancaster County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near East Donegal, not that it damaged a roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
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; 63% 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; 8% 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 (24% of homes here are attached) | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Before signing for a roof in East Donegal, 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.
Ask East Donegal first. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. Whether East Donegal wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. With 31% of East Donegal’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in East Donegal was built in 1994, 31% of homes were built before 1980, 77% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 16 days within 10 miles of East Donegal from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
Before signing for a roof in East Donegal, 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 full list: before you call.
Checked October 24, 2026. Laws and code editions change; the date says when these were last read at the source.