Permit
Local ordinance, not the state
Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what East Fallowfield requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in East Fallowfield, PA
East Fallowfield has 2,900 homes, and half of them were standing by 1999. Below: what the code asks of a replacement here, the permit, and the town’s own records.
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 East Fallowfield
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). 39% of East Fallowfield’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. East Fallowfield’s answer is with the township code office.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in East Fallowfield
90% of the occupied homes in East Fallowfield are lived in by their owners: 2,561 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 9% before 1940, 19% before 1960, 39% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 50% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 85% detached houses, 9% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
50% 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 71 Chester County municipalities on this site, East Fallowfield has the 39th largest share of homes built before 1980: 39%, against a county range of 12% to 80%.
East Fallowfield and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Fallowfield | 1999 | 39% | 90% | 9% | 11 |
| South Coatesville | 1970 | 53% | 60% | 45% | 10 |
| Coatesville | 1952 | 68% | 40% | 45% | 11 |
| Valley Township, Chester County | 1990 | 39% | 84% | 38% | 9 |
| Caln | 1981 | 48% | 70% | 25% | 14 |
| Newlin | 1982 | 45% | 92% | 1% | 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.
Hail and storms near East Fallowfield
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 11 separate days within 10 miles of East Fallowfield; the largest was 1.5 in on April 24, 2006. The most recent was September 7, 2023.
At the county level, East Fallowfield shares Chester County’s record of 5 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest DR-4618 (Remnants of Hurricane Ida, September 2021). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any 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 East Fallowfield’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; 85% 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 | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 9% here predate 1940 | Can’t be roofed over; check the framing for the weight |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | 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 East Fallowfield and look it up.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Pennsylvania.
Questions about a new roof in East Fallowfield
Does a roof replacement in East Fallowfield need a permit?
Local ordinance, not the state. Under 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8), alterations to a house that make no structural change are outside the state code. The township code office can say what East Fallowfield requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in East Fallowfield, or is it 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). 39% of East Fallowfield’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
When were most homes in East Fallowfield built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in East Fallowfield was built in 1999, 39% of homes were built before 1980, 90% are owner-occupied.
Does East Fallowfield get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 11 days within 10 miles of East Fallowfield from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in East Fallowfield have?
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 East Fallowfield and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- Your address or ZIP code in East Fallowfield
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- How many layers are on it, if you know
- Your timing for a complete replacement
- Whether the house is in a historic district or an HOA
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.