East Whiteland has 5,737 homes, and half of them were standing by 1993. 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.
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 Whiteland
Permit
Ask East Whiteland first
Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether East Whiteland wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes 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). 37% of East Whiteland’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
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 township code office or the contractor what East Whiteland’s says.
60% of the occupied homes in East Whiteland are lived in by their owners: 3,306 households, the people this line is for. By year built, 15% before 1960, 37% before 1980; 46% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 53% detached houses, 18% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses).
46% 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 Whiteland has the 46th largest share of homes built before 1980: 37%, against a county range of 12% to 80%.
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 East Whiteland
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 18 separate days within 10 miles of East Whiteland; the largest was 2 in on August 10, 2008. The most recent was July 14, 2024.
That is more hail days than 85% of the places in the state on this site.
Remnants of Hurricane Ida (DR-4618, September 2021) is the latest of 5 federal storm declarations covering Chester County since 2006. (OpenFEMA.)
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 53% 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 and historic houses
Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO
15 years
Low-slope roofs and rear sections (18% of homes here are attached)
Where the roof meets a wall or parapet
Checking a contractor in Pennsylvania
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in East Whiteland, and search it.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in East Whiteland?
Ask East Whiteland first. Pennsylvania’s code leaves residential alterations without structural change to local ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether East Whiteland wants a permit is in its own ordinance; ask the township code office before the old roof comes off.
Do the old shingles have to come off in East Whiteland?
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). 37% of East Whiteland’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
How old are the houses in East Whiteland?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in East Whiteland was built in 1993, 37% of homes were built before 1980, 60% are owner-occupied.
How often does hail hit East Whiteland?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 18 days within 10 miles of East Whiteland 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 East Whiteland?
A contractor who does $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must be registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the number has to be on every contract and estimate (HICPA § 3, § 6). Ask for it before anyone starts on a roof in East Whiteland, and search it.
What they will ask on the phone
Your address or ZIP code in East Whiteland
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
The number of layers, if anyone has counted
Your timing for a complete replacement
Any historic-district or HOA rules on the house in East Whiteland