The median home in Ephrata Township was built in 1997; there are 4,325 of them. 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.
Permit
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Ephrata Township 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. 31% of Ephrata Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
Ice barrier
IRC R905.1.2 calls for an ice barrier where Table R301.2 says so; in Pennsylvania the municipality completes that table. Ask the township code office or the contractor what Ephrata Township’s says.
Rules as read on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Owners live in 2,883 of Ephrata Township’s occupied homes, or 69%. By year built, 9% before 1940, 14% before 1960, 31% before 1980; 47% went up in 2000 or later. (ACS 2020–2024.)
By building type: 56% detached houses, 11% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 10% manufactured homes.
47% 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, Ephrata Township has the 57th largest share of homes built before 1980: 31%, against a county range of 27% to 87%.
ZIP codes: 17522
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ephrata Township | 1997 | 31% | 69% | 11% | 19 |
| Ephrata Borough | 1971 | 61% | 56% | 30% | 19 |
| West Earl | 1983 | 42% | 82% | 14% | 25 |
| Akron | 1971 | 72% | 63% | 11% | 24 |
| Earl Township, Lancaster County | 1986 | 43% | 63% | 21% | 16 |
| East Cocalico | 1983 | 46% | 83% | 9% | 17 |
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.
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 19 separate days within 10 miles of Ephrata Township; the largest was 1.75 in on June 10, 2008. The most recent was June 30, 2024.
That is more hail days than 89% of the places in the state on this site.
Federal major-disaster declarations for storms in Lancaster County since 2006: 3, most recently DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared March 2016. (OpenFEMA.)
A report says hail fell near Ephrata Township, 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; 56% 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 | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | Standing seam that carries its own loads can skip the tear-off (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 | Porches, additions, low-slope rears | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
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 Ephrata Township and look it up.
The price side is in what a new roof costs in Pennsylvania; the paperwork side in checking a roofing contractor.
Ask Ephrata Township first. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). Whether Ephrata Township 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. 31% of Ephrata Township’s homes were built before 1980; many have been reroofed before.
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Ephrata Township was built in 1997, 31% of homes were built before 1980, 69% are owner-occupied.
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 19 days within 10 miles of Ephrata Township from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
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 Ephrata Township and look it up.
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.