Permit
Local ordinance, not the state
The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Exeter Township requires.
Source: 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)
Roof Replacement in Exeter Township, Berks County, PA
The median home in Exeter Township was built in 1985; there are 10,208 of them. The rules below decide how much of the old roof has to come off and what goes under the new one.
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 Exeter Township
Layers
No third layer
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 43% of Exeter Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
Ice barrier
Set by the local climate table
The code requires an ice barrier where the local climate table (Table R301.2) says so, and each Pennsylvania municipality fills that table in. The contractor or the township code office in Exeter Township will know.
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Pennsylvania.
Homes and roofs in Exeter Township
87% of the occupied homes in Exeter Township are lived in by their owners: 8,501 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 5% before 1940, 20% before 1960, 43% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 22% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 73% detached houses, 15% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 4% manufactured homes.
Of the 67 Berks County municipalities on this site, Exeter Township has the 58th largest share of homes built before 1980: 43%, against a county range of 18% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 19606
Exeter Township and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 1980 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter Township, Berks County | 1985 | 43% | 87% | 15% | 23 |
| St. Lawrence | 1968 | 70% | 77% | 24% | 22 |
| Mount Penn | 1943 | 88% | 65% | 40% | 22 |
| Lower Alsace | 1954 | 84% | 76% | 15% | 22 |
| Birdsboro | 1965 | 68% | 68% | 37% | 19 |
| Amity | 1990 | 41% | 84% | 7% | 18 |
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 Exeter Township
Within 10 miles of Exeter Township, hail of an inch or more was reported on 23 days between 2006 and 2025, the biggest stones 2.5 in on May 22, 2014. The most recent was July 8, 2025.
That is more hail days than 98% of the places in the state on this site.
Berks County has had 2 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4267, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (March 2016). (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
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; 73% 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; 5% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | 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 Exeter Township 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 Exeter Township
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Exeter Township?
Local ordinance, not the state. The state code does not cover a reroof that changes no structure (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(8)). The township code office can say what Exeter Township requires.
Is a roof-over allowed in Exeter Township, or is it a tear-off?
IRC R908.3.1.1 forbids roofing over two existing layers, over slate or tile, or over a water-soaked roof. 43% of Exeter Township’s homes were built before 1980, so count the layers before comparing quotes.
When were most homes in Exeter Township built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Exeter Township was built in 1985, 43% of homes were built before 1980, 87% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has Exeter Township had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 23 days within 10 miles of Exeter Township 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 Exeter Township 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 Exeter Township and look it up.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in Exeter Township, or at least the ZIP code
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- 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.